MLA Sugden urges vigilance as fraudsters impersonating police scam man from north-west

The man was telephoned, told his bank accounts and National Insurance number had been compromised and was directed to buy gift vouchers and share the codes to the scammers via text message.

Ms Sugden urged the public to contact police independently if anything suspicious like this occurred.

“Sadly, this kind of crime is both growing and varying in how it operates,” Ms Sugden said. “Scammers use the internet, phone and even personal visits to defraud people of their money, so it is vital to stay vigilant.

“The police will never contact you in this way, asking for you to make transactions of any kind. They often use people’s fear of having already been a victim to a scam to make their own scams work.

“This incident comes as 46 per cent of people in Northern Ireland have said they have either been a victim of an online scam or have had one attempted. In the run-up to Christmas, scam sites offering online bargains well below the normal price can also be used to draw people in so their details can be stolen and used to remove money from their accounts.

“There is a ScamWise page on the NIDirect website that can help you learn more and know what to do in cases that seem suspicious,” concluded the MLA.

Further information on how to spot a scam can be found at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/scamwiseni