POLICE are urging the public to stay alert to courier fraud.

In courier fraud scams, criminals will phone their victim claiming to be figures of authority – including police officers and bank officials. They then con the victim into revealing their credit or debit card details.

An example of this type of fraud is a scammer calling a target, claiming to be from a law enforcement agency. They will then tell the victim some worrying news such as a fraudulent payment has been spotted on their card or that someone has been arrested using their card details.

Fraud Protect Officer, Charlotte Platts said: “Sadly the typical targets of courier fraud are the elderly. This not only can result in the loss of significant amounts of money but also have a real impact on the victim’s health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more people impacted by this scam in South Yorkshire. We are sharing advice on spotting the signs of courier fraud. If you have an elderly family member, please share these tips with them and keep an eye out for any signs that suggest they are a victim of courier fraud.”

Protecting yourself from Courier Fraud:

The police or your bank will never call you to ask you to verify your financial details by phone. Hang up if you get a call like this.

If you do get a call and need to call your bank back to check, wait five minutes. Fraudsters have been known to stay on the line after you hang up so when you ring your bank back you are connected back to the scammers.

Don’t let a stranger take your bank card from you. You should only ever have to hand it over at your bank.

To ensure that you are wise to courier fraud, police are encouraging people in South Yorkshire to bank safely. Safe online banking means:

Never give out your PIN number over the phone – a bank will never ask for your PIN in this way

Remember, just because someone knows your name and phone number, does not mean they are calling from a bank or other trusted source. The person you’re talking to may sound trustworthy, but it doesn’t mean they are

If something doesn’t sound or feel right, hang up and call your bank on a trusted number, not a number you have been given over the phone, or go in store to check whether the call was legitimate

Know that a real bank or the police will never pick up your bank card, cash, or other valuables by courier. If the caller you are speaking to is trying to arrange this, it is a scam

If you are a victim of fraud please report it to Action Fraud, either online via: https://orlo.uk/oTzEP