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Telephone Fraud – Be Aware

Devon and Cornwall police are urging people to be phone aware and to spread the message about telephone frauds in which scammers persuade people to reveal their bank and PIN details or to hand over cash or bank cards. The warning comes after an elderly lady in Devon was persuaded to withdraw £6,000 from her bank account and handed it over to a ‘courier.’

According to the police this type of fraud targets the elderly and vulnerable and is becoming increasingly prevalent. Those with elderly relatives should therefore take steps to ensure that they are able to spot and avoid this type of fraud. More information is available on the Devon and Cornwall police website which also includes some handy downloadable leaflets.

The key messages from the website are:

- Don’t reveal your bank or PIN details over the phone – your bank and the police would never ask you to do so
- Don’t hand money or cards over to a courier or taxi no matter how persuasive the phone call seems to be

Without prying too much, it may also be worth talking to elderly relatives about the amount of money which they have in an instant access bank account or savings account. The more ‘instantly available’ cash they have, the more they stand to lose if they fall prey to the fraudsters persuasive manner. Locking funds away in notice accounts or in other forms of investments such as ISAs can help to reduce potential losses should the scammers come calling.