Peterborough pensioner loses thousands in 'police officer' scam
A Peterborough pensioner lost thousands of pounds of her life savings after unwittingly handing over a shoebox full of cash to fraudsters in the city.
The woman, aged in her 70s, was contacted by someone claiming to be a detective from Cambridgeshire Police – but in fact was a scam artist.
Now Cambridgeshire Police have warned residents to be aware of the scam – and to make sure vulnerable residents are also aware so they don’t fall for the trick.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Imagine losing thousands of pounds of your savings – money you worked your whole life for – to a fraudster posing as a police officer.
“Sadly, this was the horrifying reality a woman in her 70s, from Peterborough, faced over the weekend after she found herself the victim of a cruel scam
“Enquiry officers spoke to the distressed woman after she went to the police station to report the fraud.
“She explained a man had called her up and claimed to be DC Ryan from the fraud department at Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
“She explained how the man, purporting to be DC Ryan, told her she had been scammed and he was investigating a money laundering offence. He said she needed to withdraw money from her bank as quickly as possible to prevent suspects stealing it, preferably before 1pm.
“The man instructed her to go to two banks and withdraw £10,000. She was only able to withdraw £6,000 in total from both banks. She then returned home, packed the money into a shoebox along with her credit and debit cards and waited for a taxi to collect it.
“I’m sure you’re all aware by this point… there was no DC Ryan, there was no money laundering offence and the taxi was not sent by one of our officers. We will never ask for money, your bank cards or bank details.
“Just because fraud doesn’t bang or bleed, it doesn’t make it less of a crime. It robs people of money they need to live, strips them of their confidence and their independence, it tears families apart and leaves victims feeling embarrassed and ashamed.
“Fraudsters are ruthless and cunning and often target the most vulnerable.”
“Find out more about how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from the scammers and how to report on our dedicated webpage: https://orlo.uk/dDIQL”