Fake police calls and courier fraud: why no officer will ask for your cash or bank card

What's happened

Police forces are warning about callers who pretend to be police officers and talk people into handing over money or bank cards. On 19 October Avon and Somerset Police said it had had multiple reports of fraudsters phoning people while posing as its officers. The callers use "spoofed" numbers that copy a real police number, and the calls may be automated, AI-generated or made by a real person.

The callers may say a suspect has been arrested, that your details turned up in an investigation, or that you're helping with an inquiry. Some give a fake case reference number, and some victims said the callers knew personal details and nicknames that aren't normally public. When some people rang the number back, they were put through to the real police control room, which made the first call seem genuine.

The BBC reported on 13 October that Leicestershire Police was investigating seven reports of courier fraud since 4 September. In some, callers said the victim's account had been hit by fraud or that they were investigating counterfeit money, and persuaded the victim to withdraw a large sum for a "courier" to collect from home. In others, the caller asked for the victim's bank card and PIN to be handed to a courier.

The warning signs

• A request to move money to a "safe account". Avon and Somerset Police says this is a common part of the scam.
• A request to withdraw cash, buy gift cards or hand over your bank card. Fraud protection officer Amy Samoty says the force "will never ask you to move money, transfer funds to a 'safe account'", "withdraw cash, purchase gift cards, hand over bank cards, or disclose banking security information".
• Someone at the door to collect cash or a card. Leicestershire Police says don't hand your card to anyone who turns up claiming to be an officer. Close the door.
• Pressure to act urgently, often backed up with a case reference number that sounds official.

What it could cost: a worked example

This is an illustration, not a real case. Joan, 79, gets a call from a "detective" who says staff at her bank branch are stealing from customers. He asks her to help catch them by withdrawing £2,000 in cash, which a courier collects that afternoon. The next day he says the bank's systems are also compromised, so she moves £5,000 to a "safe account" by bank transfer. A courier then collects her debit card, and she reads out her PIN. £500 is taken from a cash machine.

What Joan can get back depends on how the money went. The £5,000 transfer is covered by the reimbursement rules that began on 7 October 2024. Her bank should normally refund her within five business days, though it can keep an excess of up to £100, so she'd get at least £4,900. The excess can't be applied to vulnerable customers.

Those rules only cover bank transfers. The Payment Systems Regulator says cash, card and cheque payments have their own protections, and cash handed to a stranger is very hard to recover. The £500 taken with her card is an unauthorised payment, but under the Payment Services Regulations a bank can hold a customer liable where they failed, through intent or gross negligence, to keep their card and PIN safe. She should still claim, and complain to the Financial Ombudsman if her bank refuses.

What to do now

1. Hang up if a caller says they're the police or your bank and asks you to move money, withdraw cash or hand over your card.
2. Check from a different phone, or wait. Leicestershire Police says wait five minutes before ringing your bank, because "fraudsters can stay on the line even after you have hung up". To check with the police, call 101, or 999 in an emergency.
3. Never hand your card, PIN or cash to a courier. If someone comes to collect, keep the door closed.
4. If you've paid, call your bank straight away on the number on your card, or call 159 to reach your bank's fraud team.
5. Report it to Report Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
6. Tell older relatives and neighbours. Leicestershire Police says these fraudsters usually target elderly or vulnerable people.

Your questions answered

I rang the number back and got the real police. Doesn't that prove it was them?

No. Avon and Somerset Police says some people who called back were put through to its control room, which made the original call seem genuine. If you do get through to the real police, tell them about the call.

Will a genuine officer mind if I hang up?

No. Avon and Somerset Police says genuine officers won't mind you ending the call so you can check who they are. You can also go to a police station and speak to an officer in person.

Can I get cash back if I handed it to a courier?

It's hard. The bank transfer reimbursement rules don't cover cash, so report it to the police and Report Fraud straight away, and tell your bank.

Sources: West Somerset Free Press: Avon and Somerset Police warning, BBC News: police issue warning after courier fraud reports, Payment Systems Regulator, Payment Services Regulations 2017, regulation 77, Report Fraud