Merseyside Police warn scammers posing as officers are spoofing its real switchboard number
Merseyside Police warned on 3 November 2026 that callers posing as officers or cyber crime officers are asking residents for payments, with spoofed caller ID showing the force's real number, 0151 709 6010. An investigation is under way.
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Source: wirraltoday.co.uk · published
What happened
Merseyside Police warned on 3 November 2026, in a report by Wirral Today, that scammers have been phoning residents while pretending to be police officers and asking for payments over the phone. The force said it received several reports on Monday evening, 2 November, from people across Merseyside. The calls appeared to come from the force's genuine switchboard number, 0151 709 6010.
How the scam works
Police say the offenders probably used caller ID spoofing, which makes a call look as if it is coming from a different number. The callers claimed to be police officers or cyber crime officers and asked for payments. An investigation is under way. The report does not say how much money was demanded, what the callers said the payments were for or whether anyone has lost money.
Detective Chief Inspector Alan Nuttall said that impersonating a police officer is a criminal offence and something the force takes extremely seriously. He added that offenders like this often target the most vulnerable people in the community and asked people to talk to friends or relatives who might be vulnerable so that they are aware of the risks.
Because the number on the screen is real, it cannot be used to check a caller. The force's advice is that people can always ask a police officer for identification, and that every officer has a collar number and a warrant card. If in doubt, a person should check the name, collar number and any crime reference number given by calling 101. A police officer should never ask for a PIN or card details, in person, on the phone or online. If you think someone is pretending to be a police officer, contact the police.
Anyone with information is asked to message @MerPolCC quoting reference 781 of 2 November. Fraud can be reported through the Merseyside Police website or at reportfraud.police.uk.
Source
Wirral Today, report on Merseyside Police warning about spoofed calls, 3 November 2026.
Red flags
- A call that claims to be from the police or a cyber crime unit and asks for a payment.
- A caller ID that shows the genuine Merseyside Police switchboard number, 0151 709 6010.
- A caller who asks for payments over the phone.
- A request for a PIN or card details, which police never make.
If you were targeted
- 1Never pay money or give a PIN or card details to a caller who says they are the police.
- 2Do not trust the number shown on your screen, because it can be spoofed.
- 3Hang up, wait, and ring 101 yourself to check the caller's name, collar number and any reference.
- 4Tell friends and relatives who may be vulnerable about the scam.
- 5Report it to Merseyside Police, quoting reference 781 of 2 November, or at reportfraud.police.uk.