Residents in Berkshire have been warned about a telephone scam after an 83-year-old woman was defrauded out of almost £30,000 recently.

The son of a victim of courier fraud is urging carers, family and friends of vulnerable people to be on their guard to help prevent their loved ones being exploited by fraudsters.

The incident happened in August 2021, when Brian’s 83-year-old mother was called on her landline from a man claiming to be a police officer.

The caller said a man, claiming to be her nephew, had been arrested in possession of her debit card and £1,400 had been spent.

During subsequent phone calls, Brian’s mother was deceived into believing she had spoken to her bank and several detectives.

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Police said the suspect convinced Brian’s mother that her bank was involved in counterfeit bank notes and the police needed her to assist them by working undercover.

She was sworn to secrecy and instructed to visit her bank and tell them she needed to withdraw £4,250 to assist her son. She was told to put the cash, her driving licence and her bank card in an envelope and was given a security password to be used by the courier, upon collection.

A fake “courier” arrived and after saying the agreed password, Brian’s mother gave them the envelope. Over the next few days, the fraudster phoned Brian’s mother and instructed her to move money from her savings account to her current account. Numerous fraudulent transactions were subsequently made totalling £29,788.

Brian said: “As soon as she told me what had been going on, I knew it was fraud. These scams completely undermine people’s confidence. My mother, who is very resilient, now questions everyone she speaks to because it has eaten away at her trust and confidence in people.

“I would urge everyone to trust their own good sense and intuition. If anyone is pressing you for urgency and secrecy, like they did with my mother, that should ring alarm bells. If it is genuine, it can wait.”

Detective Inspector Duncan Wynn, head of Thames Valley Police’s Central Fraud Unit, said:

“Courier fraud can be a particularly callous crime and is often specifically targeted at older people, by exploiting their trust in the police and their bank in order to steal from them. Courier fraudsters are nearly always part of broader, sophisticated criminal gangs.

“Thames Valley Police is increasing investigative activity in response to those committing these offences in order to disrupt their activity, prevent them targeting victims, and to bring them before the courts, and ultimately send them to prison.