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Scam callers are ringing people in Warwickshire and pretending to be from the police, using a “spoofed” 01926 number that used to belong to the force. Warwickshire Police says it is investigating a series of the calls and is asking people to warn vulnerable friends and relatives. The warning covers the whole county; it doesn’t say whether anyone in Stratford has been targeted.
The force says the calls are usually meant to draw information out of vulnerable people, and are then followed by more calls or emails trying to get money. When it issued the warning on 2 November, none of these calls had led to money being handed over. The Stratford Observer reported it locally on 6 and 7 November.
What to do if you get a call
- Don’t rely on the number on your screen. A spoofed call shows a number that looks genuine, so a familiar 01926 number doesn’t prove who is calling.
- Hang up if you’re in any doubt, then call the police on 101. The force says no genuine officer or member of staff will take issue with you doing that.
- Report the call. The force’s notice says to report these calls to Action Fraud as soon as possible. That’s the older name for the national service, now Report Fraud.
What we don’t know yet
The force’s notice doesn’t give the number itself or say how many calls there have been. We’ll update this story if it publishes more.
It isn’t the only scam doing the rounds locally: the district council has also warned about fake council tax refund emails.
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Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
