Our CCTV Operators working at the local police Control Room in Cirencester have been commended for their excellent work in helping the police to uncover an elaborate scam designed to cheat innocent people out of their bank savings.
Police officers stopped criminals in their tracks at an ATM outside Tescos in the town centre last month. Initially, a number of calls came in from victims in Siddington and Cirencester which showed a pattern. The alleged offenders had made a series of telephone calls, posing as Metropolitan Police officers.
They told the householders to go and get their cash card and then to call the number on the reverse immediately. This was a trick, as the offenders stayed on the line, not having hung up, then posed as bank employees who asked for the PIN details. The “bank employees” then said that a courier would be round to pick up the card to take it to the Met Police. The so-called “couriers” were sometimes also the alleged offenders of course, however on other occasions, taxi drivers who had no connection with the scam were used instead.
After several reports of this type of call, local Cotswolds police put out a release warning residents of this scam, but also mounted a proactive offensive. Taxi firms were warned to look out for suspicious activity by cashpoint machines and Cirencester’s CCTV operators were tipped off.
This approach paid off as officers who had attended a victim’s address, monitored CCTV footage and saw individuals using the cash point machine who matched a description of the “couriers” who had attended the original house.
Officers attended the scene and arrested two individuals. They then did a subsequent search and found a third offender sitting in a car nearby and arrested him too. Officers had to work quickly as from the time of collection to the use at the cash point, there was only a small window of opportunity.
The case will now be dealt with, in the courts. Enigma wishes to congratulate the whole team at Cirencester for their great work in helping the local police to apprehend these criminals. Keep it up!
