Fraudsters have been contacting households in Sefton claiming to be offering offer a free Careline service.

Careline Telecare is a service that provides care and safety for elderly and vulnerable people through equipment such as personal alarm pendants and motion sensors connected to a monitoring centre. 

A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “We have been made aware of people being contacted from what sound like fraudulent offers around Careline packages.

“The scam calls are being made by someone claiming to offer a free Careline service who may go on to ask for bank details and family contact details.

“We would urge anyone contacted and asked for any personal details, hang up and call us directly on 0151 934 3785.

“Similarly, if you get an email about Careline services, check the email address carefully and contact us if you are in any doubt. Impersonators can create addresses that look very similar to official ones.

“People should also avoid clicking on links in unexpected emails and should instead go directly to the website they usually use through their web browser.

“If anyone receives a request for sensitive information via email, we ask people to please contact us directly through lifeline.service@sefton.gov.uk.”

People can also find out more about email fraud and report phishing attempts via Crimestoppers.