Sophisticated scammers are pretending to be bailiffs, in an effort to trick individuals out of money.
In one such instance an individual was called by sophisticated scammers claiming to be from a company of bailiffs. The scammer claimed that they were, on the request of the courts in Huddersfield, on their way to his home due to his failure to pay £3500 awarded against him in a county court judgement.
Taking the number the “bailiff” had given individual, they decided to call the court. To their surprise they were met with a recorded message. It statined that they had called Huddersfield courts, before a number of options were listed. The individual was then put through to what they thought was an officer, who explained the process required, sending what appeared to be authentic documentation.
Once the individual got home they were still suspicious and looked up the number for the court online, which was different to the one they had been given and called them. The court confirmed that it was a scam and explained that the scammers had copied and were using their documentation. They had even lifted the phone intro from Huddersfield court.
Thankfully, this case ended well, but up and down the country millions of pounds are lost to scam telephone calls. Don’t become a statistic and stay safe from scammers.
Tips for dealing with sophisticated scammers
There are a few things to remember when picking up the phone to a bailiff to make sure that you are protected:
- A bailiff company will never ask you to phone the court to pay an outstanding debt
- Make sure they have the correct paperwork and that it is in date
- Don’t give any private information such as bank details
- Verify the number through an online search
- Don’t let them pressure you
- Report the call to the authorities
