'Real police officers would never ask for money' - CCTV appeal launched following cash con
Officers investigating after Staffordshire residents handed over thousands of pounds to fake police officers have released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to.
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An investigation is under way following recent incidents in Lichfield and Tamworth.
On Monday, March 3, The Force were told that a woman in her 80s from Lichfield had received phone calls from several people claiming to be police officers.
They told the victim they were investigating a fraud case and persuaded her to withdraw thousands of pounds in Euros from a Tesco store in the city.
She then handed over the money to a man in the car park of the store.
On Wednesday, March 12, officers received a report that a couple, also in their 80s and from Tamworth, had been called by a man claiming to be a police officer.
He asked them to withdraw cash for an undercover police operation.
The husband and wife handed over £4,950 to a man who visited their home. When he asked for a further £30,000 they refused and he left with the original amount.
PC Michelle Lynskey-Neal, from Lichfield local policing team (LPT), said: “We would urge anyone who receives calls like these not to divulge their bank details and not to withdraw money.
“Real police officers would never ask for money from residents and would never ask for bank details over the phone.
“We have examined CCTV as part of our investigation into these incidents and are appealing for members of the pubic to help us identify the man in the image.”
A spokesperson for Staffordshire Police said: "Anyone with information can call 101, quoting incident 397 of 12 March, or message us using Live Chat on our website.
"You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
"Please follow this advice, if you believe you are being targeted by a scammer hang up the phone and use a different phone line to call Action Fraud or the police as scammers have a way to stay on the line and will pretend to be the police when you call back.
"If you don’t have access to a different phone line, wait for a period of time and try calling a family member or friend first to make sure the scammer is no longer on the line.
"Just because someone knows basic details about you like your address or date of birth, it doesn’t mean they are genuine bank or police employees.
"Always question suspicious phone calls and report them to Action Fraud or the police.
"If you think you or someone you know has been defrauded, you can report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040."
