Residents across Kent are being urged to stay alert as fraudsters continue to carry out bank and police impersonation scams across the county.
Scammers are calling residents pretending to be from a bank, fraud department, or the police, claiming their bank account has been compromised, their card needs replacing, or even that a family member has been arrested. Victims may be told to transfer money, buy gold, hand over their bank card, cash or valuables to a courier, or withdraw funds for “safekeeping”.
These are scams. Your bank or the police will never ask you to transfer money to a safe account, buy gold, hand over your card, cash or valuables, or send someone to collect them.
If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and ensure the line is disconnected before contacting your bank directly using 159. Never use phone numbers provided by the caller.
Report to Kent Police and receive advice from the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
⚠️ Doorstep criminals were active this week in Thanet, Dartford, Cranbrook, Ramsgate and Ashford claiming to have spotted roofing problems, offering free inspections and/or pressuring people into agreeing to expensive roofing work.
🚫 Do NOT engage with cold callers. Legitimate traders don’t turn up uninvited.
📞 If someone comes to your door or you see suspicious people going door to door, report it:
➡️ CrimeStoppers (100% anonymous): 0800 555 111 or online.
➡️ If they refuse to leave or act aggressively, call 999.
➡️ For advice: Citizens Advice: 0808 223 1133
✅ Need work done? Use a safe local traders from KCC Trading Standards Checked.
📣 Please warn vulnerable friends, neighbours and family.
⚠️ Residents have been targeted by a mobile top-up scam.
In one instance, a resident thought they were buying a mobile phone top-up through EE, but later discovered they had actually used a different website posing as the provider.
After making the purchase, an additional payment was taken from their account at the end of the month without their agreement.
How to protect yourself:
✅ Take care when searching online for mobile top-ups and other services.
✅ Always check you’re using the official website before entering payment details.
✅ Look closely at web addresses, as scam websites can closely resemble genuine companies.
✅ Regularly check your bank statements for any unexpected payments.
➡️ Report: National Cyber Security Centre
➡️ Advice: Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 223 1133