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Lancashire is experiencing a spike in courier fraud incidents. Over the past few days there have been several instances of vulnerable and elderly residents being targeted over the phone by fraudsters calling from withheld numbers and purporting to be bank officials or police officers in order to defraud them out of significant sums of money. This is not unique to Lancashire, with courier fraud reports on the increase nationally. Force areas often experience spikes of criminality as a result of the involvement of organised crime groups (OCGs), and victims are often defrauded of large sums of money before the police are even aware of the incidents. These are often contact offences where the suspect meets or intends to meet the victim, and are classed as high harm exploitative crimes. The advice to give to Lancashire residents to help ensure that they do not fall victim to courier fraud is… Consider who is on the other end of the line – DO NOT assume a phone call is authentic just because someone knows your name and address. Your bank or the police WILL NEVER call you asking for personal details, such as your card/PIN details, or offer to pick up cards or items from your address.Consider registering with a Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to stop unsolicited/marketing calls getting through to you.If you are in the slightest doubt regarding the authenticity of a phone call, HANG UP, and then either use a different phone or wait 20 minutes before calling your bank, Action Fraud or the Police. This is because fraudsters often leave the line open, waiting for you to reuse your phone.Install a call blocker – this can be done through phone companies/phone applications.If you feel worried or concerned about a call, tell someone you trust about it.If you receive a suspect call or fall victim to this type of criminality, contact the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency (in the case of a crime in action) and Action Fraud online or via 0300 123 2040.Thank you |
