£1.1 million lost to courier fraud across the South West
Data has been revealed by the South West's Regional Organised Crime Unit
The South West's Regional Organised Crime Unit has revealed more than £1.1 million has been lost to courier fraud in our region in the last year.
It's a term used to describe a particular way fraudsters steal your money, where you take a phone call and the person at the other end claims to be calling from your bank.
They tell you they have spotted fraudulent activity on your account or that your card is due to expire and needs replacing, and say they will send a courier to collect the card from your house to spare you the trouble of going to the bank.
The ROCU say the perpetrator will try to gain the victim's trust: it's a lucrative business which has a devastating impact on victims.
They add that data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), run by the City of London Police, reveals that 121 reports of courier fraud were received in the last financial year from people living in the South West - amounting to losses of more than £1.1million.
During a week of targeted action, Fraud Protect Officers in all five South West police forces focussed on visiting jewellery stores on high streets and in town centres to raise awareness of this type of fraud, educate them on the tactics used, and explain how to spot potential victims who may be being coerced into purchasing jewellery, watches or gold bullion.
Where victims have been manipulated into buying goods at jewellery stores, they are often instructed by the criminals to use taxis to take them there. With this in mind, officers visited local taxi companies to advise them on the signs to spot and suggested key questions to ask should they suspect their passenger is being pressured into making the journey.
Officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) contacted taxi licensing authorities in the region who welcomed their insight and have vowed to assist by educating drivers about the tell-tale signs to look out for when carrying passengers.
'It's not your fault if you are a victim of fraud'
Regional Fraud Protect Advisor Jordan Coates from SWROCU, said: “This intensification across the South West was about bringing courier fraud into people's awareness and encouraging anyone who has suspicions that it is happening to someone they know, to report it. A majority of victims of this fraud are older, in the 50 to 89 age range, and the data for our region shows the average loss over the last financial year to be more than £43,000. This is likely to be less than the actual figure because it's a crime type that is vastly underreported due to the sense of shame and embarrassment felt by those affected. It is important to remember that it is never your fault if you have been the victim of fraud. Fraudsters create a high-pressure environment forcing us to make quick decisions that we may not have typically made.
“I’d urge everyone to remember that your bank or the police will never call you to ask you to verify your personal details, share a one-time passcode or PIN by phone or offer to pick up your card by courier. If someone contacts you claiming to be from your bank, hang up, dial 159 – this is a secure number which will direct you to your bank’s customer service department - or call your bank on a number you know to be genuine, such as the one on the back of your card.
“The police or your bank will not contact you out of the blue to participate in an investigation or send a courier to your home to collect bank cards, cash, or other valuable items - any requests to do so are a scam and should be reported.
“And finally, you cannot always trust the caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof that the call is genuine. These criminals are adept and able to use technology which make calls appear to be from a trusted organisation. It’s a really effective tactic they use to encourage you to reveal private or financial information.”
If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040, or call 101.