Courier fraud scam alert

Northumbria police are tackling a cruel fraud which is targeting pensioners and their savings. Across our region, vulnerable and older people have fallen victim to a complex scam known as ‘Courier Fraud’. 

They are being contacted by fraudsters claiming to be police officers. They are told their bank accounts have been compromised and asked to cooperate with the investigation by withdrawing large sums of money and give to a courier who will come to their home to collect it and pass on the ‘evidence’ to police.

Thankfully those contacted so far have reported these incidents to Northumbria Police and a number of investigations remain ongoing - so far 14 people have been arrested in connection with the alleged frauds.

Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Ord from the Force’s Crime department said ‘Time and time again we see fraudsters targeting the elderly because they are isolated and often seen as easy targets. This type of behaviour is disgusting and we will not tolerate it in our region … We are urging all families to speak with their elderly relatives and ask if anyone has called them out of the blue, or if they have recently withdrawn money or handed over any valuables’.

Please help Northumbria police to reinforce their message

• Police will NEVER cold call you to inform you of a crime
• Police will NEVER ask you for money or any kind of financial information
• Police will NEVER send a courier to your home

If you receive a call like this, do not interact with them - hang up and report it to Northumbria Police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 immediately

If you think you might have been a victim of courier fraud, please contact Northumbria Police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 immediately

Report your concerns immediately - you will be fully supported by our officers, there is no shame in falling foul to this complex scam.

DCI Ord added: ‘We would encourage everyone to exercise extreme caution when speaking to a cold-caller. Make a note of who they say they are, what they are calling about, and then hang up.  When you’re sure the line is clear, use a trusted phone number to check the call was legitimate and speak to family and friends about what’s happened.’

For more information about scams you can find out more and watch our information videos on our Beat the Scammers page