Cheshire Police are continuing to urge Warrington residents to be vigilant against courier fraud and report any suspected incidents as soon as possible.
In the last 24 hours alone, there have been eight incidents where elderly residents in Warrington have been targeted by fraudsters posing as police officers.
The scammers have contacted the victims by phone, instructing them to withdraw large amounts of money and hand it over to a courier. They often claim this is to safeguard the victim’s funds as their bank card has been used fraudulently.
In one incident reported to Cheshire Police on Thursday 11 January, an 84-year-old man was contacted by someone claiming to be Police Officer Daniel Rose. The scammer told the victim £325 had been fraudulently spent on his bank card. The victim checked his bank account to confirm this was not true.
In a separate incident reported to Cheshire Police on 11 January, an 80-year-old woman was contacted by a fraudster claiming to be DC James Madison from Warrington Police Station. The scammer requested she withdraw £5,800 worth of Euros from a supermarket travel counter and meet him on the car park where the money would be collected. The fraudster even gave her instructions on what to say if she was questioned by staff on why she was withdrawing the large sum. Thankfully no money was handed over.
Inspector Anna Keefe said:
“These fraudsters can be very persuasive and use a variety of tactics to convince you to withdraw money.
“Thankfully, in the incidents reported to us in the last 24 hours, no money was handed over.
“But these scammers can be incredibly convincing, so please continue to be vigilant and look out for your elderly relatives and neighbours to ensure they are aware of these courier frauds.
“Remember, the police will never ask you to withdraw money.
“If you suspect you have been subjected to this type of crime, even if you hung up the phone and did not fall victim, please report it to Cheshire Police as soon as possible.
“If you have any information regarding these incidents, please contact https://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report/fo/v2/report-fraud-bribery-corruption/ or call 101. Information can also be given anonymously by contacting Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
Safety tips to help prevent courier fraud:
- Never provide personal or financial information to someone you don’t know, especially over the phone.
- If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately.
- Contact your bank directly using a known and trusted phone number to verify any requests for money or sensitive information.
- Never withdraw large sums of money based on instructions from someone claiming to be from the police or a bank.
- If you think you have been a victim of courier fraud, contact the police immediately on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
- Remember, genuine organisations will never cold call you asking for this information. If you’re ever in doubt, hang up and contact the organisation directly using a known and trusted phone number.
