A man who ‘doesn’t fall for stuff like this’ nearly fell for a police scam, and one detail made it incredibly convincing

Tom Wickstead recently shared a warning through a video posted on Instagram about a sophisticated phone scam that nearly tricked him, highlighting just how dangerous these impersonators have become. The content creator, who usually offers advice on money and investing, found himself in the middle of a high-stakes deception that he described as incredibly convincing.

As reported by LAD Bible, the interaction reportedly began when he received a call from a man identifying himself as Detective Cunnings, who claimed to be a staff member at Bromley Police Station. Tom noted that the caller sounded like a British man who was well-spoken and capable of holding natural conversation. He was particularly struck by the speed of the interaction, noting that it definitely was not AI.

During the call, Tom checked the number on his phone and confirmed it was a legitimate police number. It turns out these criminals are using technology to spoof actual station phone numbers, which makes their claims seem authentic to anyone who checks. Tom mentioned, “If these scammers went to scam university, they are A students.”

He almost fell for the scam

The caller spent the first two minutes asking qualifying questions to build rapport and make Tom feel comfortable. These included mundane questions about whether he uses public Wi-Fi or shops online. The caller even added some personal touches, mentioning that his wife is always buying items on Amazon. Once the scammer felt he had lowered Tom’s defenses, he reportedly pivoted to asking for a National Insurance number and bank account details.

Tom didn’t hand over his information, but he was left feeling unnerved because the caller already had his full name, address, and postcode. This has led him to suspect he might have been caught in a data breach. He ultimately ended the call when the questions became too intrusive, admitting, “I don’t fall for stuff like this but that was very close.” He shared this experience with his 116,000 Instagram followers to warn them that these calls are 100% a scam.

This isn’t an isolated incident, as police forces across the UK have issued warnings about a rise in these types of scams. Detective Inspector Marcus McInerney, the head of Economic and Cyber Crime, stated that these manipulative callers would “gladly see you spend your life savings, remortgage your house, take everything and leave you ruined.” 

He also provided a clear rule for everyone to follow. “Nobody from the police will call you and ask you for your bank details, your passwords, your PIN numbers,” he said. He added that officers will never ask you to transfer funds or threaten you with criminal action for not complying with such demands.