Older people living in London are at risk of becoming victims of courier fraud crimes

Local London police are warning that older people are at risk of losing their life savings to organised criminal fraud groups who use courier services to trick people into giving away their bank card and PIN details.

Wednesday 20 March marked Courier Fraud Awareness Day, and police and campaigners spent the day raising awareness of the techniques fraudsters use to make older people give away personal information.

The MPS lead on organised crime, Commander Steve Rodhouse, said: "Courier fraudsters put a huge amount of time and effort into being convincing because for them the pay-off is immense. This is a massive part of what makes them so successful.”

Thousands of potentially vulnerable older people, who are remaining independent in their own homes in London often by using home care services, were reached by Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT’s) and the Metropolitan Police Service on Wednesday.

They delivered flyers, gave presentations and made follow up visits to victims and potential victims such as older people living on their own.

The average age of a victim of this crime in London last year was 70, and the oldest victim was 110.

The MPS visited every borough in London to highlight crime prevention measures against the scam which has impacted the lives of 2,229, mainly older, people in two years.

Mr Rodhouse continued: “We want people to question even truly genuine sounding calls and, most importantly, remember police and banks will never ask for your PIN or bank card, so you should never give these away.”

Michelle Mitchell, charity director general at Age UK said: “Anyone can be taken in by fraudsters so people shouldn’t be embarrassed to report a crime. If you feel you are or have been a victim speak to the police, a family member or friend.”

“Age UK have produced two free information guides ‘Avoiding Scams’ and ‘Staying Safe’ which provide practical steps to ensure older people are able to protect themselves against this type of crime in their home and on their doorstep.”

Safety Neighbourhood Teams and Operation Sterling, the MPS fraud prevention team leading the awareness day, pledged to attend the Dementia Action Alliance quarterly meeting, to share their message with its 230 member organisations.

The scam works by the suspect telephoning a victim claiming to be from an authority such as the police or bank, claiming that their bank account security has been compromised and telling the victim they must give them their bank card.

The scam artists further convince the person by suggesting they phone their own bank to make sure it is a genuine claim. However, by staying on the line, the fraudster can pretend to be from their bank and further persuade the victim that they should give away personal detail about their bank details, and the card itself.

A taxi or courier service is used to collect the card from the victim, often without their knowledge, who then delivers the card to another suspect who uses the PIN they have received with the card to withdraw money from the account of the victim.

The Metropolitan Police have offered advice to older people in London about this kind of crime, by reminding the public that police and banks will never ask for a PIN or bank card, and if they do, people should hang up immediately and use a different line to contact the police on 101.

Andrew Pickup, Optalis’ Managing Director commented on the importance of protecting vulnerable people within the community, saying: “Any attempt to take advantage of vulnerable people represents a real low for society and it frankly sickens me.

"Communities should be vigilant and people should know that they can contact their local authority for help; in short, safeguarding vulnerable adults is everybody’s business.

"Local authorities have a statutory duty to investigate and take action if they receive allegations that a vulnerable person is at risk of harm, but the first and most important step is for everyone to be alert and to not accept such behaviour, but to know how to go about seeking help."

The police are also appealing to courier services throughout London to be vigilant to this kind of crime happening and to report any suspicious behaviour.

Mr Rodhouse said: "We are also urging courier and cab firms to be alert to anyone who may be using them to carry out this fraud. If you are asked to collect a package that you believe could be a bank card, do not make the delivery but call police immediately. You could prevent someone from being a victim of this terrible crime, and also stop yourself from being implicated."

To find out more about how Age UK can help, call 0800 169 6565, visit www.ageuk.org.uk or speak to your local Age UK.