Elderly Portsmouth woman loses thousands of pounds after fraudster pretends to be police officer

The woman in her 70s, of Kimbolton Road, lost £4,500 on Wednesday, September 25 when she became a victim of courier fraud.

She received a call at around 9am from someone claiming to be a police officer in London who was investigating fraudulent transactions with Halifax Building Society. The woman spoke to a number of individuals who all told her she needed to send all the bank notes she had to them so they could fingerprint them. The scam was then completed when a man pretending to be a courier collected the envelope from her address at around 11am.

Police are hoping that someone in the area may have seen the man. A police spokesperson said: “Officers investigating a report of courier fraud in Portsmouth last week are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.

“We would like to speak to anyone who saw a man of the following description in the area, or who has doorbell or dashcam footage which could help with our investigation. The man has been described as:

• Black
• Approximately 5ft 2 inches tall
• Skinny build
• Aged between 20-40
• Short, curly hair
• Wearing very skinny black leather trousers and dark clothing

“It is thought that he left the address on Kimbolton Road in the direction of Hayling Avenue. If you saw this man, or anyone behaving suspiciously on Kimbolton Road, please call us on 101 quoting reference number 44240422914.”

Police advise that information can also be submitted to them via their website. Alternatively, information can also be reported anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting their website.

Alongside appealing for information on the crime detailed above, the Police are also trying to raise awareness of courier crime and ensure the public know how to spot it.

Similar to the case in Portsmouth last week, courier crime involves a victim receiving an unexpected phone call from someone typically pretending to be a police officer, staff member of a local bank, or an employee from an internet or phone provider. The victim is then told their account has been subject to fraudulent activity and ask them to help with their investigation.

The victims are then told to hand over money, or expensive items to a fraudulent courier. The police are urging people not to engage with these calls and to ensure elderly relatives are aware of the scam. They have also released the below reminders:

• Police officers, banks and other organisations such as HMRC will never call people in this way and ask you to withdraw money or disclose personal or financial information. If someone does do this, please hang up – it will be a scam.
• If someone calls claiming to be a police officer, ask for their ID number and police force. Wait at least five minutes before verifying details with the appropriate Force by calling 101 – do not use any number they provide unless you can confirm it as genuine. Ensure the call has disconnected as scammers will often leave the line open or use another phone altogether. A genuine police officer will not mind waiting while you check their identity (it’s a sign that it is a scam if the person becomes pushy or stresses urgency).
• Take a step back from everything and take a few moments to think. Speak to a trusted friend or relative for their opinion before agreeing to anything. The fraudster’s tactic is often to keep the victim busy talking and isolated. They stress that they should not tell anyone else about the call.
• Your bank or the police will never send a courier to your home to collect cash, bank cards, PINs or other valuable goods.
• If you are a friend, relative or carer of someone you think might be vulnerable to this type of scam, please speak to them about this advice. You might be the only person who can stop them from being scammed.

Further information on this type of scam and how to protect yourself can be found on https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/.