Man arrested after elderly woman targeted in courier fraud incident

A man has been arrested after an elderly lady is believed to have been scammed out of more than £4,000.

The woman, who is aged in her 90s from the Swindon area, received a phone call from someone purporting to be a police officer on July 17.

The person on the phone claimed they were carrying out an investigation into a former bank employee who they alleged had deposited more than £4,000 into the victim’s bank account. They told the victim that she must transfer the money and in return she would receive gold bullion the following day.

The woman did as she was asked and on July 20, the woman received a further call to say that somebody would attend her address that morning to collect the gold.

Officers from our Burglary Unit were made aware of the call when it was received into our control room and rushed to the woman’s address where they intercepted the exchange and arrested a 23-year-old man from London on suspicion of fraud by false representation. He was taken to custody where he was interviewed and has since been released on bail while enquiries are ongoing.

Det Sgt Ted Roe said: “It would appear that an elderly lady has been targeted in this latest example of courier fraud.

“Those involved in these types of scams are often extremely convincing and will pose as trusted officials from reputable organisations so they can gain a vulnerable person’s trust.

“In this case, our officers acted swiftly and were able to intercept the exchange of gold and make an arrest. Our enquiries are continuing.

“We would urge residents to remember that banks or police officers will never send a courier to pick up cash or items of any kind. If you have concerns, please call police immediately. If you think you have been a victim of courier fraud, please report it to Action Fraud or your bank.”