POLICE are warning the public to be cautious when receiving survey or questionnaire emails, after highlighting the risk of criminals using fake messages to steal personal and financial information.

Many organisations, including the NHS, utility companies, mobile phone providers and local authorities, use specialist companies to conduct surveys on their behalf.

This means legitimate questionnaires may sometimes come from an email address that is different from the organisation itself.

Devon & Cornwall Police are warning that criminals can exploit this by sending convincing-looking fake surveys designed to obtain personal details, passwords, security information or financial information.

The force is encouraging people to remember the ‘ABC’ approach: ‘Never Assume, Never Believe and Always Confirm’.

People should not assume an email is genuine simply because it looks professional.

Warning signs include unexpected requests for personal or financial information, messages designed to create a sense of urgency, offers of prizes or rewards, and spelling or grammatical mistakes.

Before clicking on any links, recipients are advised to check whether they were expecting the survey.

They should visit the organisation's official website independently or contact it using a trusted telephone number or email address.

They should never rely solely on contact details provided within the message.

Devon and Cornwall Police also highlighted NHS surveys, explaining that some genuine patient surveys are conducted by external companies.

Anyone unsure about a questionnaire claiming to be from the NHS should contact the relevant service using details from official correspondence or the NHS website.

Suspicious emails can be forwarded to [email protected] and then deleted. Suspicious text messages can be reported by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM).

Anyone who has lost money or shared financial details should contact their bank immediately by calling 159.

Fraud and cybercrime can also be reported to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or through its official online reporting service.

Devon and Cornwall Police are encouraging people to share the warning with friends, family and anyone who uses online services.