Spoofed number spike triggers hundreds of calls to police
City of London Police received more than 260 calls within hours this week after members of the public reported receiving calls from spoofed numbers – fake caller IDs designed to mimic legitimate organisations including police forces, banks and government agencies.
The volume prompted the force’s Report Fraud disruptions team to begin working to have the spoofed numbers blocklisted to prevent further misuse. The City of London Police holds national responsibility for economic crime and fraud, hosting the Report Fraud reporting service on behalf of forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The spike forms part of a wider pattern of courier fraud, in which criminals impersonate police officers or bank employees to persuade victims to hand over cash, cards or valuables to a courier. The tactic is becoming increasingly sophisticated, with spoofing software allowing fraudsters to display the genuine phone numbers of trusted organisations.
Detective Superintendent Anna Rice urged the public to hang up on unsolicited calls and verify by calling back on numbers sourced independently from official websites.