An 83-year-old was tricked into sending £4250 in cash, her driving licence, and bank card to fraudsters and her son wants to warn others. 

Last year, "Brian" from the Thames Valley's mother was given a phoney call from someone claiming to be a police officer who said that someone pretending to be her nephew had been arrested in possession of her debit card. 

The fraudster said £1400 had been spent from her account and convinced her that the bank was involved in counterfeit money, and they needed her to work undercover.

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She was sworn to secrecy and instructed to visit her bank and tell them she needed to withdraw £4,250 to assist her son, Brian, and told to put the cash, her driving licence and her bank card in an envelope and was given a security password to be used by the courier, upon collection.

A “courier” arrived and after saying the agreed password, Brian’s mother gave them the envelope.

Over the next few days, the fraudster phoned Brian’s mother and instructed her to move money from her savings account to her current account.

Numerous fraudulent transactions were subsequently made totalling £29,788

Brian said: “As soon as she told me what had been going on, I knew it was fraud. These scams completely undermine people’s confidence.

"My mother, who is very resilient, now questions everyone she speaks to because it has eaten away at her trust and confidence in people.

“I would urge everyone to trust their own good sense and intuition. If anyone is pressing you for urgency and secrecy, like they did with my mother, that should ring alarm bells.

"If it is genuine, it can wait.”

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In 2021 alone, 181 Thames Valley residents reported a courier fraud with total losses of £1,506,131. 

Police warned that courier fraudsters target their victims by claiming to be a police officer or a member of staff from a victim’s bank and they often pressure people into making quick financial decisions to assist with fictitious investigations.

The warning comes as a new list of tactics used by courier fraudsters has been unveiled by the City of London Police which encompasses the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB).

Data from the NFIB shows that women between 70 to 89 years old lost more than £6.7 million to courier fraud in 2021. Men in the same age range lost almost £4.2 million during the same period.

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The four most common tricks used by courier fraudsters, according to police, are:

  • Fraudsters claim a victim's bank card has expired
  • Fraudsters pretend to be police and ask victim to buy high end items as part of their investigation and hand them over
  • Fraudsters ask victims to help them with counterfeit cash/bank investigation by withdrawing a large amount of money and the cash is picked up later by a courier
  • Fraudsters pretend to be a victim's internet service provider and take over their computer 

Head of Thames Valley Police’s Central Fraud Unit Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn shared how jewellery shops and private hire vehicles have been recently used by criminals for courier fraud in the area.

He said: “Courier fraud can be a particularly callous crime and is often specifically targeted at older people, by exploiting their trust in the police and their bank in order to steal from them. Courier fraudsters are nearly always part of broader, sophisticated criminal gangs.

“Thames Valley Police is increasing investigative activity in response to those committing these offences in order to disrupt their activity, prevent them targeting victims, and to bring them before the courts, and ultimately send them to prison.

“Police and banks will never ask for full passwords and pin numbers or ask for money or goods to be handed or transferred to them.

“Anybody being cold-called and asked for personal details, to withdraw money or purchase high-value items, is urged to end the calls and seek advice from trusted friends or family members, or to call their banks directly using the number on their bankcards.

 “We urge persons working in these industries to be extra vigilant and to contact the police to report any suspicions.”

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Take Five To Stop Fraud advice

Police have come up with five steps to stop fraud.

  • Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
  • Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
  • Protect: If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Read more from this author

This story was written by Shosha Adie. 

She joined the team in 2022 as a digital reporter.   

To get in touch with her email: Shosha.Adie@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter: @ShoshaAdie

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