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6 clusters · 21 sources · 29 days · First seen · Last updated

Global police impersonation and phishing scams

Overview

Law enforcement agencies across Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Australia, and Cyprus have issued warnings regarding a rise in sophisticated scams involving the impersonation of police, government, and financial officials.

In the United Kingdom, authorities in Surrey and Norfolk have noted tactics such as “courier fraud” and the use of spoofing software to mimic legitimate non-emergency numbers. In Teddington, Middlesex, police have warned of fraudsters going door-to-door claiming to be government officials conducting identity checks for a census. These individuals may use official-looking documents, laptops, or biometric devices to request personal information, photographs, or fingerprints.

In Australia, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (Austrac) reported an increase in scammers impersonating investigators and senior staff, including the CEO. These criminals use emails, phone calls, and messages to pressure victims into making urgent payments, often via cryptocurrencies or encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. Austrac CEO Brendan Thomas clarified that the agency does not contact the public unexpectedly to demand payments.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the RCIPS reported an increase in video call phishing scams where suspects, often wearing face coverings, pose as police or immigration officials to trick victims into clicking suspicious links.

Additionally, the Cyprus Police have warned of a telephone scam where individuals impersonate officers from the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate. These fraudsters contact citizens in Greek, claiming the recipient has fallen victim to an online scam, and then request sensitive banking details. While calls may appear to originate from local Cypriot landlines, authorities are investigating the potential use of virtual numbers to mask international origins.

Entities

Brendan Thomas · Surrey Police · Steve Rai · Vancouver Police Department · Federal Trade Commission

Timeline

  1. 1 day ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Cyprus Police warn of scammers impersonating cybercrime officers

    Cyprus Police warn of a phone scam where fraudsters impersonate cybercrime officers to steal personal and banking data from citizens using fake local numbers.

  2. 17 days ago

    [CRIME] 3 sources
    Government officials and agencies impersonated in rising fraud scams

    Police in the UK and regulators in Australia are warning the public about scammers impersonating government officials and financial intelligence agencies to steal money and personal data.

  3. 20 days ago

    [CRIME] 10 sources
    Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns of impersonation scams

    The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre warns that criminals are impersonating its officials via phone and email to target victims with fake investigations and fraudulent requests for banking information.

  4. 21 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Police issue warnings over sophisticated fraud and impersonation scams

    Police in the UK and US are warning citizens about sophisticated scams, including impersonation of officials, remote phone access theft, and fraudulent requests for cash withdrawals.

  5. 26 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Police issue warnings over impersonation and phishing scams

    Police in Trinidad and Tobago and the UK are warning against scammers impersonating law enforcement via video calls and spoofed phone numbers to steal money and personal data.

  6. about 1 month ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Police in British Columbia warn of impersonation scams

    Police in British Columbia are warning of scammers using spoofed numbers to impersonate senior officers, including the Vancouver Police Chief, to defraud residents of large sums of money.

Sources

caymaniantimes.ky · cheknews.ca · chinesepress.com · derehamtimes.co.uk · en.protothema.gr · guildford-dragon.com · halifax.citynews.ca · kitchener.citynews.ca · mediareleases.vpd.ca · myhousing.com.tw · nationalcybersecurity.com · omegalive.com.cy · overseaschinesedailynews.com.my · pathios.com · politis.com.cy · region.com.au · singtaousa.com · teddingtontown.co.uk · vancouver.citynews.ca · winbigads.com · winnipeg.citynews.ca

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history