Dear Kent Residents
Police impersonation scams have hit Kent again this week, with criminals calling residents in Chatham, Ashford, Canterbury, Deal, Sittingbourne, Margate and Sevenoaks pretending to be police officers.
Residents may be told that their bank account has been compromised, someone has been arrested or that they are linked to criminal activity. The caller may then try to convince them to hand over money, bank cards or valuables.
These are scams. The police will never ask you to transfer money to a “safe account”, buy gold, hand over your bank card, cash or valuables, or arrange for a courier to collect them.
If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately. If you are concerned about your account, contact your bank directly using 159 and never use a number given to you by the caller.
Report suspicious incidents to Kent Police and seek advice from the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.