Fraudster claimed to be from BT

They said they have received information from a man who was targeted by fraudsters claiming to be from BT.

“They have tricked this gentleman into installing an app called ‘Anydesk’ on his mobile phone, allowing them to gain access to his phone remotely and then tricked him into transferring a considerable amount of money under the guise of transferring it into a “secure account” for safekeeping,” they said in a social media post.

“Banks or any reputable company or service provider will never contact you asking or demanding you download an app or to transfer funds from your account into ‘a safe account.’ If you are contacted by someone stating your account has been ‘hacked’ and you need to transfer funds. Hang up and contact your own bank or service provider using a number from a letter of bill from them.

“The App is designed to allow users to access files and data remotely from another - has obvious benefits for some users accessing work for business meetings etc from another office or from home. However, the app appears to have been used in this instance in an attempt to scam money from someone.”

If you are suspicious about a correspondence, please report the incident to Action Fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040, or call police on the non-emergency number 101. Further advice can also be obtained by visiting www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni Remember; if you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.