AN INCREASE in reports of scam telephone calls pretending to be from various organisations have been reported in Basingstoke.

Officers from the Basingstoke town neighbourhood policing team are warning residents to be alert following the increase in reports of scam telephone calls pretending to be from the police, the bank, HMRC, Amazon, Microsoft and other organisations.

The scams are designed to take the victim’s money and personal details, which are then passed on to other criminals, who may also try and scam the victim at a later date.

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Deborah Doherty, a Basingstoke police community support officer (PCSO), said one of the most common scams that has been reported is courier fraud.

This type of fraud happens when people are duped into handing over money or valuables to criminals posing as couriers.

Using a variety of different tactics involving the impersonation of police officers and bank staff, criminals will call the victim and convince them to withdraw a sum of money or purchase vouchers (such as iTunes) and hand it over to a courier who is sent to their home.

The victim may also be convinced to hand over their bank cards and PINs.

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Residents are advised:

-Your bank or the police will never call you to ask you to verify your bank details or PIN.

-If you do get a call asking you to do this hang up. Wait at least five minutes before calling your bank on a number you know to be genuine, such as the one on the back of your card. Better still, visit your bank in person.

-Your bank or the police will never send a courier to your home to collect your cash, bank cards, PINs or valuables. Any requests to do so are part of a scam.

-The police will not contact you out of the blue and ask you to participate in an investigation that requires you to withdraw money from your bank or transfer funds and certainly will not ask you to install any apps on your phone.

-If you have been a victim of courier fraud or revealed your bank details over the phone, call your bank straight away to cancel the card.

-Report it to Action Fraud by visiting actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.