How to avoid courier fraud amid scamming rise in Wales
Dyfed Powys Police are getting an average of 10 fraud reports a day
With more gifts being bought in the run-up to Christmas, we're potentially more open to courier fraud, so we've been speaking to Dyfed Powys Police about how to stay alert.
'Courier fraud' is when someone who might pretend to be from the bank or the police calls you to try and con you out of your credit or debit card details and PIN numbers.
It has been rife in Pembrokeshire recently, with members of the public receiving calls from someone pretending to be a police officer from the London area.
Dyfed Powys Police say they're receiving on average around 10 reports of courier fraud a day, which has more than doubled since they first put out a press release warning last month.
In total, the force has received 181 reports since October 30 this year with more than ÂŁ85,000 being lost, though ÂŁ66,000 has been disrupted and saved.
The police are concerned with the number of cases reported, and say they want to do as much as possible to protect vulnerable people from scammers.
'I honestly believed I was speaking to an officer'
Sadra Lawson, a grandmother from Pembrokeshire, was targeted by scammers but thankfully lost no money.
She received a call from a man impersonating a police officer who told her that her card had been used fraudulently.
He even gave his full name, collar number and said that an arrest had been made which led him to call Mrs Lawson, assuring her that she could phone 999 to verify his identity.
After asking further questions about her bank and inviting a 'colleague' on the line, who said they would run checks on her account, Mrs Lawson put the phone down and called the police.
“I was a mess all day after it happened, my stomach was churning and I was shaking like a leaf thinking about what could have happened", she said.
"I didn’t ever question that he wasn’t a police officer, I was brought up to respect the police and even if I wanted to, I didn’t feel like I could hang up on them because I was speaking to the police.
"You give them an automatic trust and believe that they are there to help you. It wasn’t until his colleague said she had spoken to the bank that I suspected anything.
“My grandson has always taught me that I shouldn’t give my personal details to anyone, and that the bank won’t give anyone else any details of my account. If they hadn’t mentioned speaking to the bank, I would have honestly believed that I was speaking to an officer because he was so convincing.
"Once I spoke to the actual police, they were so supportive and gave me a lot of reassurance. My opinion of the police definitely hasn’t changed after this, they couldn’t have been nicer to me. It just breaks my heart to think that these scammers are so clever that they can convince you that you’re speaking to the police, before they take your life savings.”
What should I do if I'm called by a scammer?
Police are asking friends and family to look out for those who could be more vulnerable to scamming, and have listed what should and should not be done in certain situations.
Do:
- Make a note of the callers details, including name, rank, collar number and station.
- Note any contact details from caller display, or via 1471 after the call has ended.
- Block the number that called you.
- End the call.
- Say you will contact the police directly to confirm the caller’s identity and be put through internally.
- Ring a family member or friend before you make your next phone call. This is to make sure the line has disconnected from the initial (suspected fraud) caller.
- If anyone calls at your address following this type of suspected fraud call, call 999.
Don’t:
- Hand out any personal or financial details.
- Engage in conversation. Hang up.
- Make any arrangements to hand over any cash or card.