A call from a ‘police officer’ claiming they needed to check the serial numbers on bank notes led to a resident losing £4,700.

Herts Police have issued a warning to residents in the county after a spate of fraud since the start of October that saw victims lose out on tens of thousands as bogus cops asked them to hand over bank cards or cash to couriers.

Another Watford resident targeted lost £1,870 after a caller asked them to hand bank cards to a courier.

A resident in Kings Langley was also contacted, but reported no loses.

Detective Inspector Kitty Jackson said: “These kinds of scams usually involve the victim receiving a telephone call, either from a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer or bank official and informing them of fraudulent activity on their account.

“The victims are then instructed to withdraw cash, purchase high value items or place their bank cards and PINs in an envelope.

“These might then be collected by legitimate couriers or taxis which have been arranged by the fraudsters or by the fraudsters themselves pretending to be couriers.

“The bank cards are later used by the fraudsters to purchase high value items or withdraw cash.

“Usually, the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their personal and bank details.

“However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent, which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds.”

Elsewhere in Hertfordshire, a Harpenden resident handed over £40k to a courier and another lost £45k to someone claiming to be from John Lewis’ credit card team during the same period.

Two Hemel Hempstead residents lost £10,000 and £5,000 respectively to the ‘police’ scams.

Real police officers advise anyone receiving a call they are not expecting to be suspicious. They reminded residents that banks and police would never ask for account details or PIN over the phone, would never ask people to withdraw money or purchase high value items, and would never ask people to send bank cards or property to them.

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