Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
10:36 24/08/2021
Gloucestershire Constabulary is warning residents to be vigilant following a number of courier fraud incidents targeting residents in Gloucester yesterday, Monday 23 August.
At least five reports were made about a police officer claiming to be from Bearlands Police Station, who told victims that their bank card had been used fraudulently at Sainsbury’s on St Ann Way and they needed to provide details to protect their account.
Courier Fraud sees criminals, posing as police officers, call victims and ask them to help a “covert operation” by withdrawing cash, purchasing foreign currency, jewellery, or other items, which the fraudsters say is needed for their “investigation”. The fraudsters will tell the victim that their involvement must be kept secret.
A fake “police courier” is then sent to the victims home to collect the items and the fraudsters tell the victim that the funds will be credited back into their bank account, but this does not happen.
Victims are often asked to return to the bank and withdraw more cash, with the scam going on for days at a time.
The police will never ask you to provide bank details, obtain cash, or items to be collected and anyone who believes that they have been the victim of a fraudulent phone call can report this by calling police on 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is free and can help reduce the number of nuisance and scam calls you receive. To register, please visit: https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/register
More advice to help stop you from becoming a victim of fraud is below: