Courier scams

The anonymous nature of online scams means that you can easily become a victim without ever physically meeting anyone. However, courier scams often take place face-to-face, in your home.

The scam, typically starts with someone calling to talk about some suspicious activity on your credit card or account. They might ask you to visit your bank to withdraw cash and/or pass a card on to a courier who will call at your home. The caller may also urge you to pass over your PIN or passwords on collection, and then use these details to withdraw cash or commit identity fraud. 

• someone claiming to be from your bank or the police calls you to tell you about a transaction on your account
• they ask you to provide personal information or even your PIN to prove your identity
• they may even give you a number to call them back, so you can be sure they’re genuine (be wary if this happens as they may remain on the line – as a precaution you could call them using another phone or call a friend first to make sure the line is clear)
• to save you the trouble of having to go to your bank or police station, they arrange a courier to collect the card.

• never give your security details to someone over the phone. Your bank or the police will never ask you to verify your PIN or collect your cards, hang up if you get a call like this
• if you want to call your bank back to check, wait five minutes or use a different line; scammers may stay on the line, even after you hang up
• never let anyone take your debit or credit card away. If your card is cancelled for any reason, you should destroy it.