Three more reports of courier fraud in Horncastle

Three elderly residents have been targeted by courier fraudsters in the Horncastle area, and police are urging the public to spread the word about courier fraud.
Lincolnshire Police.Lincolnshire Police.
Lincolnshire Police.

In one of the reports, a woman in her 90s was contacted on Friday (January 20) by someone claiming to be ‘DC Ryan Gosling from Lincolnshire Police’.

The alleged officer asked for the victim’s personal details and urged the victim to dial 999 during the call so his identity could be confirmed – but the offender stayed on the line.

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While still connected to the fraudster, the victim dialled 999 and a second individual claiming to be a Lincolnshire Police call taker confirmed the identity.

The alleged officer then instructed the victim to withdraw foreign currency from a bureau de change as it was believed to be counterfeit, to put the cash in an envelope and was given a password to mention to the courier attending her address.

Later that afternoon, a male attended the victim’s address and collected the cash from her. It’s believed the same fraudster contacted the victim again on Saturday (January 21) and instructed her to take more cash out to help with an investigation into her bank. A female later attended the victim’s address and collected the cash.

A woman in her 80s also received a similar call from someone claiming to be ‘PC 9139 Ryan Gosling from Lincolnshire Police’, informing her that her bank card had been cloned.

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Thankfully, the victim recognised that this was a scam and has since contacted her bank since the incident.

In another report, a man in his 80s was contacted by an unknown male who mentioned they had suspects in custody who they believe stole money from his account. It’s believed no money was lost during this incident.

Lincolnshire Police are now sharing this advice to help prevent others from falling victim to this type of fraud.

The police and your bank will never ask for your PIN, bank card, or ask you to withdraw cash or buy items like gold bullion, jewellery, or any other high value goods on their behalf.

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They will also never ask you to verify your personal details or PIN by phone or offer to pick up cash or your bank card by courier.

If you receive an unexpected call, hang up immediately. Make sure your call is fully disconnected before you verify the caller’s identity on a number you can verify yourself, not one given by the caller.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately. For more crime advice, visit our Fraud advice page on the website or Action Fraud.