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Warning after phone scam in Bedlington

Northumbria Police

23 November 2011


Police are warning residents in Bedlington to be on their guard for phone scams after a man was conned out of more than £1500.
In the last week officers have received three reports from local people reporting suspicious calls.
Two calls were from hoaxers claiming to be from Barclays bank. They told the callers that they were entitled to receive money back from historic loans and tried to persuade the callers to hand over bank details and personal information.
Neither caller gave any details or had any cash stolen.
The third incident involved the fraudsters telling the caller they were from the Ministry of Justice and that they were owed thousands of pounds, but had to pay an administrative fee to receive the cheque.
Unfortunately the caller then paid around £1600 into an account and when they received no cheque they reported the incident to police.
Bedlington Inspector Karen Murray said: "Our advice is never give out  your bank details to anyone you don't know over the phone, in person or on the internet, no matter how genuine the caller seems.
"If you're in any doubt, take the callers name and organisation  and check their credentials. The organisation will be able to tell you whether the call is genuine and if necessary provide you with a letter of confirmation  and proof of identity."