A man has been arrested on suspicion of fraud after a pensioner was asked to withdraw £7,450 from his bank account by a fake police officer.
An 83-year-old man received a call on Christmas Eve last year from an unknown number impersonating on officer at a Doncaster station.
He was asked to assist with an “undercover operation” into a local bank by withdrawing the money – which he did – and to then pass it on to a courier.
Following an investigation by South Yorkshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, a 23-year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of fraud.
He has been bailed amid further enquiries.
Courier fraud specifically relates to phone calls from individuals purporting to be from the police, a bank, or other official organisation, and asking them to withdraw money to a courier for evidence into an supposed investigation.
According to the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU), more than £28.7 was lost as a result of courier fraud in 2023 – with those aged over 80 most likely to be victims of the crime.
South Yorkshire Police advise that no genuine police force or bank would call to ask financial details over the phone.
Similarly, if someone believes they have received a call from a courier fraudster, they advise only calling a bank via a trusted number – to avoid being caught out by scammers staying on the line and being reconnected to them.
Action Fraud is the UK’s national fraud reporting service and can be contacted on 0300 123 2040.