16 scammers arrested over £3.68m fraud bid in Hampshire stopped by bank staff

Bank branch staff have been trained to spot potential scams when targeted fraud victims come in to withdraw cash.

Staff have made 539 calls to Hampshire police since June 2017, when it was agreed that officers would arrive quickly under the brank branch rapid response scheme.

This has led to 16 arrests and £3,687,403.32 being prevented from getting into scammers' hands.

In Britain the total is £100m across 14,462 calls, with 664 arrests made.

Detective Chief Superintendent Clinton Blackburn, head of economic crime at City of London Police, said: ‘The banking protocol demonstrates the opportunity for success which is possible when the police and the private sector work together to protect victims of fraud.

‘We know that you’re more likely to be a victim of fraud than any other type of crime, so there needs to be a whole system change in order to tackle the scourge of fraud, bring perpetrators to justice and reclaim assets for those defrauded.’