South Yorkshire Police have released a warning to residents after receiving reports of a mobile scam, in which a scammer claims to be a police sergeant.
On Tuesday, the SYP Twitter account revealed the fake sergeants had been contacting members of the public, notifying the victims that they had a relative in custody.
The scammers would even offer collar numbers and the name of “Thomas” or “Baldwin”, in order to trick their victims.
In a statement, South Yorkshire Police said: “These calls are not genuine, and we believe the suspects may be trying to obtain personal information about the person being contacted.
“Our officers will never call you and ask for personal details in this way.”
It is asked that if you know any elderly or vulnerable residents, you pass this information on to them. The force is particularly concerned the scammers will have more success with these groups.
The police recommend that if you receive a call like this and you are unsure if it is genuine, you should hang up and call 101 from a different phone.
They also state if you don’t have another phone you should wait 30 minutes before calling 101 as the scammers may stay on the line.
If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, you can make a report to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.