Latest news with #vulnerable
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘There's a problem at your bank': UK police raise alarm over courier fraud
You get a call with the bad news that something has gone wrong at your bank. The caller says they are from the police or the bank and that someone will be coming round to pick up your debit card. This courier takesthe card away and uses it, running up thousands of pounds in debt before you realise that something is wrong. The scam – known as 'courier fraud' – is not new, but in recent months there have been warnings about it from police forces around the UK. The Met revealed this week that it had arrested 18 people, and had recovered £250,000 and hundreds of bank cards as part of a two-month crackdown. The London force said criminals often targeted vulnerable members of the public, particularly older people, with 80% of victims aged over 65. The oldest victim the Met knows of was 101. In March, a man was jailed for a courier fraud, in which an 80-year-old woman was tricked into handing over her bank cards and pin numbers, and buying gold bars and giving them to scammers for safekeeping. In total more than £600,000 was stolen. There is a phone call from someone saying they are from the police or the bank and that they are investigating a problem with your account or your bank. They say they need you to take steps to protect your money and/or ask you to help them investigate. Sometimes they ask you to withdraw cash and give it to them for safekeeping, or for them to analyse – in one version of the scam they say someone at the bank is acting fraudulently and they will use the notes to investigate. Often they ask you to hand over your bank card. Once you have agreed you are either asked to put the cash or card in the post, or told someone would be coming round to your home to collect it. You will be put under some pressure to act quickly. In one case this year, the fraudster told his victim he was calling from Scotland Yard's Action Fraud team and that the card was needed because the police wanted to check it for fingerprints to make an arrest. The victim was told if she did not comply she would be arrested. When the courier turns up they will often pretend to be from the police. Your debit and/or credit card or cash, or sometimes victims are asked to buy gold or other assets to give to the criminals to 'look after'. Be very wary of unexpected phone calls from your bank or the police, particularly if the person on the other end of the line asks for personal or financial information. If you are worried, end the call and contact your bank or the police on a different phone – use the number on your bank card or call 101 in the UK for police. If you only have one phone, wait at least a minute before calling as scammers have been known to keep the line open and take the call. If there is no dial tone before an answer, hang up. Never hand over your money, bank cards or make purchases after an unexpected call, and never share your pin. If you have handed over your card, contact your bank immediately to cancel it. Sign in to access your portfolio
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
‘There's a problem at your bank': UK police raise alarm over courier fraud
You get a call with the bad news that something has gone wrong at your bank. The caller says they are from the police or the bank and that someone will be coming round to pick up your debit card. This courier takesthe card away and uses it, running up thousands of pounds in debt before you realise that something is wrong. The scam – known as 'courier fraud' – is not new, but in recent months there have been warnings about it from police forces around the UK. The Met revealed this week that it had arrested 18 people, and had recovered £250,000 and hundreds of bank cards as part of a two-month crackdown. The London force said criminals often targeted vulnerable members of the public, particularly older people, with 80% of victims aged over 65. The oldest victim the Met knows of was 101. In March, a man was jailed for a courier fraud, in which an 80-year-old woman was tricked into handing over her bank cards and pin numbers, and buying gold bars and giving them to scammers for safekeeping. In total more than £600,000 was stolen. There is a phone call from someone saying they are from the police or the bank and that they are investigating a problem with your account or your bank. They say they need you to take steps to protect your money and/or ask you to help them investigate. Sometimes they ask you to withdraw cash and give it to them for safekeeping, or for them to analyse – in one version of the scam they say someone at the bank is acting fraudulently and they will use the notes to investigate. Often they ask you to hand over your bank card. Once you have agreed you are either asked to put the cash or card in the post, or told someone would be coming round to your home to collect it. You will be put under some pressure to act quickly. In one case this year, the fraudster told his victim he was calling from Scotland Yard's Action Fraud team and that the card was needed because the police wanted to check it for fingerprints to make an arrest. The victim was told if she did not comply she would be arrested. When the courier turns up they will often pretend to be from the police. Your debit and/or credit card or cash, or sometimes victims are asked to buy gold or other assets to give to the criminals to 'look after'. Be very wary of unexpected phone calls from your bank or the police, particularly if the person on the other end of the line asks for personal or financial information. If you are worried, end the call and contact your bank or the police on a different phone – use the number on your bank card or call 101 in the UK for police. If you only have one phone, wait at least a minute before calling as scammers have been known to keep the line open and take the call. If there is no dial tone before an answer, hang up. Never hand over your money, bank cards or make purchases after an unexpected call, and never share your pin. If you have handed over your card, contact your bank immediately to cancel it.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Babies vulnerable to measles, as global cases surge
