Frauds

Gloucestershire Constabulary is warning people to be vigilant after elderly people in Gloucester have been targeted by fraudsters purporting to be the police.

Residents with the telephone code 01452 have been receiving calls over the last week from the scammers.

They are telling victims that their bank account has been compromised and the police are investigating. The victims are instructed to withdraw cash and purchase Euros to assist the police investigation.

Police are urging residents in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to remain vigilant following six reports of courier fraud since January – with one woman losing almost £17,000.

This type of fraud typically sees a victim receive an unexpected call from someone who pretends to be a police officer, a staff member from their local bank, or an employee from an Internet or phone provider.

There is a growing appetite among insurers to tackle claims fraud more comprehensively. At the same time, fraudsters are ramping up their strategies and targeting markets beyond the US and UK, posing huge risks to insurers operating globally.

https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/uk/news/claims/growing-appetite-to-eliminate-insurance-fraud-but-challenges-are-evolving-480017.aspx

A Woolwich man has been arrested after a woman in her 50s was conned out of £100,000 in a romance scam.

The 43-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money laundering last Wednesday (February 28) and his phones and a laptop were seized.

“This arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into romance fraud where a woman in her 50s has had more than £100k stolen over a period of around ten years,” said Detective Inspector Marc Milliner from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU).

PEOPLE looking to go to high profile concerts and sports events are being warned not to fall victim to scammers.

West Mercia Police's Economic Crime Unit has warned residents about ticket fraud and how to avoid scams.

It said: "With many high-profile concert tours arriving in the coming months, this will give the fraudster another opportunity to scam the unsuspecting purchaser with “Too good to be true offers”.

He was one of several arrested as Warwickshire Police swooped in a month-long sting.

A 'romance fraudster' allegedly conned £50,000 out of a Warwickshire woman. Police have revealed the results of a month-long sting, dubbed 'Operation Henhouse' against fraud in the county.

It resulted seven arrests and 11 people being interviewed under caution in connection to cases where alleged victims were defrauded out of a total of more than £450,000. One of the alleged victims was a woman in Leamington.

New Lloyds Bank data shows that impersonation scams have risen 13% over the past year.

An impersonation scam is where a fraudster convinces their victim to make a payment, or give personal or financial details, by pretending to be someone else.

Scammers frequently impersonate police officers, bank staff and HMRC, although they may also pretend to be from a large company like Amazon.

Dawn raids by the Serious Fraud Office have led to four arrests in an investigation into a £140m property investment scheme.

SFO director Nick Ephgrave, in his first public speech earlier this month, stated that the SFO has 'already gone through more front doors in the last three months than in the last three years'.

RISING numbers of fraudsters hoodwinking vulnerable residents into parting with cash will see a new campaign rolled out across Barnsley to combat criminals preying on victims.

According to South Yorkshire Police, an older person is a victim of fraud every 40 seconds and the typical targets of so-called ‘courier fraud’ are individuals over the age of 70.

Four men have been charged with theft and fraud offences in south London as a result of an investigation by the local proactive team based in Southwark.

The following men were charged today (Tuesday, 27 February) with conspiracy to dishonestly receive stolen goods (namely mobile telephones) and conspiracy to commit fraud by making a false representation between 28 December 2022 and 26 February 2024: