The police are warning people to watch out after a rise in scam phone calls which has led to Manx residents losing out on around £135,000.

Isle of Man Constabulary has issued the warning alongside Cyber Security Centre for the Isle of Man, with an increasing number of reports of fraudsters pretending to be bank representatives.

A spokesman for the force said: ‘We are warning the public about a rise in phone calls from criminals pretending to be from your bank. They claim there are “suspicious” or “fraudulent” transactions on your account.

‘Local residents have recently lost around £135,000 after receiving these calls, highlighting just how serious and immediate this threat is.

‘These calls can feel urgent and convincing, but they are 100% scams designed to make you panic.

‘Typically, the caller will claim to be from your bank, warning you about unusual activity and may already know some of your personal details. They might ask you to read out a one time passcode (OTP) or to confirm or reject a payment on your phone.’

The police are warning that genuine bank staff will never ask you to share passwords or approve unknown payments.

The spokesman said: ‘If you experience this, you are speaking to criminals. Your bank will never ask you to share an OTP or approve a payment you did not make. Anyone who asks you to do this is trying to steal money from your account.

‘It is very important to remember that your OTP is only for you. If someone asks for it to “fix” a problem, they are trying to take your money.’

Anyone receiving a suspicious call should hang up immediately, then wait a few minutes to ensure the caller has disconnected before contacting your bank.

You should also never use numbers provided by the caller and never share OTPs, passwords, or security codes with anyone.

Anyone who experiences a call of this nature should report them online to: https://csc.gov.im/cyber-concerns-online-reporting-form