A warning has been issued after an average of £20,000 was lost in scams which target older Brits.
According to official data, a total of £28.7million was lost to courier fraud between April 2023 and March 2024. City of London Police said on Tuesday that people in their 80s were the most likely to be targeted and accounted for 43% of all victims, according to data from Action Fraud. One older victim was scammed of £56,000 this month and the oldest victim was 94 years old, police said.
These types of scams see fraudsters pose as police officers or bank officials and trick people into handing over money, valuables or bank cards to a courier. Targets are usually told there is an issue with their account or a business is operating fraudulently, and their help is required as part of an investigation. City of London Police said the average loss to these scams was around £20,032 on average.
City of London Police say they made five arrests in May following a combined police effort across England and Wales, which received more than 100 referrals in two weeks from 26 forces. Of scams reported, around 63% of victims were women and 37% were men, with around 85% of victims aged between 60 and 90.
Detective Sergeant Victoria O’Keefe, from City of London Police, said: “This is a particularly nasty crime type often resulting in significant psychological harm and financial loss to victims, many of whom are living alone and suffering age-related illness.
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“Led by the City of London Police, this operation was a joint effort by forces across England and Wales to intensify activity and jointly crack down on fraudsters who prey upon elderly people by cold calling landlines and posing as police officers and bank officials. Over a two-week period, we worked with colleagues in the Metropolitan Police and teams across England and Wales to proactively arrest offenders and safeguard vulnerable victims.
“Many elderly people rely on their landline phone to stay connected to the outside world and, for peace of mind, we would recommend protecting loved ones from fraudulent calls by getting a call-blocking device fitted. If you hear that your friend or loved one is being contacted out of the blue by the police or the bank and asked to withdraw money, hand over bank cards or make purchases, report it to the police immediately."
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed
If you think a scammer has got hold of your bank details, contact your bank straight away. You can call the 159 hotline, which will connect you to your bank. Passwords that have been leaked or compromised should be changed immediately.
Make sure you report scams and fraud to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or through the Action Fraud website. If you're in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 164 6000 or on the Advice Direct Scotland website. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
The Government says suspicious emails can be forwarded to report@phishing.gov.uk so they can be investigated by its National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Possible scam texts can also be forwarded for free to 7726 - this will report the message to your mobile phone provider.
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