Cops warn of ‘phone call scam’

Members of the public are being urged to be wary of strangers approaching them and asking to use their phones.

Head of the Constabulary Communications Network, Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay, said there is a scam involving requests to use phones to make calls.

"Criminals approach individuals asking to make a phone call. When you hand them your phone, they run off with it. If you wish to help, it's safer to dial the number yourself, put the phone on speaker, or offer to call the number for them," she said, while addressing a recent JIS Think Tank. Lindsay advised that if at any point persons are caught in these situations, it is best to scream and create a scene to get the attention of others, who can call the police.

"If you feel threatened, move to a crowded area immediately. If approached aggressively, make your discomfort known by screaming or attracting attention to the situation. Make it clear that you do not know the individual, move quickly to an area with more people, alert nearby persons or law enforcement to the situation. If necessary, create a scene to attract witnesses and deter the attacker. People like to take out their phones and record; creating a scene is helpful," Lindsay said.

Superintendent Lloyd Darby of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch said there is also a trend by criminals to befriend individuals in order to rob them.

"There's a developing method in the Cross Roads, [and] Half-Way Tree areas, where persons will have their high-end phones ... using it, and people will walk up, start a conversation and actually, sometimes they draw weapons on persons, get them into secluded areas and steal their phones," he noted.

"They'll start friendly conversations, sometimes claiming to know them from the past, so you have to be very careful," Darby said.