Thursday 12th March 2026

By Bridlington Gold Radio Editor

Humberside Police are urging residents to stay vigilant following a rise in reports of criminals impersonating police officers in an attempt to steal money from victims across the region.

Fraudsters are contacting people by telephone, claiming to be officers investigating suspicious activity at their bank or local branch. Victims are then instructed to withdraw cash from banks, exchange bureaus, pawn brokers, or to purchase gift cards such as Steam cards. In some cases, callers claim the money is counterfeit and needs to be seized for “forensic examination”.

Offenders often provide victims with a false cover story to tell cashiers and warn them not to discuss the supposed investigation with anyone.

What the Police and Banks will never do:

Humberside Police stress that neither the police nor your bank will ever:

Contact you out of the blue to ask for help with an investigation

Ask you to withdraw cash or purchase gift cards

Send a courier to your home to collect bank cards, cash, or valuables

Any request of this kind is fraud.

Residents are also encouraged to be honest with bank staff when withdrawing large sums of money. Staff are trained to spot the signs of fraud and can help prevent financial loss.

How the Fraudsters Operate:

These criminals are highly convincing. They may:

Use spoofed phone numbers to appear local

Keep the line open so you believe you’ve hung up

Pressure you to act quickly or secretly

If you receive a cold call that feels suspicious, it is absolutely fine to hang up.

Reporting and Support:

If you believe you have been a victim of this scam and have lost money, please call 101 to report it to Humberside Police.

For further advice on fraud and how to protect yourself, visit fraudwatch.org.uk.
You can also sign up for future alerts at alerts.fraudwatch.org.uk.

The full alert and downloadable leaflets can be found here:
https://www.fraudwatch.org.uk/2026/03/10/trigger-fraud-alert-38/