Avon and Somerset Police are asking jewellers, taxi and private vehicle hire drivers, for help with tackling so-called courier fraud.
Courier fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts someone by phone purporting to be a trusted official, such as a police officer, bank official or fraud investigator, using sophisticated technology to make the call seem genuine.
Once trust is established, they present a scenario. For example, a jeweller or currency exchange is operating fraudulently and the fraudster says they require assistance to help secure evidence. Police say criminals are experts at making people believe they are aiding an investigation.
In one type of fraud, people are coerced into buying high-value gold and jewellery, then hand the items over to criminal couriers posing as trusted officials.
Data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau shows that 1800 reports of courier fraud were received in the last financial year, with an average loss to each person of £12,000. In Avon and Somerset, 37 courier fraud reports were received in this period, with an average loss per victim of over £16,000.
Police are urging jewellers to remain vigilant for red flags such as nervous buyers making unusually large purchases under pressure or citing unknown third parties and to report any suspicious transactions. They’re also asking taxi and private hire drivers to be aware and report journeys that don’t look or feel right.
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