Burnham-On-Sea Police have issued a new warning to local residents in the Burnham and Highbridge area to be vigilant for suspicious phone calls.
Multiple people have made reports to the police about suspicious calls from individuals claiming to be from the Nationwide fraud team.
Nationwide advises that, if people are not sure it is the building society, they should phone 159, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A spokesperson for the local Policing Team says: “They [fraudsters] are telling people that their accounts are insecure with various unauthorised transactions being flagged, before instructing them they need to move their money into a different account.”
“These fraudsters are also asking people to confirm card numbers, addresses and the last time they used the card, in efforts to use these accounts fraudulently. Some members of the community have been coached with what to say at the bank in order to not raise suspicion on large cash withdrawals.”
The spokesperson adds: “At this time, it is unclear how many people have been contacted or if anyone has lost any money due to this scam. Banks will never ask for, your full Pin or any online banking passwords over the phone or via email.”
Avon and Somerset Police has also stated that fraudsters offer to send someone to residents’ homes to collect cash and bank cards, or even email people with a link to a page which asks them to enter online banking log-in details.
Residents should be aware that you may be asked to authorise the transfer of funds to a new account. Police advice is to never hand over cash, protect your personal information and report any suspicious activity.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of fraud, you can contact Action Fraud on 03001232040.
