POLICE are warning people not to fall victim to a scam that could see them hand over personal details.

Officers say there has been a growing number of reports from people who have received an automated phone call which states that their National Insurance number has been 'compromised'.

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They are then told that in order to fix this and get a new number, the victim needs to 'press 1 on their handset to be connected to the caller'.

Once connected to the 'caller', victims are pressured into giving over their personal details in order to receive a new National Insurance number.

In reality, they’ve been connected to a criminal who can now use their personal details to commit fraud.

Action Fraud advises members of the public to remember these three steps to keep themselves safe against scammers.

Stop: Take a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information

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Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests - only criminals will try to rush or panic you

Protect: If you have provided personal details to someone over the phone and you now believe it to be a scam, contact your bank, building society and credit card company immediately and report it to Action Fraud

You can report a scam to Action Fraud via the website or by calling 0300 123 2040.

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