More than 1,000 people a year are falling victim to a telephone “courier fraud” that is raking in millions of pounds for organised crime gangs.
Fraudsters claiming to be from the police, bank or Serious Fraud Office tell targets their account has been compromised and their card must be replaced — but to hang up and phone back, often on a genuine number, to show that the call is genuine.
The victim dials the number but the criminal has not disconnected so the prey is unwittingly still talking to the fraud gang, who then convince the target to type in their PIN.
The gangster, who can tell which keys were pressed, sends a courier to collect the victim’s card — which is delivered to a confederate and used, with the PIN, to empty the account.
Scotland Yard today said the scam has robbed 2,229 victims of at least £2.5 million over the last two years. Officers have arrested 130 suspected courier fraudsters and charged 93 since January 2011.
They include two Camden brothers jailed for fleecing 218 elderly people out of almost £250,000. One lost £155,000 in a single con.
Unemployed Mohammed Miah, 26, was jailed for four years by Blackfriars crown court in January after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud. His jobless brother Shilu Miah, 31, denied the charge but was found guilty and sentenced to six years.
