HANG UP – IT’S A SCAM....

Stop and Think before you hand it over….

Following a spate of Courier Frauds across the West Mercia area we would like to remind people what Courier Fraud is and how you can stay safe.

Fraudsters are contacting members of the public claiming to be from the Police or in some cases their bank. They inform you that there has been a fraudulent payment made from your bank account, or that you need to withdraw large sums of money (both UK and foreign currency) or high value items such as watches or gold to help resolve the problem. They will then send a courier to collect the money/bank card or even ask you to transport the money to another location. This is known as 'courier fraud' and is one of the most common types of telephone fraud in Britain.

They will attempt to gain your trust by asking you to ring the Police/Bank back who will be able to offer further assistance; this makes the call seem genuine when in actual fact the fraudster keeps the line open so the victim is unknowingly reconnected to them. They are likely to ask you to clarify your full bank details including your PIN.

If you do receive such a call end it immediately, if you are concerned that you have been the victim of a courier scam, we would recommend that you inform your bank immediately, not using the number the fraudsters provided but by using a trusted number such as on the reverse of your bank card.  When doing this we recommend that you wait at least 10 minutes if using the same landline you have received the call from or by using a mobile phone.  Anyone who thinks that they have been contacted by a bogus Police Officer should contact West Mercia Police on 101 or 999 in the case of an emergency. 

Please be aware that that Police nor your Bank will ever ask you to be involved in an undercover operation, nor will they send a courier to collect your money/bank cards.  They will not ask you to verify your PIN code nor move money into a ‘Safe account’

We would ask you to pass this information onto your friends and family.  Together we can keep fraudsters away and stop the scam before it starts.  If you are having a lot of scam calls to your landline, please get in touch for further help.

STOP.  THINK.  FRAUD. HANG UP – IT’S A SCAM