South Yorkshire Police has warned the public of a fraud scam in which criminals call people whilst impersonating police officers. The scammers typically claim that someone known to the victim is in police custody, before shifting the conversation to cryptocurrency. In some cases, the fraudsters claim to possess the victim's passport or attempt to obtain their banking details.

The fraudulent calls are spoofed to appear as if they originate from a Sheffield police station number, though South Yorkshire Police has confirmed that the force is not responsible for them. Similar scams have been reported by police forces in Kent and Surrey within recent weeks, suggesting this is part of a wider pattern of fraud targeting the public.