Couple lose £350,000 in courier fraud

Householders are being warned again about courier fraud after a couple were duped out of £350,000 by scammers posing as police.

The couple, who live in Salisbury, were called by a fraudster who claimed he was a detective from the Metropolitan Police who said someone who had been arrested was found with bank cards in their name. He said the police needed the couple to work undercover with police to catch the fraudster.

He asked the couple to buy £100,000 worth of watches but when they were unable to, the fraudsters arranged for three separate deliveries of gold bullion, which the couple paid for, to be sent to their home.

A fraudster who was dressed as a postman came to collect the gold from their home each day and the couple were told they would be paid back the money by the government.

The fraudster told the couple over the phone to call the police directly to confirm they were a real detective but they stayed on the line so the phone reconnected to them. The couple also had calls from someone pretending to be from their bank to reassure them the payments were genuine.

Stay Safe Online volunteer Tim Wilton said: “Courier fraud is on the increase, please remember that your bank or the police will never ring and ask you to verify your PIN, withdraw cash or purchase high-value goods. They’ll also never come to your home to collect your card, cash or purchased items. If you get a call like this, end the call.”

In May nine people in the Salisbury fell victim to courier fraudsters, read more here.

Acting Sgt Ben Moore of Wiltshire Police said: “I would reinforce to everyone that has been defrauded in this way that this is not your fault, you have been a victim of a serious crime and support is available to help you. Neither the police, nor your bank will ever ask you to withdraw money or buy gold or other products to send to them.

“If you receive a call of this nature, hang up and then call the police or your bank using the number on the back of your bank card. Also, either try to use a different phone line to the one where you received the call or, if this is not possible, take a five minute break before making the call to ensure that the fraudster is not still hijacking your phone line.”

Report fraud or cybercrime to Action Fraud any time of the day or night at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 1232040 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm).