Essex Police stand out in national fraud operation

The results of a national operation that targets fraudsters who scam elderly people into handing over thousands of pounds has shown Essex Police are the third best in the country.

The City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) confirmed Operation Radium, which was launched in January this year, had resulted in 100 courier fraud arrests.

The county's force have arrested 10 of those individuals with Kent Police arresting 16 and West Mercia arresting 12.

They work collaboratively with Kent Police through the Serious Crime Directorate.

Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Truss, who heads our Serious Economic Crime Unit, said: “Courier fraud is callous crime with suspects targeting elderly and vulnerable people to steal their hard-earnt money and on occasions, their life savings.

“We’ve been proactive in quickly identifying suspects, who tend to travel into Essex from London or neighbouring counties, before arresting them and seizing their equipment.

“Since Operation Radium was launched, 26 people have been questioned by detectives from Kent and Essex Police’s Serious Crime Directorate. That’s over one quarter of the 100 arrested in the country.

“While we continue to work with our partners to identity fraudsters, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones. We’ve been pushing the ‘take five’ message and we’d like you to take a few moments ahead of reacting to their demands before calling us.

“I want to also reassure you that we’re working closely with banks to help identify victims of crime who are looking to withdraw their cash. The Banking Protocol was launched four years ago and we’ve had some fantastic responses with criminals being detained while the crime is being committed.”

Courier fraud is where criminals call someone, pretending to be a police officer or bank official.

Commander Clinton Blackburn, National Co-ordinator for Economic Crime at NFIB, said: “Courier fraud is a grossly under-reported crime, usually due to victims being embarrassed and ashamed they have become a victim.

“Courier fraudsters are nearly always part of broader criminal gangs: they are persuasive and can be aggressive. This can be particularly intimidating when they turn up on a victim’s doorstep. That’s why we have continued to focus on tackling this contemptible crime.

“Together with colleagues in other forces, including Essex Police, we’re sending a loud, clear message from policing to courier fraudsters - your criminal activity won’t be tolerated.”