Resident loses £110k to scammers posing as police

A resident has lost more than £110,000 after handing over their bank cards to fraudsters who posed as police officers.

Hertfordshire Police said it had been contacted by a number of people who had been called by "officers" asking them to give them their bank cards or cash via a courier.

In August, a total of £135,000 was lost this way with one person from Bishop's Stortford losing £110,000.

The force said it would never ask anyone to pass on any bank or PIN numbers and "if you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious".

"These kinds of scams usually involve the victim receiving a telephone call from a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer or bank official and informing them of fraudulent activity on their bank account", the force said.

"They are then asked to put their bank cards and/or money into an envelope and give it to a courier or taxi, which is sent to their home, and also disclose their bank details, including their account and PIN numbers, to aid the bogus investigation."

Det Insp Katy Jackson, from the serious fraud and cyber unit, said: "It’s important to remember that police officers or bank officials will never ask you for sensitive information, like a PIN, or ask you to purchase high-value items to assist them with an inquiry.

"Usually, the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their personal and bank details.

"However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds."

The identity of the person who was scammed out of £110,000 has not been made public.

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