Elderly woman scammed out of £15,000 in Bournemouth
Dorset Police say it's the latest case of courier fraud in the county
A woman in her 80s has been scammed out of more than £15,000 in a courier fraud incident in Bournemouth.
Dorset Police say the victim was called on Friday afternoon (22nd November) by someone claiming to be an officer.
They asked for her assistance with a fake investigation looking into counterfeit Euros.
The elderly lady was encouraged to withdraw cash from her account, in Euros, and put them into an envelope for a courier to collect, which they did over two occasions over the weekend.
The 'courier' is described as:
- Woman
- Tall
- Slim
- Long straight dark hair tied back
- Wearing a dark trouser suit
- Face mask
- Dark coloured raincoat
Another incident in Bournemouth was reported to police on Saturday (23rd November) too.
A woman in her 70s got a call from someone claiming to be an officer investigating illegal activity on her card.
They asked for her bank details, saying they needed to check her account, but she didn't give them to the caller.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Hodgson, of BCP CID, said:
“We are carrying out enquiries into these incidents and I would urge anyone with information that could assist our investigation to please come forward.
“We would also urge anyone who is contacted in a similar manner to please report it to us.
“The police will never ask for your bank details over the phone and we would urge members of the public to be vigilant of this potential scam and to ensure they raise awareness among elderly relatives and neighbours, who we often sadly see targeted by this type of activity.”
Dorset Police has shared advice |newtab) for anyone who suspects a call may be fraudulent:
• Your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN.
• Neither the police nor the banks will send a courier to collect money from you.
• If you're asked to telephone a bank, always make the call on a different phone to the one you were contacted on.
• Do not rush into complying to the scammers demands.
• If you have already given your bank details over the phone or handed your card details to a courier, call your bank straight away to let them know and request that they cancel the card.
Anyone with information can contact Dorset Police by calling 101, quoting occurrence number 55240180752.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.