Callous Fraudsters Steal £5,500 From Elderly Couple

Callous fraudsters posing as Police officers have stolen £5,500 from an elderly couple in the village of Kilby, near Fleckney.

They were persuaded to withdraw the cash, after someone purporting to be from the Metropolitan Police phoned them, saying they were investigating because bank staff had been taking money from their account.

The money was then collected from the house of the couple, who are in their 80s, on New Year’s Eve.

Leicestershire Police, who are investigating the incident, say there have been 11 reports of so-called ‘Courier Fraud’ in the last three months and an elderly woman was also targeted in Kilby on December 29th, but did not hand over any money.

Police are reminding people that officers or bank staff would never contact anyone and tell them to withdrawn money.

Courier fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victims by telephone claiming to be a police officer or bank official.  The caller sounds plausible and may confirm the victim’s name and address, basic information which could be obtained easily.

Nicole McIntyre from the force’s economic crime unit, said:  “Luckily in six of the 11 cases the fraud was prevented by either a third party or the victims themselves who became suspicious.

“This type of offence is of great concern to us.  Suspects are targeting elderly or vulnerable people.  They sound genuine and gain the trust of the victims.

“The police or banks would not contact people in this way.  If you get a call like this hang up.  If you need to contact your bank to check wait five minutes as fraudsters can stay on the line even after you have hung up, or use a different line altogether.  Your bank cards are yours and never let them be used by others.

“We are asking people to remain vigilant.  If you have elderly neighbours or relatives who don’t access our website or social media sites please advise them of these incidents.

“Telephone companies can assist with call blocking technology to help restrict these types of calls. We would recommend that people talk this through with their vulnerable or elderly family and friends to help prevent this activity.

“At times the fraudsters use local taxi firms to transport potential victims to their banks.  We would ask taxi companies to be mindful of this and if they have any suspicions to contact the police immediately.

“Further advice about the scam can be found on the Action Fraud website https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/courier-fraud and the steps people can take to protect themselves.”