A cautionary advisory has been issued following an incident where an individual posing as a police officer exploited an elderly victim, persuading her to part with a substantial sum of money. The deceitful individual contacted the woman, claiming to be investigating suspicious transactions from her account, as stated by Wiltshire Police. Subsequently, the elderly woman was coerced into withdrawing cash and surrendering it to a man who arrived at her residence in Melksham.
This particular type of fraudulent scheme is commonly referred to as “courier fraud”. Detective Constable Rachel Davies emphasized, “We will never dispatch a courier to your residence to collect cash, bank cards, PINs, or any other valuable possessions.” Despite also divulging her bank card and associated PIN to the scammer, the woman promptly alerted the authorities and her bank, leading to the cancellation of her card before any further funds could be accessed.
Detective Constable Rachel Davies advised individuals who receive suspicious calls purporting to be from law enforcement to terminate the call and dial 101 to authenticate its legitimacy. Any instances of suspected courier fraud should be promptly reported to Action Fraud, the designated platform for collating such complaints on behalf of law enforcement agencies. Furthermore, individuals who have shared their banking information or handed over their card to a supposed courier are urged to immediately contact their bank to invalidate the card.
“It is imperative to bear in mind that neither your bank nor the police will solicit personal details or PINs over the phone,” stressed Detective Constable Rachel Davies. Investigations into the Melksham incident, which occurred on Monday, are currently ongoing.
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For further details:
– Two individuals apprehended following armed police pursuit in Swindon
– Vigilant shoppers detain two suspects after firearm brought into Lidl
For additional resources, visit:
– Wiltshire Police
– Action Fraud
