Norfolk Police shares courier fraud warning after residents in Breckland among those targeted this week

Courier fraud criminals who claim to be police officers have been targeting residents in Norfolk this week.

Norfolk Police has warned that it has seen a rise in reports from members of the public stating that they have received calls from people claiming to be police officers.

Multiple victims in Norfolk, including Breckland, have received telephone calls from a man claiming to be a detective.

The caller has told them that their bank cards have been cloned and money has been taken in an attempt to gain their banking information. All attempts were unsuccessful.

Courier fraud happens when a fraudster contacts a victim by telephone claiming to be a police officer or from a bank or government department, among other agencies.

A number of techniques will then be adopted in order to convince the victim to hand over their bank details or cash, which may then be passed on to a courier.

Norfolk Police is reminding residents that the police or your bank would never ask you to withdraw money or purchase items.

Officers have provided the following advice:

- Never give out personal information about your bank account to anybody over the phone. Police and banks will never ask you to give out personal details such as account numbers or PIN numbers.

- If someone calls claiming to be a police officer, ask for their identification number and police force. Hang up and call 101 using a different phone. If you can't use a different phone, wait at least five minutes before calling back. A genuine police officer will not mind waiting while you check.

- Fraudsters will keep the line open and have been known to play ringtones, hold music and a recorded message down the phone so the victim believes they are making a call to a legitimate number. Ensure you can hear a dialling tone before calling police or use a friend or neighbour's telephone instead.

- If you have given out information which could compromise your bank account security in any way, call your bank to cancel your cards as soon as possible.

- Never hand over money to someone at the door to be sent off elsewhere.

“It is important that we are checking in on our vulnerable friends and family to ensure they are aware of how these scams may operate and how best to protect themselves,” a police spokesperson added.

If anyone has received a similar type of telephone call or has any information about these incidents, contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting ‘Operation Radium’.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

For further advice, head to the Action Fraud website at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Do you have a story for the Lynn News? Email newsdesk@lynnnews.co.uk