Speeding Scam
On recently
becoming 70 years of age the victim of this scam had applied to
DVLA to renew his driving licence, as required by every driver
at that age.
Coincidently, a few days later he received a phone call from someone
purporting to be from DVLA. The caller said it was about a speeding
incident and not the new licence, and asked if he had been the
driver of a black BMW allegedly involved in a speeding incident.
The caller asked if the victim would clarify his name and other personal
details, which he did.
The victim was then contacted a few days later by a NatWest bank
official who informed him that a male had gone into a branch
impersonating him and trying to withdraw money. The bank were suspicious
and had denied the transaction.
The male was caught on CCTV and police investigations are underway.
It is believed that the phone caller had a Welsh accent and the
male impersonator at the bank had a Birmingham accent.
It is possible, even probable, that this scam is really based on the
pretext of speeding and aimed at any driver, and nothing to do
with being 70. Please be cautious if you receive any such call, what
ever age you are. Remember - speeding incidents are investigated
by the police and not by DVLA. Never give any personal details
to callers over the phone.
... and another case
Another Homewatch member has informed me that
his son, who I believe lives in the Congleton area, was contacted
by a male purporting to be from the DVLA. The caller mentioned
that a fine for speeding involving a BMW in Glasgow had not been paid.
His son advised the caller that he neither drove a BMW nor had
ever been in Glasgow. The caller asked him to confirm his postcode,
which he did.
Later a male and female, purporting to be the son, called into
a bank and managed to withdraw £700 from his account. They used
the postcode as a security check at the bank. Another bank later
contacted him to say that a man and woman had come into their bank
with the tale that they needed money urgently and that they could
not remember the account number. The signed withdrawal form did
not correspond with the correct signature on the account and the
offenders were not successful in obtaining cash.
The banks were located in Chipping Camden and elsewhere in the
Cotswolds.
JANE THIRSK
Watch Officer
Cheshire Police
Macclesfield Neighbourhood Policing Team 0845 458 6371
Police non-emergency number: 101
Other Homewatch pages of current relevance: Briefs (recent
crimes in the Macclesfield Division including Bollington, Kerridge
and Pott Shrigley).
If you haven't looked at the homewatch pages before we recommend
looking at the homewatch home page.
