THINK twice and don’t give out your personal details to someone you don’t know, is the message behind a campaign launched by Surrey Police aimed at vulnerable and elderly people targeted by courier fraud.

The campaign focuses on raising awareness of the scam and the preventative measures which can be put in place to protect yourself, or from someone you care about, from becoming a victim.

Courier fraud involves a telephone call being made by someone often pretending to be in an authoritative position and is one of the more common types of fraud.

They explain there has been an issue with your bank, or that a crime involving your money has taken place, and ask you to call them back on another number.

While you think you’ve hung up they stay on the line and then pretend to be another person who collects personal details such as bank or card details, or requests you to withdraw money. A courier is then sent to collect either money or bank cards.

Courier fraud scammers often use a variety of tactics to appear plausible, such as imitating authorities such as the police, the bank or Trading Standards. They also change what they ask for, such as personal details, your pin number both verbally or by entering it into the keypad, or even asking you to withdraw cash.

Fraudsters use a number of different tactics to prey on vulnerable people. Here are some real examples that have happened across Surrey this year:

• An 83-year-old lady from Warlingham received a call from a woman claiming to be from her bank. She was asked for details on recent transactions and her pin number, and was told a courier would need to be sent to collect her bank card in order for a new one to be delivered. Over just a few days just under £3,000 was taken from her account.

• A 70-year-old man from Gomshall was contacted by a fraudster claiming to be from the Metropolitan police. The fraudster said he was involved in distributing counterfeit money and needed the victim’s help. The victim was asked to withdraw £5,000 which he handed over after meeting the suspects in London, and was then asked to purchase two watches to the value of £17,900, and £4,000 worth of casino chips which he handed over. He was also asked to make a number of cash withdrawals.

• A man in his 80s from Dorking received a phone call from a man pretending to be a police officer who asked the victim to call his bank following fraudulent activity on his account. As the fraudster did not hang up, the line was left open and so when the victim called the bank the fraudster was then able to pretend to be a bank clerk. The victim was asked for his pin number and requested to put his bank cards in an envelope for collection by a courier.

Superintendent Natalie Moloney said: “We have seen a noticeable increase in courier fraud across the county and some of these victims are even being repeatedly targeted by scammers. These fraudsters are particularly despicable as they target elderly and vulnerable people by being extremely convincing, often succeeding in getting their victims to part with thousands of pounds of their hard-earned life savings.

“We have launched this campaign to raise awareness of this scam not only to potential victims but also to their families and friends so they can take steps to protect themselves. The message is clear - never give out personal details to someone you don’t know and avoid becoming the next victim.”

A number of steps can be taken to protect yourself, or someone you care about:

• Don’t give personal details, bank cards, or money to someone you don’t know.

• If you’re asked to call someone back, hang up and wait five minutes before calling back or use a mobile phone.

• Trading Standards can provide sticker packs which can be put on telephones as a reminder not to give out details. Call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06

• trueCall provide hardware that can block unwanted telephone calls including nuisance and scam calls.

• Registering with the Telephone Preference Service can reduce the number of unwanted calls you receive. Registration is completely free. Visit www.tpsonline.org.uk/ or call 0345 070 0707.

• Registering with the Mail Preference Service can reduce the quantity of unsolicited mail you receive. Registration is free of charge. Visit www.mpson

line.org.uk/.

For further advice, visit the website www.Surrey.Police.Uk/Fraud.