Be wary of courier fraud

There has recently been a rise in the number of courier frauds reported to Lincolnshire Police and Action Fraud.

What is Courier Fraud?
Courier Fraud is carried out by criminals cold calling a victim, claiming to be a police officer or bank official to attempt to gain their trust.  The fraudster will claim that there is an issue with the victim’s bank account or request their assistance with an ongoing bank or police investigation.

The aim of this call is to trick them into handing over money or bank details.  The fraudster can be very convincing, and will often already know many of your personal details.

Common techniques used include telling the victim to withdraw large sums of cash or buy high value items.  A ‘courier’ will then come and pick up the cash, bank card or goods on the behalf of the police or bank.

How can you protect yourself?

Your bank or the police will never….

• Call and ask you for your PIN or full banking password
• Ask you to withdraw money to hand over to them
• Ask you to transfer money out of your account

If you receive any call that concerns you do not be panicked, simply hang up and contact the bank or police on a number you trust, such as the one on the back of your bank card, or speak to a friend or family member to get their advice.  Make sure that you wait before making the call, ensure that the line is clear.  A phone line can stay open for up to two minutes allowing fraudsters to stay on the line and play a dialling tone to trick the individual into thinking they are calling their bank/police.  If you can, use a different phone, or phone someone whose voice you will recognise before making the call to your bank/police.

Most telephone providers now offer a free call blocking service.  Alternatively you can purchase call screening telephones from most high street stores, or a call blocking device which plugs into existing telephones.  If you require any further advice with regards to call blockers please do not hesitate to reply to this message.

We would encourage everyone to share this message with friends, family and neighbours.

Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. 
Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.