Police warn people on postal and telephone scams

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GLOUCESTERSHIRE Constabulary is reminding residents to be alert to telephone and postal scams after recent incidents in Nailsworth, Stonehouse and Bussage.

Last week a woman in Bussage received a letter alleging to be from the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank in China claiming that someone of the same surname as her had investments in the bank and had recently passed away.

The letter then goes on to say that approximately $10.5m has been left and there is no next of kin and that an asset management officer for the bank would be able to abuse his position and be able to fix it to show her as the next of kin, allowing them to share the cash between them.

It then asks for the woman’s bank details in order to transfer the money.

In Nailsworth and Stonehouse residents have received phone calls from Asian sounding men alleging that they had faults on their computers, eventually asking for card details. In response to these incidents crime reduction officer Paul Francis, said: "Fraudsters and thieves are always thinking up new ideas of separating people from their hard-earned cash.

"They did exactly the right thing and did not give out any personal details and immediately informed the authorities.

"We urge you under no circumstances give any private financial information to any cold call to your home or mobile number.

"Correspondence such as this can appear on the surface to be official but we suggest that you treat all ‘cold calls’ with suspicion and that you always make inquiries with the company or organisation to confirm the call is genuine."

Anyone who receives similar correspondence can report it to Gloucestershire police on 0845 090 1234.