Fraudsters claim to be police in phone scam

Members of the public have been targeted by fraudsters phoning up and falsely claiming to be South Yorkshire Police, the force warned.

The scam involves the call receiver being told somebody they know is in police custody, before the caller talks about cryptocurrency.

In some cases, the caller has claimed they have the passport of the person they are phoning or has attempted to obtain their bank details.

South Yorkshire Police said the calls are fraudulent and are not being made by the force itself.

The calls are made to appear as if they have come from the number of a Sheffield police station, officers said, but this is not the case.

Police forces in Kent and Surrey have issued similar fraud warnings in recent weeks.

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