Scam callers have scammed a total of £35,000 from people in Northern Ireland on two occasions this week.
On both occasions, calls were received from a number which matched their bank’s helpline number.
Police are advising people to be cautious following this elaborate telephone fraud.
Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said the scammer informed the householders of problems with their accounts.
He said they were then asked to give their banking details to the caller.
“Unfortunately, once the banking details have been given the scammers were able to access the funds. We believe that these are not isolated incidents and that there have been other scams of this type.
“What the scammers are trying to do is panic people into sharing sensitive personal banking information. If you get a call like this don’t respond. Don’t share personal details. End the call,” he said.
The advice is to find the number of your financial institution and call them back. If possible make this call from a different phone. Tell them what has happened. A bank, building society or credit union will never call you and ask you to move money to a different account for security reasons. Only a scammer will.
“Guarding your personal and banking details is essential. Never disclose them to any unauthorised person,” added Chief Superintendent Simon Walls.
Further advice and information can also be obtained by visiting the ScamwiseNI Facebook page @scamwiseni or www.nidirect.gov.uk/