A slightly unusual attempted scam telephone call to tell you about, this time the caller claimed to be from the UK’s Security Service MI5.
Interestingly, the intended victim later checked the telephone number displayed on their caller ID with the MI5 website, and the number matched.
The male caller then claimed he was in fact a Police Officer in Peterborough but was working with the MI5 agency.
The conversation is not clear from this point but it appears that the caller tried to get the recipient to go to their bank and withdraw some money and made reference to a National Insurance number, the caller then said that if they could not get to the bank then an alternative payment would be gift vouchers.
I have checked the MI5 website and there are only two contact numbers listed, 999 for an emergency and 0800 789 321 which is for the Anti-Terrorist Hotline.
The following is a screenshot from the MI5 website, and suggests MI5 are well aware that their organisation is being used in similar scams:
So, please remember, do not trust the number displayed on your caller ID because it can be spoofed/made to look genuine. Treat the number displayed with caution until such time you can be confident the caller is genuine, and that is not easy if you don’t recognise the voice because if you can’t, they could be anyone.
Any request for gift vouchers as a payment method suggests the call is a scam.
Any non-urgent questions or concerns relating to fraud and cyber crime please contact me.
Kind regards
Nigel
Mr Nigel Sutton 8517
Cyber Protect Officer
Serious & Organised Crime (Intelligence and Specialist Crime Department)
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Hinchingbrooke Park,
Huntingdon, PE29 6NP
