322 reports of courier fraud reported to Surrey Police this year
Most of the victims are women over the age of 75
Police are warning residents to be vigilant after a rise in courier fraud in Surrey, especially among vulnerable victims.
This year there have been 322 reports made to Surrey Police about courier fraud with most of the victims being women over 75.
This is when a fraudster calls the victim and pretends to be either a police officer or bank official to try and convince them to hand over money.
123 victims in our county lost an average of £10,000 each to this scam.
The staggering combined loss of all of the victims was £1,210,000.
The majority of victims had their bank cards used or collected, used bank transfer or handed over cash sums to the fraudsters.
One 86 year old victim received a call on her landline from a person telling her that they were a police officer from Hammersmith Police.
She was told to withdraw £4,800 but fortunately when she attended her bank to do this, the bank staff recognised the signs of fraud and no loss was incurred.
Another victim, a woman aged 70 received a call from someone claiming to be a detective with Hammersmith Police who was investigating her card being cloned in a store on Regents Street, London.
Fortunately the victim thought that this did not add up and did not hand over any personal details to the fraudster.
To protect yourself or someone you know from becoming a victim of fraud, consider the following key tips:
Your bank or the police will never ask you for money or to verify personal details such as your PIN code over the phone
Never share your PIN number, sort code or account number, or enter any of them onto a telephone keypad
A genuine police officer will not be offended if you ask them to confirm their identity
Never transfer funds into a new account on the instruction of an unexpected caller – even if they tell you the account is in your name
Your bank and credit cards are yours – do not let a stranger take them from you, including any couriers who might come to your door. You should only ever have to hand your card over at the bank. If your card is cancelled, destroy it yourself
Fraudsters might suggest you hang up and phone the police or the bank to confirm that they are genuine. However, they may stay on the line when you hang up, so when you dial the real phone number, you’re still speaking to the same fraudster. Try calling a good friend first, wait five minutes or use a different phone
Surrey Police are asking residents to pass this advice onto their loved ones, particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable.