A man has been arrested in connection with a courier fraud case targeting an elderly lady who reportedly lost more than £4,000 in the incident.
The victim, a lady in her 90s from Swindon, received a phone call on July 17th from an individual claiming to be a police officer. The caller informed her that they were conducting an investigation into a former bank employee, alleging that the employee had deposited a significant sum of money, specifically £4,000, into the victim’s bank account.
The fraudster instructed the elderly lady to transfer the money, promising that she would receive gold bullion the following day as a reward.
Unaware of the elaborate scam, the woman complied with the caller’s demands. On July 20th, she received another phone call, indicating that someone would come to her home that morning to collect the promised gold.
Police officers from the Burglary Unit, were alerted to the scam, rushing to the woman’s address where they managed to intervene during the exchange and subsequently arrested a 23-year-old man from London on suspicion of fraud by false representation.
The suspect was taken into custody and questioned, and later released on bail as investigations continue.
Detective Sergeant Ted Roe warned the public about the danger of courier fraud schemes, emphasising the convincing tactics employed by scammers who often impersonate trustworthy officials from reputable organisations “it would appear that an elderly lady has been targeted in this latest example of courier fraud.
“Those involved in these types of scams are often extremely convincing and will pose as trusted officials from reputable organisations so they can gain a vulnerable person’s trust.
“In this case, our officers acted swiftly and were able to intercept the exchange of gold and make an arrest. Our enquiries are continuing.
Victims of courier fraud are encouraged to report incidents promptly to Action Fraud or their respective banks to prevent further harm and aid in the investigation of these fraudulent activities.
