Elderly couple conned out of £4,000 as police give fraud warning

A couple in their 70s from Warboys were conned out of almost £4,000 in September after fraudsters targeted them in a sophisticated courier fraud scam

Police are now urging residents to be aware and look out for elderly or vulnerable friends and neighbours.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “The con artists behind these crimes engage their victims over the phone at first, claiming to be from the police or bank. They concoct a story about needing help with an investigation, for example, they might say they are investigating fraudulent activity on your account or an individual who has access to your bank details.

“They ask victims to disclose their card details and pin number or withdraw cash ready for someone to collect to help with the investigation.

“Remember, we will never call you up to request or collect bank details, cards or cash.”

Police also gave advice to residents if they think that they are being targeted by fraudsters.They said: “Stop – end the call and process the information. Make sure the line is clear and call us on 101 so we can verify if the person you spoke to was a genuine officer

“Protect – call your bank immediately if you think you have been scammed so they can freeze your account to prevent further loss

“Alert – report the incident to police.”

More advice on how to avoid becoming the victim of scams and frauds is available on the Police website at www.cambs.police.uk