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Man conned days after police warn of courier fraud

PA Media A left hand types into a laptop keyboard, with the right hand in soft focus holding a bank card.PA Media
Norfolk Police said a man in his 60s from Downham Market was conned two days after issuing a warning about courier fraud

A man was conned out of £10,000 just two days after police issued a warning about courier fraud.

On Monday, Norfolk Police said it was aware of several fraud attempts across the county.

In the latest incident, a man in his 60s from Downham Market received a call from someone claiming to be a police officer looking for help with an investigation. They required the victim to withdraw money from his bank account, which was then collected later that day.

Police said an investigation was under way, warning people that "neither the police nor the banks will send a courier to collect money from you".

"Your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN, bank card or bank account details over the phone – never give these details to anybody."

Courier fraud usually involves someone contacting a victim by phone claiming to be a police officer, from a bank or a government department, among other agencies.

A number of techniques will then be used to convince the victim to hand over their bank details or cash, which may then be passed on to a courier.

Andrew Turner/BBC Amanda Chapman is on the left of the image, with long blonde hair. She is wearing a pink dotted scarf, a faux-fur lined jacket and a red jersey. Denise has greying hair, and wears glasses. She is wearing a white scarf, has a green jacket with white man-made fibre fur lining.Andrew Turner/BBC
Amanda Chapman and Denise Cooper said they were aware of scams - and Amanda learned the hard way

The BBC asked people in Great Yarmouth if they would know how to spot a scam and whether they had ever fallen victim to fraud.

Amanda Chapman, 70, from the town, said: "I've been scammed and now I don't do online shopping."

She lost £160 when she bought three jars of CBD jelly beans from an advert she saw on social media.

Unhappy with the purchase, believing they were regular confectionery, the vendor advised her to return them.

"I said, 'I'm going to send them back', and there was a bit of a huff and a puff and they said, 'We'll repay you, send them back.'

"I spent over a fiver sending them back and they cost £160 or something for three jars, and it wasn't what I ordered... and I sent them back and didn't hear another thing again.

"It's something that's stuck in my mind and I thought, I'm not going to let that happen again, and I just don't buy online."

Andrew Turner/BBC Nigel Peart has grey hair and has tinted spectacles. He is wearing a grey hoodie and blue polo shirt beneath. His wife, to the right of the image, also has tinted spectacles. She has greying long hair, and is wearing a black faux-fur lined jacket and a red polo neck jersey.Andrew Turner/BBC
Nigel and Sonia Peart said they had got a good sense of how to protect themselves against fraud, but their relative had fallen victim

Nigel and Sonia Peart, from Fritton, said they thought about the risks of being scammed "all the time".

Sonia, 62, said a relative of theirs was conned out of his savings when on the phone to someone purporting to be from the bank.

His partner warned him that it did not "sound right", she said, but he carried on.

"In the end they cleared his bank account, and they had one set up for his little daughter and they cleared all that.

"It cost them about £4,500. I think he was more gutted about the baby's account than anything, but they got most of it back."

Andrew Turner/BBC Jordan Bishop, dressed in a black baseball cap, black teeshirt and black hoodie, stands in Great Yarmouth Market Place, with his left arm around his mother Tina's shoulder. She has long curly brunette hair, red rimmed glasses and is wearing a black scarf and puffa jacket.Andrew Turner/BBC
Jordan Bishop said he and his dad worked in anti-fraud departments and they helped protect his mum, Tina

Tina Bishop, 54, from Great Yarmouth, said: "I buy things from Facebook when the pop-ups come up, and I have been caught a couple of times when I've bought things and they've arrived and not been what I expected."

Her son Jordan, 31, who lives in Milton Keynes, said: "I work in a fraud department at a bank, and I know first-hand what people go through and I would definitely advise if it's too good to be true, don't put your card details in.

"If you do see something in a good deal online, go to review sites and see if it's a genuine article, or see if the shop itself if genuine, then you don't have to worry when you make all the transactions."

If you have been affected by a scam or fraud, BBC Action Line has links to organisations that may be able to help. You can find out more about how to stay Scam Safe here.

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