SCAM ALERT: Penwortham man targeted in 'speeding notice' scam

Police in Lancashire have issued a warning to residents after a man in Penwortham was targeted by scammers.
Police have issued the warning after a man in Penwortham was targeted by the scamPolice have issued the warning after a man in Penwortham was targeted by the scam
Police have issued the warning after a man in Penwortham was targeted by the scam

The man received a Notice of Intended Prosecution that claimed to be from the Lancashire Constabulary, however officers say this was not sent by them.

A spokesman for the police said: "We have recently been made aware of a man from Penwortham receiving a letter purporting to be a Notice of Intended Prosecution from Lancashire Constabulary in relation to an alleged speeding offence. This particular document was not sent by us and is a fake.

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"At this stage it is not known whether this man was targeted or if it is a wider scam."

Lancashire police have now offered advice on how to spot a fake Notice from the genuine article:

- If a Notice of Intended Prosecution is sent Police will never provide payment information at that stage as we need to determine who was driving at the time of the alleged offence first.

- Payments are always made to "HMCTS NORTH Fixed Penalties" - they never specify an account or sort code. Do not make payments unless you are sure the information has come from the police.

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- Police refer people to the Public Access System to view photos of their vehicle during an alleged speeding offence and for calibration certificates. On a genuine letter, you would be given a PIN number to enter this system. Make sure you log in and check this even if the letter you receive contains photos of your vehicle as we do not include those types of images in any documentation police send to you.

- Scammers may try and make letters look genuine using the Lancashire Constabulary logo and similar reference numbers to ones police use. If you have received paperwork that you are unsure of, please send a copy to Lancashire Constabulary, Central Process Unit, PO Box 1329, Preston, PR2 0SX and they will be able to verify whether it is genuine and advise you accordingly.