Courier fraud reports - police issue warning

Police have issued a warning to residents in a UK county following a spate of courier fraud incidents over the last six weeks.

The Economic Crime Unit (ECU) for Leicestershire Police is asking communities to remain vigilant and to speak to older family members, friends and neighbours after receiving seven reports between 4 September and 12 October.

Courier fraud happens when a cold caller rings the victim claiming to be a police officer or a member of staff from their bank, then uses language to make themselves sound legitimate, such as asking the victim to confirm their name and address - basic information which could have been obtained from the dark web or phishing scam.

The caller may go on to say the victim's bank account has been subject to fraudulent activity or that they are investigating counterfeit currency - the victim is then persuaded to go to their bank and withdraw a large sum of money, which will then be collected from the victim's home address.

In other instances, the caller will say that they are sending someone to them to collect their bank card and ask them to disclose their PIN, which is then used to withdraw money from the victim's account.

Nicole McIntyre, from Leicestershire Police's ECU, said: “Fraudsters will usually target elderly or vulnerable people and often sound genuine to gain the trust of the victim.

“I would like to remind our communities that police or banks will not contact people in this way.

“If you get a call like this hang up. If someone comes to your home claiming to be a police officer and they need to take your bank card to trace any fraudulent transactions, do not hand over your card and close the door.

“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.”

You can also look at the Report Fraud website for further advice.

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