PEOPLE are being urged not to fall victim to scammers after a rise in the number of calls from "spoofed" police force phone numbers.
Report Fraud, the national cyber crime and fraud reporting service, said data shows that there has been an increase in numbers being used.
In the calls, a criminal uses the number of a real police force to try and obtain sensitive personal or financial details.
Often, the criminals will claim that the victim will be helping with an investigation by providing the information they are asking for.
One Lichfield resident, who did not wish to be named, said they had received such a call:
"They claimed to be from the Metropolitan Police and said my data had been found on a criminal's phone and they wanted to check I hadn't been a victim of fraud.
"However, the caller ID said they were from Cleveland Police, so when I challenged them on that they eventually hung up. I checked the number and it was a genuine police station number they'd spoofed.
"But it's easy to see how people might fall victim to them if they aren't vigilant."
The offenders use so-called spoofing software to cover up their real caller ID and instead mirror a legitimate number.
A spokesperson for Report Fraud said:
"Remember that genuine service providers, banks and the police will never call asking you to transfer money, share personal financial details or hand over remote control of your computer.
"If you are in any way suspicious, or feel pressured into anything, hang up and take time to check if the call is genuine. Call back on a number you know to be genuine, for example as shown on your utility bills or the back of your card. You can also call 159 to get through to your bank, or 101 for the police.
"Don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID."
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