Fraudsters in operation in Warrington after internet provider scam uncovered

Officers at Cheshire Police have issued a warning after a number of residents have been targeted by fraudsters.

A man contacted five victims living in Warrington, Crewe, Chester and Runcorn to tell them their modem was not compatible with their computer and the customer was owed £200. 

The fraudster then informed the victim a bigger sum had been transferred instead by mistake, which they needed to repay. 

As a result of this two of the victims paid a substantial amount of money back to the fraudster. 

The Warrington victims were contacted on July 19 at 12.20pm and July 26 at 3.30pm.

Peter Lawless, of Cheshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, has issued the following advice:
• Don′t be afraid to put the phone down on someone if you are unsure about handing over details. 
• Banks never call and ask for your four-digit card Pin or ask you to withdraw money to hand over to them or transfer money to another account. 
• Never assume a caller is genuine just because they hold some information about you. Criminals may already have some basic information, such as a name, address and account details to try to make the call appear legitimate. 
• Always be wary of cold callers who suggest you hang up the phone and call them back. 
• If in doubt ask for the officer′s name, collar number and station and then hang up. Using a different phone, as the caller may still be linked to yours, call 101 to check the identity of the officer. 
• Alternatively, if you do not have a second phone then you could try phoning a relative or friend, that way you know that the offender is not still on the line. 
• Remember that it takes two people to terminate a call so try and use a different phone line if you are asked to ring back. If you think you′ve already been a victim of this scam, contact your bank or card company immediately. 
Anyone who is a victim of this scam should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 and Police on 101.