Scam alert as Broxtowe pensioner duped into handing over £17k Rolex watch

It is among a number of “courier fraud” scams which have seen fraudsters impersonate police officers to con Nottinghamshire residents in recent weeks.

They convince the victim they are assisting the police or bank in their inquiries and need to withdraw large amounts of cash and/or purchase foreign currency or expensive jewellery, such as Rolex watches.

The fraudsters then arrange a password with the victim before sending a courier – part of the criminal group – to collect the cash, bank card and PIN, or jewellery.

Nottinghamshire Police have received 18 reports of such frauds since October 18, with five victims losing money or expensive jewellery.

In one incident, a fake police officer manipulated a Broxtowe pensioner into buying and handing over a £17,000 Rolex watch.

The victim was contacted by someone purporting to be a police officer, who claimed someone had been arrested trying to make a purchase on her card.

She was given a number to call and the name of a bank employee she needed to speak to, but that person was also a fraudster.

After gaining the elderly woman’s trust, the fraudster told her she needed to purchase a £17,000-£20,000 Rolex from a Nottingham jewellers to assist with the investigation.

The woman did as she was told and the watch was later collected by a courier.

In other incidents, victims were persuaded to withdraw large sums of money as part of a covert police operation.

The victims were told their bank was suspected of distributing counterfeit bank notes and officers needed them to withdraw cash, so the notes could be checked.

Three victims lost £8,000, while a fourth lost £6,000.

Dale Richardson, a force fraud protect officer, said: “Fraudsters can be incredibly deceptive in their methods, but there are plenty of ways in which you can protect yourself against them.

“Never give any personal details, your bank card or PIN. If you suspect a fraudulent call, hang up the phone and wait five minutes, then call 101. Never use redial.”

Fraud prevention advice includes:

Neither police nor bank officials will ever ask you to withdraw money from your account, purchase anything or hand over your personal details or passwords; If you believe you are being targeted by a scammer hang up the phone and use a different phone line to call Action Fraud or the police, as scammers have a way to stay on the line and will pretend to be the police when you call back; If you don’t have access to a different phone line, wait for a period of time and try calling a family member or friend first to make sure the scammer is no longer on the line; Just because someone knows basic details about you, like your address or date of birth, does not mean they are genuine bank or police employees; Always question suspicious phone calls and report them to Action Fraud or the police; Tell relatives or people who you think could be vulnerable about the scam; Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed about being defrauded, it can and does happen to anyone.

Anyone who has been defrauded is asked to call police on 101, or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.