POLICE in West Devon and South East Cornwall are asking the community to be vigilant, following reports that people have been attempting to collect money over the phone to fund ?community policing?. Tavistock police issued the warning following a scam reported to their colleagues in Bodmin. A member of the public from Bodmin was telephoned by a man claiming to be collecting money to help provide police officers for the community, as it was the school holiday period. The caller claimed to be working on behalf of the emergency services and asked for a minimum payment donation of £145 via credit card. Believing he was talking to a genuine member of the local police, the victim was tricked into handing his card details over. Inspector Ian Marshall of Bodmin police said: ?This is clearly a scam which is connected to a so-called emergency services publication, and the advertising pays for the publication costs plus profit to whoever runs it. ?The public are advised not to give any money over to anyone purporting to be collecting money for the police as none of the emergency services have any involvement in this publication whatsoever.? Police confirmed that they know of two similar cases where shops in Tavistock have experienced similar approaches, where people have tried to get traders to buy advertisements in non-existent publications and hand over bank details over the telephone. PC Angie Frost told the Times that the police would not advertise like this and on the rare occasion they did, they would send local officers that local traders would know. She said: ?My advice is to never give bank details over the phone unless you know who you are dealing with. ?The police would never work this way. ?With advertising I would advise people to use their local newspaper who they know and which have local offices to deal with this sort of thing. It?s common sense really. ?People just need to be more alert.?
