North Norfolk man tricked into transferring £51,000 by fraudsters

A north Norfolk man was persuaded to part with £51,000 after receiving phone calls pretending to be from a police cyber crime fraud squad.

The victim, who lives in Wells, agreed to transfer the money via both online bank transfers and in a physical cash exchange between July 21-28, 2022.

Following the incident, officers are urging the public to look out for vulnerable neighbours, friends and family who may be tricked by fraudsters.

Courier Fraud happens when a fraudster calls a victim by phone and claims to be a police officer, bank or government department, among other agencies.

A number of techniques will then be used in order to convince the victim to hand over their bank details or cash, which can then be passed on to a courier.

People are reminded that banks and the police will never ask someone to withdraw money or purchase items.

The police or banks will never send a courier to collect money and people should always request photo ID or call the police directly if unsure.

If anyone has received a similar type of telephone call or has any information about the Wells incident, please contact Norfolk Police on 101 quoting ‘Operation Radium’.

Alternatively, people can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100pc anonymously on 0800 555 111.