Dear residents,

Lancashire has started to see an increase in the number of courier fraud incidents. Courier fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victims via telephone purporting to be a police officer of bank official. The aim of this is to defraud people out of their money.

To help ensure that you do not fall victim to courier fraud, our advice is below;

·  Consider who is on the other end of the line – DO NOT assume a phone call is authentic just because someone knows your name and address.

 

·  Your bank or the police WILLNEVER call you asking for personal details, such as your card/PIN details, or offer to pick up cards or items from your address.

 

·  Consider registering with a Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to stop unsolicited/marketing calls getting through to you.

 

·  If you are in the slightest doubt regarding the authenticity of a phone call, HANG UP, and then either use a different phone or wait 20 minutes before calling your bank, Action Fraud or the police. This is because fraudsters often leave the line open, waiting for you to reuse your phone.

 

·  Install a call blocker – this can be done through phone companies/phone applications.

 

·  If you feel worried or concerned about a call, tell someone you trust about it.

 

·  If you receive a suspect call or fall victim to this type of criminality, contact the police on 101 or 999 in an emergency (in the case of a crime in action) and Action Fraud online or via 0300 123 2040.

Kind regards,