Someone just phoned me pretending to be the police!

[Harpischord]

Call on the landline from a Withheld number.
This isn't unusual as DH has a business website which displays our home number and has done for 20 years.

I hear a fairly well spoken, mature male voice with an English accent

Hello Is that Mrs Harpischord?
Yes
It's Detective ( something I didn't catch) from (name of my county) police here.
(Now I'm panicking as DS has not long left for work)

PC - We have arrested a David Harpischord and he says he lives at ( gives my house name, number and road)

DH name is similar

Me- Never heard of him. ( Luckily DH is here and name nothing like DS)

Policemen- can you tell me who does live at your address please?
Me- No, I have no idea if you are who you say you are.

And with that he hangs up!

I suppose I'm fairly sceptical by nature but he certainly sounded convincing.

What new scam is this?!

[EstherLittle]

That is very odd. Bound to be some kind of online fraud.

[Yankathebear]

I would report it online to the police.

[Pavlova31]

How strange. Report to the real police online.

[SandysMam]

There are loads of these around, they even turn up pretending to be police and asking old people to help investigate a crime by handing over life savings. Human beings never fail to disappoint me in new and wonderous ways!

[jessycake]

It's fraud , they change the theme slightly , they rang my dad once and pretended his grandson had been arrested

[suggestionsplease1]

Identity fraud? trying to confirm correct full names if they think they have bank details or something?

[TableFlowerss]

Well done OP for not falling for it! Imagine if your DH has been out....

If those crooks put as much effort in when the were at school, as they do to masterminding ways to rob innocent folk blind fraudulently - I’m sure they’d be multi millionaires in their own right, legitimately.

[niceredjumper]

I've just had a call from HMRC (recorded message) telling me i'm being investigated for fraud. Told me if I didn't press 1 to connect to an operator a warrant would be issued for my arrest! What the hell?!!

[Harpischord]

Ive had the HMRC one with the recorded message, also Amazon Prime recorded messages.
I have also had lots of cold calls from ' Microsoft' viaIndia trying to tel me my PC is infected! I like those as I try to play them along for as long as possible!

This was my first one that was realistic.

I'm glad I no longer have elderly relatives to worry about. MIL once was getting in her car to drive to a Western Union to try to send money to have her computer repaired!

[Toilenstripes]

I got the HMRC call as well. The woman got really nasty when she realised I was messing her around. 😆

[Ishihtzuknot]

Report to police and change any important details like passwords, check all your online accounts for suspicious activity too. Definitely sounds like they wanted to confirm residents for fraud.

[LordOftheRingz]

Always ask for a number you can call back on.

[Haffdonga]

I guess they would have gone on to ask you to 'post bail' for Mr Harpsichord or whoever else you told them lived with you and make an online payment to get him freed without charge.

Bastards

[EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire]

I had that one as well a few weeks ago @niceredjumper. I'm still waiting for that warrant for my arrest .