Truth or Trap - Courier fraud

Truth or Trap is a fraud awareness campaign launched to help  residents recognise and avoid common scams. It focuses on three major types of fraud that cause significant harm in the community: investment fraud, romance scams, and courier fraud. The campaign highlights how scammers use sophisticated tactics to gain trust and manipulate victims, often resulting in substantial financial losses. Through real-life examples and practical advice, the initiative aims to empower people to spot the warning signs and protect themselves and others from falling into these traps

Courier fraud is when a fraudster contacts a victim by telephone pretending to be the police or bank. The caller explains there has been fraudulent activity on the victim’s account or money has been withdrawn in the victim’s name and then ask the victim for their help to investigate and resolve the issue.

The criminals may attempt to encourage the victim to call the bank to ensure the call is genuine, but instead they stay on the line and act as the person’s bank.

The fraudster often sends a courier to the victim’s home to collect money or their bank card and PIN number. On occasion, the criminal will send a taxi to collect the victim and take them to the bank to withdraw a large sum of money which a courier will come and collect later.

Some of the key warning signs to look out for include:

Our advice would be:

For more advice, visit our door-to-door and courier fraud page.