Courier fraud scams see victims lose £6.1m in a year

Victims of courier fraud have lost more than £6.1 million in the past year as conmen pose as police officers and bank officials to steal cash.

The scams involve targeting elderly or vulnerable people with an “urgent” phone call claiming that their bank account is at risk, before they are duped into withdrawing money or handing over their card.

One victim in south-east London, aged in her late 70s, was told that there was a suspected counterfeiting ring at her local bank branch, and that the police needed her to make a cash withdrawal so that the notes could be checked.

She told the Press Association: “I didn’t know how the police would contact me if this scenario was true.

“People like me grew up in the age where the police were very well respected. I just wanted to help.”

Investigating officer Detective Constable Lee Ellis, who stressed that police would never ask someone to withdraw money in this way, said she was shocked at how common courier fraud is.

According to national reporting centre Action Fraud, in the year October 2017 to September this year, 1,051 cases of courier fraud were recorded, with a total of £6.1 million stolen.

Officials say victims are often too ashamed to tell the authorities and so the figures could be “the tip of the iceberg”.

In the year October 2016 to September 2017, 1,096 cases were reported, while in the previous 12 months there were 926.

An Action Fraud spokeswoman said: “Fraudsters will often prey on those who are vulnerable in order to trick them into parting with their money. Many people feel too embarrassed to report this type of fraud, so these figures may just be the tip of the iceberg.”

The south-east London victim lost £5,700 in March after she was phoned by bogus police officers claiming that two young suspects had just tried to use a bank card with her name on it.

Keeping her phone landline open, they told her to call the number on the back of her debit card to report the fraud – but unbeknown to her the line stayed connected to the conmen.

The call was then passed back to the bogus police officer, who persuaded her to help in an operation apparently designed to uncover the manufacture of counterfeit notes at her bank branch, by withdrawing cash and handing the notes over to be checked.

One of the gang remained on the phone to her while she visited her bank and withdrew the money – on the fraudsters’ advice – telling the bank cashier that she needed to pay builders for work done on her home.

She then returned home, put the money in a plastic bag and within minutes a courier was at her door to take the cash.

The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “The speed with which it was collected started to ring alarm bells, because the guy was there within minutes. I gave the money to him and as soon as I gave the money to him I thought, ‘that’s it, you’ll never see that again’.”

In other cases, victims are tricked into giving out their PIN, before a courier collects their bank card, claiming it is for police evidence or will be destroyed, when in fact they use it to withdraw cash.

The Action Fraud spokeswoman added: “Your bank or the police will never call you to ask you to verify your personal details or PIN by phone or offer to pick up your card by courier. Hang up if you get a call like this and never give your card to a stranger to take away.

“If you or someone you know has fallen victim to fraud, please report it to Action Fraud.”