Police
are warning of 'courier fraud', where victims dial their bank's number and
speak to 'staff' who persuade them to part with huge sums of money. One
reason people fall for this con is that, after being contacted by a fraudster
purporting to be from their bank, the victim is told to phone back using the
number printed on the back of their debit or credit card. This convinces many
people that the call is genuine. However, the crook keeps the line open so the
victim unknowingly talks to another member of the gang, posing as a bank
employee.
Be aware that
variations of the crime include:
1.
Asking
the victim to assist in a police investigation. The victim is requested to
withdraw a large sum of cash and take it home, where it is then collected by a
courier;
2.
Being
told there is a corrupt member of staff within the bank and asking for help in
identifying them. The victim is told to withdraw a large sum which will be
"marked" and then collected.
The
police say that neither they nor the banks will ever call you to ask for your
pin or bank card, or request that you transfer money to another account or
assist them in catching fraudsters. If you are contacted by someone who asks
for these, hang up. If you get a call from your bank, use a different line or
mobile to call the number on your bank card or allow at least five minutes for
the line to clear automatically before ringing the bank. If you suspect you
have been targeted by courier fraudsters, report the call the police and
contact your bank.
FACT FINDINGS
A total of
2,556 "courier fraud" offences were reported to the Metropolitan
police between April 2013 and March 2014. The average loss suffered was around
£2,600.
The hardest
hit London boroughs include Barnet (115 offences since the start of 2014),
Ealing (83), Kensington and Chelsea (50), Bromley (47) and Croydon (47).
Greater
Manchester police has recorded 346 offences between February and the start of
this month, while Essex police says more than 115 people in the county have
been stung since January 2013.
According to
the City of London police, the average age of victims is 54 and nearly
two-thirds are female.
Culled from Guardian
1 comment:
Very informative. .
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