Norfolk Police issue warning as more than £200,000 lost in the county to ‘courier fraud’
Norfolk Police has released a warning over courier scams, after reporting centre Action Fraud received 39 reports in Norfolk in the past year.
The people involved lost a total of £206,680. Nationally, 77 per cent of those targeted were aged 70 and over, with £16.3 million stolen during the last year.
Courier fraud is a sophisticated scam that preys on the trust and vulnerability of individuals.
This type of fraud typically begins with a phone call or email, where the fraudsters pose as bank officials, police officers, or other authority figures.
Fraudsters manipulate their victims with convincing stories, often claiming that there has been fraudulent activity on their bank accounts.
They will try to create a sense of urgency and coerce the victims into complying with their demands.
One common tactic in courier fraud involves convincing victims to withdraw large sums of money from their bank accounts.
The fraudsters instruct the victims to place the cash in an envelope or bag and hand it over to a courier who will visit their home to collect it.
Detective Chief Inspector Lee Parish, from the fraud operations team at City of London Police, said: “Courier fraud is a devastating crime that preys on vulnerable and often older people.
“Millions of pounds of hard-earned pensions and savings are being stolen each year and we are concentrating efforts to stop courier fraud at the source.
“We’ve seen courier fraud taking place in and around retirement villages, care homes and assisted living accommodation. Banks or police officers will never send a courier to collect cash, bank cards or pin codes.”