March 23, 2022 5.30 pm This story is over 23 months old

Lincolnshire Police funding for call blockers to protect elderly from scammers

The devices can block unknown callers and ask people to identify themselves on the line

By Local Democracy Reporter

Lincolnshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones has secured funding to give call blocker devices to vulnerable people in the community, in a bid to stop scammers at source.

Mr Jones obtained the free call blockers after a successful bid for funding to National Trading Standards for £7,931.03, enabling the purchase of 35 True Call Secure+ devices.

These devices let calls from friends and family through, block unwelcome callers, and ask unrecognised callers to identify themselves before being put through.

As well as this, it can be controlled online through a personal internet control panel that allows you to view a log of all incoming and outgoing calls, edit trusted callers lists and change configuration settings.

The funding secured by the Police & Crime Commissioner will also pay for three years’ service and warranty, training and monthly reporting of blocking activity.

Suitable candidates to be given the free call blocker devices will be identified by Lincolnshire Police’s Crime Prevention Team, in light of the recent dangers of vulnerable people being scammed over the phone.

True Call, the company who created these devices, say that more than two million nuisance calls have been blocked in the past five years, and around 2,140 scams have been prevented thanks to their creation.

It isn’t the first time Lincolnshire’s PCC has handed out free call blockers to vulnerable people in the county, having used proceeds of crime money to purchase 100 devices last year.

“The people who prey on the vulnerable are amongst the most despicable criminals – all too often scamming people of their life savings and causing severe psychological trauma,” said Mr Jones.

“The call blockers are a positive line of defence against this kind of crime but are only part of a sustained programme to tackle fraud which includes raising awareness, education and enforcement.”