Alert issued after reports of courier fraud

Officers investigating incidents of fraud have issued a warning to others after thirteen people in Leicestershire have been targeted in the last week.

Over the past week, thirteen incidents have been reported where victims have been contacted by someone pretending to a police officer in offences commonly known as courier fraud.

Courier fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victim by telephone claiming to be a police officer or bank official. The caller sounds plausible and may confirm the victim’s name and address, basic information which could be obtained easily.

In some instances, after trust has been gained, the fraudster will claim the victim’s bank account has had some fraudulent activity or that the caller is investigating counterfeit currency. They persuade them to go their local branch and take out a large sum of money from their account. The fraudsters then send someone to collect the money from the victim’s home address.

During one of these latest incidents, it has been reported that £5,500 was handed over by the victim.

Nicole McIntyre from the force’s economic crime unit, said: “Thankfully most of the victims contacted over the past week haven’t given enough detail to able the fraudster to steal money from them but this type of offence is of great concern to us.  Suspects target elderly or vulnerable people and often sound genuine to gain the trust of the victims.

“The police or banks would not contact people in this way. If you get a call like this hang up. If you need to contact your bank to check wait five minutes as fraudsters can stay on the line even after you have hung up or use a different line altogether. Your bank cards are yours and never let them be used by others.

“We are asking people to remain vigilant. If you have elderly neighbours or relatives who don’t access our website or social media sites please advise them of these incidents.

“Telephone companies can assist with call blocking technology to help restrict these types of calls. We would recommend that people talk this through with their vulnerable or elderly family and friends to help prevent this activity.

“At times the fraudsters use local taxi firms to transport potential victims to their banks. We would ask taxi companies to be mindful of this and if they have any suspicions to contact the police immediately.

“Further advice about the scam can be found on the Action Fraud website https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/courier-fraud and the steps people can take to protect themselves.”