Caller scams

1. Always be on your guard if you receive a cold call and are asked for personal or financial information, or to hand over your card or cash to someone.
2. The bank or the police will never tell you to take such actions, so if you're asked it can only be a criminal attack.
3. Fraudsters may ask consumers to hang up and phone back, in a bid to win confidence. But this is a trick where the receiver is not put down at their end, leaving the line open, allowing the fraudster to simply restart the conservation when the consumer thinks a new call has been made.
4. If suspicious, wait a full five minutes before attempting to make a call. After five minutes has passed, try to call a friend or family member first to make sure the line is free, or use a second phone where available.
5. Never give out your four-digit PIN over the phone, even if you believe you are talking to a genuine police officer or bank personnel.

If you receive a call asking for personal or financial information, don't be afraid to tell the caller you will call the police to verify their identity. A genuine caller will not mind waiting while you carry out security checks with the police.

For more information

If you have any information about bogus callers contact the Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you believe a crime is in progress, please call 999 immediately.

For information on any recent incidents, please see our Trading Standards News page or follow Northumbria Police on twitter #OpStrongbow.