Courier Fraud Prevention in Ferndown

This week I visited a Ferndown resident who was targeted by a courier fraud scam involving identity theft.

The victim was contacted by fraudsters purporting to be from EE and arrangements were made for the delivery of a mobile phone that the victim neither wanted nor requested. After the phone had been delivered, the scammers contacted the victim again and advised that a courier would attend to collect the handset as it was no longer required.

In many cases, this type of fraud involves criminals using stolen or compromised personal and financial information to obtain mobile phones, contracts, loans or other goods in someone else's name. Once the item has been delivered, the fraudsters arrange for it to be collected before the victim realises what has happened. Victims can then be left dealing with the consequences of accounts, finance agreements or debts they never authorised.

Fortunately, on this occasion, the courier who attended was an Uber driver who was entirely unconnected to the fraud. Upon arriving, the driver became suspicious of the circumstances surrounding the collection and promptly contacted Dorset Police.

Thanks to the driver's vigilance, officers were able to attend quickly, safeguard the victim and prevent the fraud from progressing further.

This incident serves as an important reminder to protect your personal and financial information and to remain cautious if you receive unexpected calls, deliveries or requests involving money, bank accounts, mobile phone contracts or valuable goods.

How to protect yourself from identity theft and courier fraud:

We would like to thank the Uber driver for their quick thinking and actions, which helped protect a member of our community from becoming a victim of fraud.

If you believe you or someone you know may have been targeted by fraud, please report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at www.reportfraud.police.uk. In an emergency, or if a crime is in progress, always call 999.