Scammers continue to target Hitchin residents posing as police or bank staff

If you get an unsolicited phone call, do not rely on caller ID to decide if a call is trustworthy.

Criminals can copy legitimate phone numbers to appear like the genuine organisation.

If you receive a call and it sounds suspicious then hang up and ring back using a trusted number (not the number supplied by them!) on a different telephone, as criminals can remain on the line and not disconnect the call. 

If you do not have a different telephone to hand, then wait at least five minutes and ring a family member or friend to ensure the line has been disconnected before making the call.

Criminals will go to great lengths to appear genuine, and this can include obtaining personal information which they then disclose to the victim to give an appearance of legitimacy. These are organised criminals who can be very convincing and whose techniques sadly often scam people from all walks of life.

Even if you do not consider yourself to be vulnerable, it is important to be vigilant:

• Never give personal information in response to an incoming call, particularly if the caller is asking you to do something that will affect you financially.

• The police or your bank will never request money from you, nor will they ever request you to make a transaction on your bank card.

• If you receive such a call, end it immediately.

The ABC rule to help protect yourself and others against fraud:

- Never Assume someone is telling the truth,

- Never Believe what they say unless you are confident that they are who they say they are, and

- Always independently Confirm the details they have provided.

If you think that you may have been a victim of this or any other type of scam, then contact your bank immediately, which you can do by calling 159 and report it to Action Fraud at Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040.