Scammers are posing as police officers to trick victims into handing over vast sums of money.

These callous criminals are targeting the elderly and vulnerable for their nefarious gains and victims are often in their 80s and 90s, reports.

Courier fraud sees criminals pose as police officers and convince victims that they are part of a non-existent undercover police operation.

The fraudsters contact people, usually by phone and claim to be from the police, or in some cases a fraud team within that person’s bank.

The criminal then claims to be investigating a fraud at a local bank branch where fake bank notes are issued, with staff suspected of being involved.

The crooks mainly target elderly people

The victim is asked to help support police with an operation by visiting the branch and withdrawing a substantial sum of the supposedly counterfeit cash to hand over for supposed analysis.

In the majority of cases the suspect is asked to withdraw between £3,000 and £7,000.

In the past 15 weeks people targeted in London have lost approximately £750,000.



As a result, despite being questioned by the bank staff, the victim takes out the cash, convinced that the staff is part of a fraud.


The victim is assured that the money will be deposited back into their account after the operation is complete. However, once the money is handed over, the fraudster disappears with the cash.

In another version of the scam, the criminal convinces the victim to transfer money to a so-called safe account to protect their funds from the “corrupt” bank staff. However, the account is in fact controlled by the criminal.

Public never asked to take part in anti-fraud operations to transfer cash

Scotland Yard say police and banks never ask members of the public to partake in an anti-fraud operation or to transfer money to a safe account.

It asks the public to be wary of any calls, texts or emails purporting to be from the police asking for personal or financial details, or to transfer money.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Miles of the Met’s Fraud and Linked Crime Online (FALCON) unit, said: “This is a particularly despicable deception targeting elderly and vulnerable people, preying on their trust of authority figures.

“The fraudsters lack any moral compass or conscience and are expert in manipulating people to give up confidential information.

“If you or someone you know is contacted by an individual claiming to be police or the local bank and asks you to help with an anti-fraud operation, hang up and either contact your bank directly or call 999.”

If you are the victim of this type of fraud or have receives suspicious calls, contact police or report it via Action Fraud.