Lancashire police warn of 'TV Licensing and Barclays' courier fraud after two pensioners targeted
Police are urging people to be cautious after two pensioners in Lancashire were targeted by scammers
Police have issued a warning after two Lancashire pensions were victims of a ‘courier fraud’.
The two women were from Lancaster and Carnforth.
On Thursday, a woman in her 70s reported to police that she had been the victim of a scam.
The woman initially received an email on September 13 from ‘[email protected]’ with a link to input card details.
The woman followed the link, beginning to enter her details before querying the email with TV licensing who confirmed it to be a scam and the woman blocked her card. On September 23, the woman received a text message from someone purporting to be called Bradley, saying he worked for the Financial Conduct Authority.
Over the next few days, the number was in contact with the woman, encouraging her to speak with her bank and unblock her card so payments could be made and criminals could be caught.
The fraudster told her that there were undercover officers in Manchester tracking the suspects down, telling her that he was working closely with the police to catch criminals. A taxi later arrived at the woman’s address, where her bank card was collected.
The woman made a report to police, and enquiries are ongoing. A significant sum has been taken from the woman’s accounts.
On August 28, police also received a report that a man in his 80s had been contacted by a man claiming to be from the Barclays fraud team.
The man convinced the victim that his bank details had been compromised and that urgent action needed to be taken.
They requested that the victim provided them with his bank cards.
The fraudsters then ordered a taxi from the victim’s address. The taxi driver became suspicious when the victim only gave him bank cards and instead of taking them to the requested address, took them to the police station and handed them in.
The victim reported this to police and the bank and thankfully no money had been taken.
A police spokesperson said: “Enquiries into both reports are ongoing, but in the meantime we want to give you a quick refresher on how to protect yourselves and your loved ones from scammers.
“We are aware that those most vulnerable to these scams may not be on social media, and whilst we are using other methods of engaging with local communities too, we need to ask for your help.
“Please take a moment to share these words of advice with your family, friends and neighbours:
“You never know who is on the other end of the line – just because someone knows your full name and address doesn’t mean they are who they say they are.
“Your bank or the police will NEVER call you and ask for personal information, including bank details or pin numbers. They will NEVER offer to pick up bank cards or items from your address.
“If you have any doubts that a phone call is genuine, hang up. Then, either use a different phone or wait 20 minutes before calling the police, Report Fraud or your bank. Sometimes, fraudsters will keep the line open waiting for you to use the phone.
“You can install call blockers or register with a telephone preference service to stop unsolicited calls. Your telephone provider can assist with this.
“If you feel worried or concerned about a call, tell the police or someone you trust.
“If you think you, or someone you know may have been a victim of fraud, you can report it to us on 101 or Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.”