Warning for residents in Renfrewshire following reports of financial scams

Renfrewshire residents are being urged to be vigilant following reports of financial scams.

Officers have seen a recent spate of incidents in the area which has resulted in financial loss for victims in the region of four and five figure sums of cash.

The scams see people receive a call from a person claiming to be a police officer alerting them to fraudulent activity on their account. In the phone call, personal questions are asked for security reasons.

In some cases, the victim is instructed to visit their bank to withdraw money and pass it to a third person.

Detective Constable Barry Gourley said: “These criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the police and we would urge people to be vigilant.

“It is important to understand that police officers will never phone members of the public to alert them to fraudulent activity on their account and we will never ask you to transfer or withdraw money.

“If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank or financial institution, and you are in any doubt at all, hang up and contact the bank using the phone number on the back of your card or official paperwork. If the caller is genuine, they will understand your hesitation, don’t feel pressured to handing over details or withdrawing money.

“We would encourage people to share this information with any elderly relatives or neighbours to ensure they are aware of these scams and how they can take precautions to avoid becoming a victim.”

Anyone who thinks they may have fallen victim to this scam is asked to contact 101.