Police issue warning on fraudsters
Police in West Lothian are warning people to be on their guard and not become victims of fraud.
Instances of courier fraud hasve increased by almost two thirds (63 per cent) compared to the same period last year around the UK.
Courier fraud is when victims receive a phone call from a criminal who is pretending to be a police officer or bank official.
Typically, victims are told to withdraw a sum of money and someone is sent to their home address to collect it.
Criminals may also convince the victim to transfer money to a ‘secure’ bank account, hand over their bank cards or give the criminals high value items, such as jewellery or watches.
West Lothian officers have been raising awareness of the problem with messages on their social media accounts.
They have posted the following warning: “Have you received a call from someone claiming to be from your bank or local police force about fraudulent activity, but is asking you for personal information, or even your PIN, to verify who you are?
“This is a common sign of courier fraud. “If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately and take a moment to stop and think as it is most likely a scam.”
Data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, reveals that £10,325,133 has been lost by victims to courier fraud since the start of this year.
Since the start of this year, Action Fraud has received 2060 reports of courier fraud.
This equates to an average loss per victim of just over £5000.
Almost two thirds (64 per cent) of victims were aged 70 to 89 years old.
And over three quarters (84 per cent) of victims were aged 60 to 99 years old.
One common tactic used is where victims are contacted by a suspect who attempts to persuade them to purchase gold as part of a ‘police investigation’ that is later collected by a courier on behalf of the criminals.
In some cases, the suspects have invited themselves into the victim’s home and stolen from them.
They often collect other valuables, saying that the victim’s possessions are no longer safe and they, claiming to be the police, can safeguard them.
Another common tactic used by the criminals is called “open phone”.
This is where the victim is persuaded to stay on the phone call to the criminal whilst they go to withdraw money or go to a jewellers.
This stops the victim interacting with anyone else who could help them, or from having the chance to think about what is really happening.
Police are urging anyone who thinks they’ve been a victim of fraud to contact their bank immediately.
They should also report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by alternatively by calling 0300 123 2040.