A MAN has been arrested after a Pershore woman was targeted by a courier fraudster attempting to collect her bank cards off her.
The 22-year-old was held on Monday afternoon on suspicion of fraud by false representation and remains in custody at Worcester Police Station.
It follows up to seven phone calls since Friday (January 10) to a woman in her 70s from a man claiming to be called ‘Jordan’ from Lloyds Bank fraud investigation department.
The man claimed the woman was a victim of fraud and that he was investigating and arranged for a ‘courier’ to collect her bank cards from her home address ‘to prevent further fraudulent activity on her account’.
However, the woman recognised his actions as a scam and worked with officers so they could detain any offenders. The suspect was held on attending her address.
More courier fraud
In another courier fraud incident in Malvern, a woman in her 90s was targeted by people claiming be police officers last Thursday.
They told her that her card had fraudulently been used at Malvern Retail Park and in London
They asked her to withdraw £6,000 cash and not to tell anyone and in the afternoon a courier attended the house and collected the cash.
Courier fraud is normally when a fraudster phones their victim and claims to be from the police or another law enforcement authority or the bank.
They then con the victim into revealing their PIN and credit or debit card details or ask them hand over cash or buy a high value item and hand it over to a ‘courier’.
The most common victims of courier fraud are often elderly people.
Operation Prospero
Incidents like these are being tackled by West Mercia as part of Operation Prospero, which directly targets offenders posing as police officers, working in conjunction with Action Fraud.
Anyone suspecting courier or any other type of fraud can call police on 101 to report it.
Alternatively, visit: actionfraud.police.uk/ and submit the information there.
Head to westmercia.police.uk for advice on fraud, courier fraud and ways to avoid falling victim to it.
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