Somerset Police are encouraging residents to spot the signs of false investment scams and fraud.
Commissioner for Police Crime (CPC) Mike Shelmet says “False investment scams and fraud are where scammers and fraudsters promise unrealistic returns in exchange for money. Fraudsters will use all sorts of tactics like offering to increase the number of police officers on the street in return for a small investment.”
“An example of the sort of fraud that residents should look out for is an ‘Online Survey’, where a series of seemingly innocent questions are asked but which will lead respondents to give the answers I wanted and ultimately result in everyone seeing their bank balance diminish.”
The recent Police Tax Survey asked for the public’s opinion on increasing Council Tax to improve policing. The survey included questions such as:-
- Do you like criminals? Yes/No
- Have you ever witnessed, heard about or read about a crime in your area? Yes/No
- Did the police turn up in a timely fashion to investigate? Yes/No
- If you answered no to the above question were you told that it was due to a lack of resources? Yes/No
- Would you like to see more police on the streets? Yes/No
Of the 560,000 people in Somerset, 5,600 fell victim to the fraud, with 49.1% agreeing that an increase of 4.1% was a good idea, whilst 50.9% didn’t.
“These figures mean that an overwhelming minority of residents (mostly my family and friends) have agreed to my ideas and all residents can now look forward to me relieving them of their hard-earned cash over the coming year.”