hampshireeditor 
Warning Issued After Pensioner Loses £12,000 in Courier Fraud Scam in Petersfield
Police are warning residents across Petersfield and Winchester to remain vigilant after an elderly man was conned out of £12,000 by fraudsters pretending to be police officers.
The incident, reported to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary on Sunday 10 May, took place over two days earlier this month.
According to police, the victim — a man in his 80s — received a cold call from someone claiming to be a police officer based in Petersfield.
The caller alleged they were investigating fraud linked to a travel agents in the town and persuaded the victim to withdraw €6,000 in cash to assist with the supposed investigation. A courier later attended the victim’s address to collect the money.
The following day, the victim was contacted again and convinced to withdraw a further €6,000 from a Post Office, which was also collected by the same courier.
The victim later realised he had been scammed and contacted police.
Officers say they are aware of four similar incidents reported in the past two weeks — three in Petersfield and one in Winchester. In those cases, victims recognised the scam before handing over money.
Police are also investigating whether the incident is linked to another courier fraud in Andover involving a woman in her 70s.
Police Staff Investigator Barbara Bundy said:
“Courier fraud scammers prey on often vulnerable people to hand over their money. They sometimes claim to be police officers, or from a bank, or another local agency.
“To be clear, we will never call people in this way and ask them to withdraw money. If someone is doing so, then it is a scam.”
Investigators also warned about a tactic used by scammers to fake police verification calls. In this case, the victim was told to dial 999 while remaining on the phone. The original call never disconnected and another fraudster came on the line pretending to confirm the caller’s identity.
Police are advising anyone who receives a suspicious call to hang up immediately, wait at least five minutes to ensure the line has disconnected, and use a different phone if possible to contact police or their bank.
Police advice to avoid courier fraud scams:
Police or banks will never send couriers to collect cash, bank cards, PIN numbers or valuables.
Take time to think before agreeing to anything over the phone.
Speak to a trusted family member or friend before handing over money.
Fraudsters often pressure victims into secrecy and isolation.
If you know someone vulnerable, speak to them about courier fraud scams.
Anyone who believes they have been targeted by fraud is urged to report it by calling 101. If a crime is ongoing, dial 999 immediately.
More fraud prevention advice is available via Report Fraud�.
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Posted: 2026-05-12T14:55:38+0000
