Scam alert! Beware of telephone fraudsters impersonating the police to try to sell ads for a fake magazine, ironically about crime prevention.
June is Scams Awareness Month in the UK. Frankly, the cybercrime issue is way out of hand yet many of us overlook the confidence tricksters who aren’t necessarily looking to hack your computer or break into your bank account through sophisticated means.
Some of the most successful fraud hinges on exploiting the frailties of the human condition by appealing to greed and aversion.
Many small businesses want to grow, expand and reach new customers making them more likely to fall for an attractive advertising proposition claiming to do just that.
Fraudster Impersonating the Police
On Wednesday 14th February 2018 at 11:41 am, I received a phone call from 07718 274712 in which a man claiming to be from the “local crime prevention unit” asked me to join a trusted trader scheme.
He said his team wanted to highlight and publicise the work of good, reputable companies in the area.
He told me – in an authoritative and indignant tone – of his frustration with rogue traders in the area.
He claimed to represent a magazine highlighting crime, scams and fraud, which would be printed up and circulated locally. I cannot remember whereabouts this magazine would supposedly be distributed but it was pitched under the pretext of generating local business for me as a self-employed person.
Because, according to him, I was such a reputable trader, I was being given the opportunity to buy advertising in this magazine to market my web design services.
The flattery was laid on thick but I challenged him on several points to which he seemed to have an answer for every time. I knew it was all cobblers.
Some of the things he said that I can remember:
- “Don’t worry, you haven’t done anything wrong” – he wanted to put me at ease since he said he was from the police
- “We want to get these idiots off the street” – referring to rogue traders
- “You would be the only web design company advertising”
- “We’re working with trading standards”
- “Cannot guarantee loads of work and phone calls or enquiries”
- “You’ll be allowed to use our crest”
- “We use Experian to vet businesses and perform background checks – but not for credit checks”
- “£150 a year for the advert”
- “The money’s not the important part”
- “Do you want to partner with us?”
The proposal was identical to a charity magazine scam that I fell victim to in June 2017. Yes, at the time of that particular scam, my eye was off the ball and my mind dulled by worries in my personal life.
I paid £149 for an advert in a magazine promoting a children’s cancer charity called Kids for Life, and once I realised what had happened I doubled down in my scepticism towards cold callers.
A sample of the charity magazine was sent to me but was one of literally a handful of copies to satisfy the concerns of those that had paid for an ad.
Action Fraud describes this type of scam as publication fraud.
Going back to my fake police phone call, I listened to everything that was said, and encouraged him to talk. I feigned interest but couldn’t resist affecting a tone of sarcasm and disgust when asked if I wanted to take out an ad in their make-belief publication.
The caller quickly hung up when he realised the game was up. Idiot!
There are many similar reports to mine in the media. Once you’ve read a few of them you’ll become familiar with the type of shtick and sales patter these people use.
Recorded Phone Call
Someone else was targeted by a similar “police initiative” scam but possibly a different crew. They recorded the phone call.
Normally I would record any calls but only if they’re routed to my landline through Skype. I use a handy plugin to capture both sides of a phone call in these circumstances.
In the recording below, the rogue caller starts the conversation with the exact same “don’t worry, you haven’t done anything wrong” line.
Other attempted scams I did not fall for (which I bothered to write about) include the dodgy business leads generator and a stolen credit card operation.
just had same call from a different mobile number regarding renewables advert for ltd. companies – 07898 184 869
questioned him about scam online and he hung up.
Nice fellow, sounded very professional.
Just had a similar call from a guy with a Liverpool accent saying he was from Crime prevention awareness magazine offering me advertising at a cost of £290, hung up quite quickly once i started asking questions about not being able to see any reference to this campaign on the internet. Called from the number 07735207649
I just received an almost identical call from “Work-Force” magazine some of the lines were identical. The call was from 07743193797 and he called himself Jordan kelly. Nice guy though…
Just received a phone from 07878512398, the guy had a northern accent and wanted to sell me the idea about advertising my business on FORCE magazine for free and they wanted to expose fraud/rogue business in my area. He said they have just started working with businesses in the North London area. He says there is nothing to worry about, you have not done anything wrong we just want to expose fake businesses. When I asked where he got my contact number from he said its either from Google, Yell or from someone I have done a service for, when I said I have not done either of those, he says well its google isn’t. I said okay let me look up your magazine online and to tell me how to spell their name he hung up so quickly.
He spoke so fast and professional, anyone who is not sceptical would fall for his lies!
I’m disappointed but not surprised this is still going on. When I get calls like this, I now ask them to call me on my landline, which actually is routed through my Skype. This gives me the ability to record calls so I can get the full conversation in audio and then produce a transcript. Very useful when you come to report them to ActionFraud.
The scammers never say they ARE the police but, rather, something more along the lines of “we’re with the police” or “working alongside the police”.
It’s funny how they always say “don’t worry, you haven’t done anything wrong”. It would be worth analysing the reasons for them using that particular technique. Clearly, they are attempting to establish a sort of parental authority which puts us back in the mindset of being a helpless child. We suddenly become submissive when someone initially suggests we are in trouble, but then withdraws that idea quickly, making them a figure that we might cede our own authority to.
This and similar scams are all very nasty, and the people behind such deceptions are well-rehearsed and well-prepared to a degree. They’re intelligent enough to know when to cut their losses and move on if a mark is not taking the bait. Of course, when people attempt to scam me over the phone, I play along to get them to open up and divulge incriminating evidence which I’ll later use against them.