Suffolk Police are warning businesses and members of the public to be aware of a scam currently operating in the county.
Police have been informed that business owners and the farming fraternity have been telephoned by individuals claiming to request financial support for PCSOs. In the phone call, described as a ‘hard sell’ reference is made to a PCSO magazine for which the caller is selling advertising space.
The call claims the money would be targeted at PCSOs who deal with rural crime issues and anti-social behaviour in relation to young people.
The nature of the calls is crude and aggressive, with a high pressure approach to attempting to secure agreement. Once this is declined and the caller is challenged, they hang up.
Suffolk Constabulary can reassure the public that no such funding campaign is currently taking place and is not ‘official’ in any sense. The force does not endorse such an inappropriate method of selling space in a magazine.
Any conversations that the police have about PCSO funding would be with councils and other relevant partners in respect of cost sharing and this would be carried out in a more formal process.
Trading standards are also unaware of this particular approach, but they have now been informed of the ‘scam’. Anyone purporting to be calling for this purpose is not genuine. Police would advise that any members of the public receiving such a call should immediately hang up.
If you believe you have been the victim of a ‘scam’ or fraud, contact Suffolk Police on 101.
More information on tackling ‘scam’ phone calls can be found on the Suffolk County Council Trading Standards website.
Please use the following link to pass useful information to Suffolk Police about any incident. http://www.suffolk.police.uk/safetyadvice/reportacrime/tellthepolice.aspx