Police warn about rising cases of fraud across Thames Valley
41% of recorded crime is now fraud across the region
Last updated 29th Jul 2025
Thames Valley Police (TVP) are warning people across the region about the growing number of fraud cases they're dealing with.
The force is also encouraging people to take measure to help protect themselves against crime.
Statistics show that 41% of recorded crime is now fraud, showing that there is a growing number of cases.
TVP received 135 reports of courier fraud in the last financial year, the second highest number of reports in the UK after the Metropolitan Police.
It amounted to a total loss of over £2 million, with an average loss of £16,000 per victim.
"It can be devastating"
Detective Inspector Duncan Wynne is Head of the Central Fraud Unit at Thames Valley Police.
He says ‘fraud doesn’t discriminate’ but often with courier fraud, “these are elderly people targeted in their own homes.
“Their trust is breached by these criminals because they genuinely believe that they're doing the right thing by assisting.
“It can have a not only a financial consequence on the victim, but also a loss of confidence and can becoming isolated. So, it can be devastating.”
A common technique used by criminals is phishing scams which trick people into downloading malware onto their phones, risking a person’s personal data and finances being breached.
Once installed, they can appear harmless but later activate harmful features through hidden updates.
DI Wynne explains phishing as, “criminals will send a piece of software or a message to your phone to induce you to comply with a request.
“Generally, it will be sent as a normal message and within that message will be embedded some code which will enable the suspects to have access to the applications on your phone.
“Having malware installed on your phone basically gives a suspect control of your device and access to your applications.”
He adds that the risk of having malware accidental downloaded is that “somebody can remotely access your bank account and carry out transactions.
“The worst possible scenario is that they will have access to your bank account and can transfer the entire content to your bank accounts to an external account, which will make it very difficult to recover.”
DI Wynne says, “it's about prevent and protect, ensuring people are empowered to protect themselves from becoming a victim”.
He adds: “We would advise people to be very careful when opening messages and emails from people that they don't recognise, carrying antivirus checks on their phones, and regularly updating their operating systems. All of those are really good ways of combating malware.”
For information on how you how can help protect yourself against fraud, you can visit Thames Valley Police’s Fraud Protection Toolkit.
"Public awareness is crucial"
Meanwhile, anti-fraud, cybersecurity and finance organisations are highlighting a "surge" in Android malware.
The Cyber Defence Alliance (CDA), UK Finance, Cifas, and ThreatFabric have joined forces to highlight the problem.
People are being urged by the organisations to be vigilant particularly when being prompted to re-authenticate during a banking session; encountering unresponsive banking apps showing "busy" messages, installing generic-looking apps such as file managers or phone cleaners; receiving unexpected prompts to install or update Chrome; and being asked to grant unusual permissions, particularly accessibility access.
Han Sahin, CEO of ThreatFabric, said: "Just as we've learned to be cautious with links, we now need the same vigilance when installing apps. This is the logical next step in staying safe, and public awareness is crucial."
Here are some suggestions from the organisations to help mobile users stay safe:
- Only download apps from trusted sources.
- Check app reviews and developer information before installing.
- Keep your device's operating system and apps up to date.
- Report suspect apps or activity to your bank immediately.
- Be wary of apps requesting unnecessary permissions.