Newtownabbey residents targeted by con artists

One instance involved a text message claiming to be from a bank stating there had been an attempted charge to the recipient’s account and they were directed to click a ‘secure link.’

Another instance involved a phone call from a company which stated there was a warrant issued for the recipient’s arrest. They also requested they pressed 1 for further information.

Another scam call involved an automated message stating that the recipient was under investigation for tax fraud and that there was a warrant out for their arrest. It went on to request they pressed 1 for further details.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “In all cases, the recipients ceased communication immediately and no consequences came as a result.

“This is the best thing to do. Always be on your guard and suspicious of unknown callers. If the nature of a call seems unusual, it is likely a scam. Organisations will never call you out of the blue to demand money.

“It is also important to talk to vulnerable members of your family, friends or community to tell them that legitimate providers will never seek personal details, such as banking details, over the phone. Never disclose this information to any unauthorised person.

“If you, or someone you know, is concerned they are the victim of a scam, please report it to Action Fraud via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk or by phoning 0300 123 2040.

“Police can be contacted on the non-emergency number 101 or you can submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/

“For further advice and information on scams, visit www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni or the ScamwiseNI Facebook page.”

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