Residents across the Humberside area are being warned to remain vigilant after reports of fraudsters impersonating police officers in telephone scams.
According to advice from Humberside Police, criminals are contacting victims and pretending to be police officers investigating crime at local banks or businesses. Victims are then persuaded to withdraw money from their bank, exchange bureau or pawn brokers, or to purchase gift or Steam cards.
In some cases, victims are told that the police need their help as part of an investigation and are given a cover story to explain the withdrawal to bank staff. The fraudsters may also instruct victims not to tell anyone about the supposed investigation.
Police are reminding the public that genuine officers or banks will never contact you out of the blue and ask you to withdraw money, purchase gift cards, or send a courier to collect cash, bank cards or valuables from your home.
Fraudsters can appear convincing and may even manipulate caller ID so that the phone number appears legitimate. In some cases, particularly on landline phones, victims may think they have hung up but remain connected to the scammer.
If you receive a suspicious call, it is important to hang up immediately and not engage with the caller.
Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of fraud and has lost money should contact Humberside Police on 101.
More information about this alert and advice on protecting yourself from fraud can be found here:
https://www.fraudwatch.org.uk/2026/03/10/trigger-fraud-alert-38/
You can also find further fraud prevention advice and sign up for alerts through the FraudWatch project at fraudwatch.org.uk.