Monday 9th November, 2015

A Suffolk company was recently conned into handing over more than a million pounds by a plausible bogus caller. 

The caller contacted staff and told them there was a virus on the firm’s internet banking facility. He went on to advise that money in the company accounts should be transferred into separate holding accounts whilst the bank rectified the issue.

During the call the suspect managed to disguise his own telephone number to show the number of the bank’s fraud team which was on their website.

The caller managed to gain the staff member’s trust and instructed them to download remote access software on the firm’s computer. This enabled the suspect to access the internet banking and transfer money from the company’s account.

Suffolk Police officers investigating the fraud arrested the 32-year-old suspected fraudster from Chiswick.

Officers are renewing a warning to be alert and are reminding individuals and businesses that neither banks or police will ask you to transfer or handover sums of money and you should never give out details of bank accounts, PINs or personal information.

If you receive contact from an unknown caller stop and think for a moment.

Be suspicious, particularly if they are telling you something is wrong or that you need to send or hand over money.

If you suspect you may be the victim of a bogus call hang up and leave the phone down for at least ten minutes or use another phone before contacting anyone else.

Don’t be afraid to hang up on unknown callers. Genuine callers will understand if you want to call them back later, after checking existing paperwork to confirm numbers, to check their identity.