Police issue warning after reports of scam callers posing as police officers and targeting Chesterfield residents

Derbyshire Police have confirmed that three residents contacted the force to report bogus phone calls on Friday, August 4.

The calls involved someone calling them out of the blue and falsely claiming to be a police officer called Sergeant Daniel Wiggins.

During the calls the scammer was attempting to set up secure lines and find out details from the victims, asking if they had their cards, and for personal information.

In one case they provided a false crime number, and in another said they had arrested someone called Mr Nash who has their details in his pocket.

Scams like these can also sometimes see them tell lies such as they are an officer claiming to be investigating a fraud case or that a relative is in custody.

They’ll give different names or say they’re from different police stations, but their aim will always be to convince the victim to part with their money, personal information or belongings. Fortunately, in each of these cases, details were not provided.

PC Louise Rodger, one of our fraud protect officers, said: “We’re urging residents to remain cautious and to remember to stop, think and tell.

“You should never share personal or financial information with cold callers, even if they claim to be police officers.

“We'd also appreciate it if people could share this message with their friends and family, in particular with any older or potentially vulnerable relatives and neighbours, to ensure they know how to best protect themselves from these types of schemes.

"We are urging residents to remain cautious and refrain from sharing personal or financial information with cold callers.”

To avoid becoming a victim of a police impersonation scam, remember – police will never call out of the blue, request secure lines or personal information. They’ll never ask you to transfer money to another account, hand over cash or bank cards to a courier, or a pay a fine or fee over the phone. If someone asks you to do this, it's a scam.

If an officer contacts you in person, they will show you their warrant card. This is proof of their identify and authority.

If someone has called you and you are unsure if they are a genuine police officer, you can hang up and call police on 101 to check their identity.

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It is recommended you wait at least five minutes before you call, as there have been cases of fraudsters keeping the line open after a victim has hung up. You can find further information on how to check an officer's identify here.

If you think you've been approached by a scammer, report it by contacting the force using the details below, or contact Action Fraud, either online or by calling 0300 123 2040:

Facebook – send a private message to /DerbyshireConstabulary

Twitter – direct message the force’s contact centre on @DerPolContact

Website – complete the online contact form

Phone – call 101