Tackling courier fraud in the Thames Valley

• Scammers call victims pretending to be the police or their bank, knowing just enough details, like names or addresses, to sound convincing. The scam centres around there being an issue around the victim's banking, and that without the victim’s co-operation they, or their money, will be at risk. 
• The scammers scare victims with threats of arrest or causing problems with getting the money back if they tell anyone or won’t co-operate. They may even prompt victims to call their bank or local police force so victims can check that this is a real investigation, to lure the victim into a false sense of security. 
• When victims try this, they’re not actually being disconnected from the original call, so whilst they think they are verifying details with someone new, they’re still on the same phone call, and talking to the same group of scammers.
• The ‘courier’ part of courier fraud is there because scammers will send someone round to collect the ‘evidence’ – usually cash or bank cards complete with PIN numbers – or in some cases actually pick the victims up and take them to a bank, jewellers, or currency exchange to withdraw cash or buy expensive items to use as collateral in the investigation.

When you know what to look out for, you can help protect those you care about:

• Are they suddenly receiving more phone calls than usual, and not wanting to be overheard?
• Do they seem anxious or withdrawn?
• Are they suddenly more concerned or secretive about their finances than usual?
• If you have access to their bank accounts, are there unusual unexplained high-value withdrawals or purchases?
• Are they experiencing sudden money issues out of the blue? 
• Have you noticed unusual visitors to your vulnerable neighbours?

• The criminals target young people with offers of ad-hoc work, using them to travel to the victim’s home to collect their bank card or cash.
• They send them to buy luxury goods or expensive jewellery with the illegally obtained bank card.
• Sometimes the criminals deliberately befriend vulnerable young people, but then turn on them and demand that they pay back favours by picking up a package for them. They may threaten, blackmail or use violence to force them into carrying out their instructions.

Young people do not understand the consequences of participating in this crime type and how it can affect their future.

Signs to spot that something isn’t quite right: 

• Job adverts that are vague or sound too good to be true.
• Accepting work to collect packages and deliver them elsewhere, without any explanation as to what is contained within.
• Suddenly travelling to different towns, particularly areas you would not expect them to travel to.
• Being secretive about who they are talking to or where they are going.
• Unexplained absences from school, work, college or training.
• Having new stuff such as clothes, jewellery or phones that they usually wouldn’t be able to afford.
• A change in behaviour – more disruptive, aggressive, anxious, secretive.
• Having injuries that cannot be explained.

Taxi and private hire drivers are often used to collect the credit cards and cash and personal items (normally in a small package/envelope) – either directly themselves or, indirectly, by transporting the recruited “courier” to and from the victim's home.

Signs to spot that something isn’t quite right:

• Picking someone up at a station or other transport hub and being asked to take them to a location that appears to be an unlikely destination for them, such as a suburban home of an elderly person.
• Being instructed to drive to a residential address and wait for a short time after which your passenger returns carrying a package.
• You fare wants picking up from the station, driving to an address and immediately returning to the station.
• Your passenger collects a package and then asks to be taken to a shopping area where high value and luxury goods retailers are located.
• Your young passenger, who you have collected from the station, seems anxious and nervous.
• Your elderly passenger looks stressed and anxious and is asking to be taken to a bank, or perhaps a specific luxury retailer, in another town some distance away.
• You are asked to collect a package and deliver it to a different address – particularly if the recipient of the package keeps their face covered.

Some fraudsters instruct the victim to visit a particular retailer and make an expensive purchase to “test” whether the retailer is selling counterfeit goods. Or victims are told to visit a foreign exchange bureau to withdraw foreign currency which is then collected by the courier.  

Signs to spot that something isn’t quite right:

With criminals tricking vulnerable people into buying expensive products as part of the scam, take a moment and think about the person in front of you, and whether the reason they say they are buying the item seems genuine: 

• Have they asked for an item without needing to look at it, or ask any questions about it?
• Have they asked for the most expensive watch or item of jewellery, with cost being the only reason for wanting that item?
• Do they seem anxious? Do they just want to get the item and leave as quickly as possible?
• Are they on the phone to someone whilst they buy the items? This is so the criminals can listen to the conversation and make sure the victim says the right things.
• Ask them where they are travelling to, and have they got something special planned for the large amount of cash?

Banks and the police will never:

• Ask you to aid an investigation by withdrawing or transferring money
• Phone and ask you for your PIN, OTP (one time passcode) or full banking password, even by tapping them into your phone keypad.
• Ask you to withdraw money to hand over to them for safe-keeping.
• Ask you to transfer money to a safe account for fraud reasons, even if they say it is in your name.
• Send someone to your home to collect cash, PIN, cards or cheque books or personal items if you are a victim of fraud.
• Ask you to purchase goods using your card and then hand them over for safe-keeping.

If you suspect a call is from a scammer, end it immediately.

If you receive a courier fraud style call and you want to call your bank to check, always phone from another device/phone so that the scammers can’t keep the line open and pretend to be your bank. If you don’t have another telephone to use, call someone you know first to make sure the telephone line is free.

You can also contact 159 if you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details – the advice is Stop, Hang up, and call 159. National call rates apply and will vary according to the phone provider, but it works in the same way as 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS.

If you have handed over any bank account details to the fraudster, call your bank and cancel your cards immediately.

Report any scam calls to Action Fraud.