Surge in courier fraud scams, police say

There has been a rise in the number of elderly and vulnerable residents being targeted by scammers in Rugby, Warwickshire Police has said.

In many cases, the force said criminals had been posing as police officers claiming that residents' bank accounts had been compromised in a bid to gain their bank cards and PINs.

While typically there had been one or two such cases a week across the county, police said there were three reported in Rugby alone just last week.

Cybercrime and Fraud Coordinator James Squire said reports were coming from clusters of roads and he believed criminals were using marketing lists and targeting people born before 1960.

"Over the years I've had former architects, nurses and successful business people break down in tears in front of me because of these scammers," he said.

"We struggle to have warnings about this taken on board because people think, 'I'd never fall for that' and dismiss it.

"Fraudsters are skilled manipulators and they rely on creating a feeling of urgency, fear and panic.

"We really want everyone reading this to have that conversation with the older and vulnerable people in their lives."

Squire said police officers would never call and ask for bank details - and advised victims to hang up and dial 101 or 159 if anyone claimed to be calling from a bank.

He said: "The impact of these scams is horrendous. It's not just financial. They destroy people's sense of self-worth and confidence.

"Victims feel unsafe and panic every time the phone rings and, particularly for someone who is older, it can shake their sense of independence.

"No one calling from the police would ever have an issue with that - they would even encourage it if the person felt unsure."

Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.