Local Priorities Fraud Message

I wanted to provide you with an update regarding Fraud, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey.

A Resident has reported receiving a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be a police officer from Hammersmith police station. who said they were contacting them regarding a person in custody the false police officer has then started to ask questions regarding their personal details.
Scams like these will rely on the victim cooperating by giving details, bank cards or cash to the ‘officer’ or a courier.
Fortunately, in this case details were not provided and the victim called us before providing any details.
The following advice is given to residents to help them avoid becoming a victim of a police impersonation scam:
• Police officers will never call you out of the blue and request cash or personal information. They’ll never ask you to transfer money to another account, hand over cash or bank cards to a courier, or a pay a fine or fee over the phone. If someone asks you to do this, it's a scam.
• If an officer contacts you in person, they will show you their warrant card. This is proof of their identify and authority.
• If someone has called you and you are unsure if they are a genuine police officer, you can hang up and call police on 101 to check their identity.
• It’s recommended you wait at least five minutes and make sure you can hear a dialling tone before you call, as there have been cases of fraudsters keeping the line open after a victim has hung up.

Fraud can affect anyone within the community, so we want to make sure you have the tools and knowledge to protect yourself from it. It comes in many different forms and across varying channels, whether that's through emails, phone calls or in person encounters. Some adults may be even more vulnerable to fraud or financial abuse, but it is something that everyone can be at risk of. If you’re concerned about someone you know, please contact your local social services and ask for Adult Social Care.

Please see a few resources below to protect you and others from potential fraudsters: 

• Learn the ten golden rules to prevent fraud.
• Find out about the most common types of fraud.
• Download The Little Book of Big Scams to find out more. The Little Book of Big Scams audio version is also available.

For more information and help and to report fraud, go to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. Lastly, if you think you’ve uncovered a scam, been targeted by a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters, please contact 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at Action Fraud.

Get Involved

Please consider getting involved and contribute to the local priority survey, we may be unaware of issues that you would like us to focus on.  Take a few minutes to securely and privately register and have your say using the button below, this will mean we can focus on things that matter to you. 

Please click here to complete the survey