Scientists at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute have found children can be vulnerable to measles infections at four months of age, which is well before they can currently receive their first vaccine at 12 months. Measles is surging across the world and Australia has already recorded more infections this year than for the whole of 2024.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Met Police seizes more than £250k in courier fraud crackdown
The Met Police said it had seized more than £250,000 in cash and hundreds of bank cards and phones in recent weeks as part of a crackdown on courier arrested 18 people believed to be behind sophisticated fraud scams, with the oldest victim affected aged fraud is where fraudsters contact victims by telephone impersonating trusted authorities such as the police or bank officials. They will deceive them into withdrawing cash or handing over bank cards - or trick them into buying and handing over expensive Supt Kerry Wood said it was a "devastating crime which can deprive vulnerable people of their livelihoods, pensions and hard-earned savings". According to the Met, 80% of victims are over the age of victim, Andrew Quicke, said he got a call from someone posing as a police officer, saying that they were tracing bank fraud and printing fake money."I was asked to go and get £5,600 in cash and they would check the numbers."And if I doubted their veracity, they gave me a 999 number to call, which I think actually was just calling them. So I assumed they were police," he said."I got the money from my bank and they said somebody would come and collect it in due course. Somebody arrived and they did collect it at night and it was hard to see them. "So then the following day and they asked me to get some more money tomorrow, £9,000."So I said yes, I'll go down to the bank. But the second day I did mention this to my son, who said I'd be conned, that this was a scam."Mr Quicke kept the scam going with the police's involvement, managing to bring the criminals to justice, the Met said. 'We will investigate' The operation also uncovered a suspected multi-million-pound organised crime network, alleged to have tricked victims into sending their bank cards to various addresses across London. Four men have since been charged with fraud and another three people have been charged for concealing stolen Supt Wood said: "We've arrested a number of individuals as part of our targeted operation, but the work doesn't stop here and our officers will continue to pursue those who ruthlessly target our communities via sophisticated scams."Our message to criminals should be clear - we will investigate, arrest and put you before the courts."The Met Police has been working alongside the City of London Police plus banks, businesses and community groups as part of the operation.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Fears grow for missing Brit, 65, suffering from Parkinson's Disease who has gone missing in Paris and who needs medicine to be able to walk and talk
A 'vulnerable' British man with advanced Parkinson's disease has gone missing in Paris after becoming separated from his brother when the pair left a restaurant. Relatives of Chris Arnheim, 65, are increasingly worried about his wellbeing after the tennis fan travelled to Paris to watch the French Open earlier this week. Accompanied by his brother, Mr Arnheim went for dinner in the Marais district and they were heading back to their accommodation when they became separated on Rue de Turenne. They had been returning to Rue des Francs-Bourgeois at around 9pm on Thursday when Mr Arnheim went missing. 'We are obviously very concerned about him,' Mr Arnheim's son-in-law Tom told MailOnline. 'He is very vulnerable. We're all really worried about him and we want him safely home.' Mr Arnheim, from Chislehurst, southeast London, was last seen wearing grey trousers, a blue-green shirt, a dark blue cardigan and a navy-black coat. The 65-year-old, who wears glasses, is described as Caucasian and around 180cm tall with a thin stature. The family say Mr Arnheim's Parkinson's is 'quite advanced', severely impacting his ability to speak, walk and causing serious confusion. 'His medication alleviates some of the symptoms to some extent but the time at which he went missing, it wasn't long after that his meds would have stopped being affective,' Tom said. 'Because of his condition it can make it very hard for him for him to communicate. I should say as well his condition can lead to him being quite confused. 'In a situation where he's in an unfamiliar place, and separated from his brother, it's likely that he is very confused.' Mr Arnheim did not have any of his required medications on him at the time he went missing. His wife and two daughters have travelled out to Paris to look for him, after his brother Tim spent the whole of Thursday night trying in vain to track him down. The disappearance has been reported to police and the British Consulate, but almost 48 hours on, the family is becoming more and more concerned. 'We're just hoping that he's been picked up by someone who has helped him,' Tom said. 'We want his photo out there to bring him home.' Anyone who thinks they have seen Mr Arnheim or has any information about his whereabouts are asked to urgently contact French authorities or his family.
