West Yorkshire Police are advising residents in the Kirklees area to stay vigilant as reports of scammers posing as police officers have surfaced. The West Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit is currently investigating two cases in the Kirklees Rural area that occurred in July, where suspects contacted victims, attempting to extort money by claiming it was for a police investigation.

The scams, commonly known as “courier fraud,” involved suspects calling victims and posing as police officers. They informed victims that their bank details had been compromised by criminals and convinced them to cooperate with an “operation” supposedly aimed at gathering evidence or identifying fictional offenders. To make the scam more convincing, the scammers provided fake police badge numbers and crime numbers to the victims.

In an attempt to further deceive the victims, the scammers asked them to hang up their landline phones and dial 999 to contact the police. However, the suspects stayed on the line, making it appear as though the victims were speaking with the police. In both instances, the suspects visited the victims in plain clothes, posing as undercover officers, and collected money from them.

One suspect has been described as in his 20s, 5’6” tall, slim, with afro hair, short on top and shorter on the sides. He was seen wearing a black jacket with a collar, a red and white lanyard, dark trainers, and black tracksuit bottoms.

Detective Sergeant Paul Hutchinson of the West Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit emphasised the seriousness of these crimes and the efforts being made to identify and apprehend the suspects. He stressed that legitimate police officers would never ask anyone to withdraw cash from their bank accounts, buy valuable items on their behalf, or provide personal details such as PIN numbers.

DS Hutchinson advised residents to be cautious when receiving calls from individuals purporting to be police officers or bank officials. If unsure about the caller’s authenticity, he recommended ending the call, waiting several minutes, and then dialling 101 for the police or contacting their bank. Alternatively, residents should call back from a different telephone.

Any individuals who may have been victims of these scams or can assist in the ongoing investigations are urged to contact the West Yorkshire Police Economic Crime Unit on 101 or submit information online at http:///www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat, quoting crime number 13230421915.

Residents are encouraged to spread awareness about these scams to protect others in the community from falling victim to such fraudulent activities.