An elderly man has been scammed out of more than £7,000 by a person claiming to be an undercover police officer.
On Christmas Eve, the man in his 80s received a phone call from an unknown number, claiming to be an undercover police man at a station based in Doncaster. The caller asked the man to help in an “undercover operation” focused on employees at a local bank.
He was asked to withdraw money and hand it to a courier who would come to his home. The elderly man was then scammed out of £7,450.
South Yorkshire Police say they have received five other reports of similar calls from people pretending to be police officers over the last week, and their fraud team are now warning people to be aware of this type of scam.
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The police warn that courier fraud involves victims receiving a phone call from a criminal pretending to be from the police or another organisation like a bank. The fraudster then claims there is an issue with the victim’s bank account, or request the victim’s help in a criminal or bank investigation. Then, the victim is asked to withdraw money, which will be collected by a courier for evidence.
Fraud Protect Officer, Charlotte Platts said: “Unfortunately, we have received several reports of this scam in South Yorkshire over the festive period. This scam can not only result in the loss of significant amounts of money but also have a real impact on the victim’s health and wellbeing. Please read these tips and keep an eye out for any signs of courier fraud.”
South Yorkshire Police have issued the following tips on protecting yourself from courier fraud.
- The police or your bank will never call you to ask you to verify your financial details by phone. Hang up if you get a call like this.
- If you do get a call and need to call your bank back to check, wait five minutes. Find a number for the bank you know and trust, from the back of your card or a statement. Fraudsters have been known to stay on the line after you hang up so when you ring your bank back you are connected back to the scammers.
- Don’t let a stranger take your bank card from you. You should only ever have to hand it over at your bank.
If you are the victim of fraud, you should report it to Action Fraud online here or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you have given your bank details over the phone or handed your card to a courier, you should call the bank immediately and ask them to cancel your cards and put a block onto your account.