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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Hilary Osborne

‘There’s a problem at your bank’: UK police raise alarm over courier fraud

A woman with grey hair and wearing a pink long sleeve top and pale blue jean sits crossed legged on a grey sofa at she talks on phone
Courier fraud is when criminals convince you that you are required to hand over money or your debit/credit card for a legitimate reason to someone who will pick it up. Photograph: Prostock-studio/Alamy

You get a call with the bad news that something has gone wrong at your bank. The caller says they are from the police or the bank and that someone will be coming round to pick up your debit card. This courier takesthe card away and uses it, running up thousands of pounds in debt before you realise that something is wrong.

The scam – known as “courier fraud” – is not new, but in recent months there have been warnings about it from police forces around the UK. The Met revealed this week that it had arrested 18 people, and had recovered £250,000 and hundreds of bank cards as part of a two-month crackdown.

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