Vigilance pleas in Wiltshire after £252,000 stolen in courier scam

More than £28m has been stolen in the UK in the last 12 months

There is an urgent plea from the police to be vigilant about courier fraud in Wiltshire.

Fresh evidence from Action Fraud has revealed that more than a quarter of a million pounds have been stolen by this method in the county in the last 12 months.

In the UK, scammers conned people out of £28.7 million, with an average loss per victim of just under £20,000.

Older people in their 80s are the most likely to be targeted, with 43% of victims in this age group.

Earlier this month, police in Salisbury dealt with nine cases of courier fraud in six days – with more calls coming in daily.

We are encouraged to call 999 immediately if we, or someone we know, is asked to withdraw money by the bank or the police.

Mail fraud is when someone is contacted by someone posing as a police officer or bank clerk and is tricked into handing over money, valuables or bank cards.

These are often picked up from their home address by a courier.

Criminals use various tactics, one of the most common being that there is a problem with your account and they need your help to catch the “real” criminals.

Victims can also be forced to buy items such as gold and jewelery from legitimate retailers on behalf of criminals.

Fraud Constable Rachel Davies explains: “We have consistent cases of courier fraud across the county in a variety of locations and unfortunately the victims are often elderly. This is such a heinous crime that can have devastating psychological effects and significant financial losses.

“Many victims live alone and suffer from age-related illnesses, so we would like families, friends and neighbors to remain vigilant and help protect any vulnerable people in their lives. Scammers exploit the elderly by calling landlines or impersonating police officers and bank officials. We need to get the message across that we would not cold call or ask anyone to share bank details or move assets to assist investigations or for any other reason.”

The banks or the police will not ask us for help

Marc Evans from Wiltshire Police District Policing Team, told Greatest Hits Radio that we should be wary of anyone who makes unsolicited calls to a landline.

“Banks will never call you and ask you for anything. They will inform you by email.

“The Police will never call you and ask you to engage in any kind of undercover work, nor will the Police pressure you to do anything. .

“They will not ask you to do anything against your will and they will not force you to do anything.”

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