Courier fraud warning after woman scammed

We are urging people to be mindful of courier fraud after an elderly woman was persuaded to hand over around a large quantity of cash.

On Monday (11/02), a woman in Melksham was contacted by someone who claimed to be from the police saying they were investigating money being taken from her account.

The victim was convinced into withdrawing the money from her bank before handing it over to a man who turned up at her address.

She was also convinced to hand over her card and pin.

The victim subsequently contacted her bank and Wiltshire Police and her card has been cancelled before any more money was taken. Our enquiries are currently ongoing into this incident.

DC Rachel Davies in the Fraud team said: “This is a type of courier fraud, where victims are duped into handing over money by suspects, often involving the impersonation of police officers or bank staff.

“The victim may also be convinced into handing over their bank cards, PINs, or high value items such as jewellery or watches.

“It is important to remember that your bank or the police will never call you to ask you to verify your personal details or PIN, and we will never send a courier to your home to collect your cash, bank cards, PINs or any other valuable goods.

“Any requests to do so are part of a scam.

“If you’ve been called by someone claiming to be from the police, you can always hang up and call back on 101 to check the veracity of the call.

“If you suspect you’ve been a victim of courier fraud, report it to Action Fraud by visiting actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 1232040.

“If you’ve revealed your bank details or handed over your card to a courier, call your bank straight away to cancel the card.”