Courier fraud appeal, Louth

We are appealing for information after a man, aged in his 80s, fell victim to courier fraudsters in Louth. 

A man, aged in his 80s, was contacted on 20 December by a criminal purporting to be an officer from Lincolnshire Police. The victim was persuaded that his credit card was being used fraudulently and that he should withdraw a significant amount of cash to be collected from his home.

We are asking people to contact us is they saw, or captured on dash cam or CCTV, any suspicious activity, vehicles or individuals on Kenwick Close and Kenwick Road in Louth between the times of 5.15 pm and 6 pm on 20 December.  

Please call 101, with incident reference number 368 of 20 December if you can help. Alternatively, you can email on [email protected]

We are also once again circulating advice and information on courier fraud and asking the public to share this with their friends, family, and neighbours to prevent more people from falling victim to courier fraud. As reported yesterday, we had eleven reports of unsuccessful attempted fraud in the Horncastle and Louth area.

What is courier fraud

Courier fraud happens when criminals cold call victims purporting to be a police officer or bank official, convincing them to hand over their cash, bank cards or any other high-value items to a courier that’s been sent to their home.

Fraudsters will often suggest some money has been removed from the victim’s account and that the staff from their local bank are being investigated. They may also suggest that an individual known to the victim has been arrested but the “police officers” need money for evidence.

Another tactic being used by criminals is to instruct the unsuspecting victim to purchase high-value items such as jewellery or gold. If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately.

Stay safe from courier fraud

Your bank or the police will never ask you for your PIN, bank card, or any other financial details. They will also never ask you to withdraw money or to buy items on their behalf to be picked up by a courier.

There are call blocking services available that can help screen out unwanted calls. If you receive an unexpected call, hang up and use another phone to call back and confirm the identity on a number you can verify yourself, not one given by the caller. Ask yourself, “how do I know they are who they say they are?”.

Report it

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately. You can also report this to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

For further crime advice, visit our Fraud page on the website or visit Action Fraud.