'Courier scammers took £11k - they can target anyone'

A woman is urging others to be vigilant after scammers posing as police officers and bank staff drained her bank accounts, taking roughly £11,000 in four hours.

Samantha Bradshaw, 38, believed she was speaking to NatWest's fraud team and Merseyside Police, as part of a scam which included a sham courier picking up her bank cards face-to-face from her home in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

Derbyshire Police said so-called courier fraud incidents were "sadly not unusual" and could target anyone of any age.

"The fact that someone actually came to my home made it terrifying - and when I spoke to the real police, they said to lock your doors," Samantha said

She hopes sharing her story could prevent similar scams from happening to others.

"I felt sick to my stomach, the anxiety was absolutely awful," she said.

Report Fraud, a nationwide service run by City of London Police, describes courier fraud as criminals convincing someone to "hand over money or [bank] cards under false pretences".

Often, these scammers will already know basic details about a victim such as their and address, which they use to gain trust, Report Fraud says.

Samantha said she received a phone call from someone claiming to be from her bank at about 16:00 GMT on 11 October.

"They told me it was NatWest fraud - which is who I bank with - and they said we've arrested two men in Merseyside for duplicating your card," she said.

"I was told that there was a police constable also on the line who wanted to speak with me, if [I was] willing to comply."

Samantha was told in order keep the arrested men in custody, the force would need to collect evidence from her, including her bank cards.

She said she was sceptical at first, but the scammers provided her with a phone number and told her if she searched it online it would come up as Merseyside Police. Samantha said it did.

"I said 'well, you're nowhere near me, how am I supposed to get the bank cards to you' and [the scammer] said 'we actually have courier services in place for this specific reason because these scams are happening all the time'."

She was also provided a bogus but "realistic sounding" crime reference number, and told to confirm her address for the courier.

"I didn't give them any of those details whatsoever, he confirmed everything to me and just said 'is this correct?'," she said. "His script was on point in being convincing."

Following that, a courier turned up at Samantha's home within 10 minutes of agreeing to help.

She then gave the courier a safe word provided by the scammers and passed over her bank cards in an envelope with the fake crime reference number.

The scammers kept Samantha on the phone for a total of four hours, despite collecting her bank cards within the first.

She said the fake NatWest fraud team member rushed through password changes, phone ID changes, and other "security steps", including providing her PIN to "prove the bank cards belonged to her".

Samantha believes she was hurried through many steps so she would not have chance to stop and think about red flags or speak to her family.

It was only later - at about 20:00 - that Samantha's husband, who was working abroad at the time, contacted her by ringing one of their children's phones.

"He goes 'sweetheart, all the money has gone out of the accounts, every last penny we've got has gone, in fact, we're even in the overdraft'," she said.

"As soon as he said that the scammer [on speaker phone] hung up on me and the phone line went dead.

"And I was like 'oh my god, this is just a nightmare. I can't believe what I've done'."

In Samantha's case, she said she was fortunate to have a strong support system around her who could temporarily help with bills in the short-term but she still felt "absolutely mortified" at what had happened.

"I spoke to NatWest and luckily they reimbursed us after four days, but it was probably the worst four days of our lives," she said.

"I couldn't leave the house, I couldn't go to work, I couldn't do the school run, I couldn't function as normal."

She now hopes that by speaking out it will make more people aware of the signs of courier fraud, as well as encourage those affected to report it to the police.

"I want people to know that you're not stupid. I thought I was doing a good thing," she said.

"You think it happens to vulnerable people, to the elderly, but it's not just them."

Det Supt Oliver Little, from City of London Police, said courier fraud represented "serious organised crime" that was "very sophisticated at getting people's confidence".

"What makes these scams quite convincing is when they phone someone to start with, they already seem to know some details about the person," he said.

Little recommended anyone with concerns should always call back on 101 to verify they are talking to the real police.

"And if they say they're calling from the bank, call 159 and you can be sure you're speaking to your bank," he added.

Samantha's specific incident is currently under investigation by Derbyshire Police.

A spokesperson for the force said fraud was a "devastating crime" that could affect "anyone at any time".

"Incidents such as this one are sadly not unusual, and the level of information that scammers are able to gain about individuals can make them seem very plausible," they said.

"Banks and the police will never call you to verify your PIN. They won't ask you to withdraw money or buy or send items on their behalf for investigations. Hang up if you get a call like this."

Listen to BBC Radio Derby on Sounds and follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.