Phone Scams #ScreenYourCalls

Good afternoon,

The vast majority of reports we receive where a resident of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been defrauded/scammed, start with the words: “I answered the phone…”

If you are unable or unwilling to let your calls go to voicemail and/or install call-blocking hardware/software please take extreme care when answering the phone, particularly to an unexpected, unsolicited, unverified caller.

Our colleagues at THE MET have created this helpful Little Booklet which explains more: https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/central/advice/fraud/met/little-booklet-of-phone-scams.pdf

Your phone provider can help you install call blocking software to weed out known scam callers. Devices such as TrueCall offer a comprehensive call blocking service by blocking ALL calls except those from numbers you trust (other devices are available): https://www.truecall.co.uk/

If this alert isn't relevant to you, please share it with someone who might be interested.

If you’ve received a phishing email please report it to your email provider and/or forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk 

If you’ve received unwanted phone calls or texts from people you think are trying to scam you, but you haven’t engaged with them, please forward the text/phone number to 7726.

If you've been affected by a crime please contact Victim Care Hub for free, confidential support:  https://www.hampshireiowvictimcare.co.uk/  or phone 0808 178 1641

If you would like to report a crime anonymously please contact: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or phone 0800 555 111

Hampshire Alerts is not a crime reporting portal – please do not report crime here.

If you realise you’ve been scammed and wish to report a fraud that has already happened, please report it to Action Fraud either phone 0300 123 2040 or online at: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

If a crime is in progress, and/or you are in fear for yourself or someone else, and/or there is evidence in situ that could be damaged/destroyed, please phone 999 immediately. 

Otherwise, report online, or find out about other ways to report a crime at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Thank you – Fraud Safeguarding Team