Fraudsters have been trying to con people in and around Watford out of money with scam phone calls and texts appearing to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Seven victims in Borehamwood, Watford and Hemel Hempstead have been contacted by the scammers claiming to be the HMRC over the last few weeks. The victims were told there were outstanding debts or unpaid taxes in their names. The fraudsters then asked the victims to make bank transfers as payment. One victim lost £1,400. The fraudsters cold call victims using a spoofed number that appears to be a genuine Hertfordshire Constabulary phone number, sometimes leaving voicemail messages claiming that the victim owes unpaid tax to HMRC.
Fraudsters have been trying to con people in and around Watford out of money with scam phone calls and texts appearing to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Seven victims in Borehamwood, Watford and Hemel Hempstead have been contacted by the scammers claiming to be the HMRC over the last few weeks. The victims were told there were outstanding debts or unpaid taxes in their names. The fraudsters then asked the victims to make bank transfers as payment. One victim lost £1,400. The fraudsters cold call victims using a spoofed number that appears to be a genuine Hertfordshire Constabulary phone number, sometimes leaving voicemail messages claiming that the victim owes unpaid tax to HMRC.
Residents in Royston and Hitchin have been targeted by the scam
- Credit: Archant
Police are urging people to remain alert as fraudsters posing as police officers scam victims across Herts out of more than £70,000 collectively.
A total of 27 residents have been targeted since the start of December, with the most recent victims hailing from Hitchin and Royston, as well as Rickmansworth, Hertford and Borehamwood.
The victims were asked for their bank details before being asked to hand over their bank cards or money to a courier.
Fraudsters have called from either a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer and informing the resident there has been fraudulent activity on their bank account. Victims were then instructed to put their bank cards and/or money into an envelope and give them to a courier or taxi, which is sent to the house by the offenders.
Since the start of December 27, Hertfordshire residents have been targeted by the scam callers. The scam involves a call from either a mobile or landline number, with someone posing as an officer informing the victim there has been fraudulent activity on their bank account. Victims were then asked for banking details, and instructed to put their bank cards and/or money into an envelope and give them to a courier or taxi, which is sent to the house by the offenders. Recent victims were from Rickmansworth, Borehamwood, Hertford, Hitchin and Royston. An earlier report on December 18 found victims at the time were conned a total of £8,000.
A man posed as a police officer in an attempt to scam a Watford victim A suspected fraudster who posed as a police officer in an attempt to scam a man has been arrested. The victim, from Watford, was asked to withdraw £2,000 and pass it to a courier after being misleadingly told that police were investigating criminal activity on their bank account. But after realising the withdrawal request was unusual while at the bank, the victim alerted police. Officers worked with the victim to lure the courier to the victim’s address, and the courier ran off once confronted by police.