A Harpenden resident has lost £45,000 in a scam where fraudsters pretended to be John Lewis staff.

Posing as the "John Lewis credit card team", fraudsters called the victim and requested a lump sum, amid recent spike in Herts scam cases.

Other fraudsters have been posing as police officers and company officials while contacting residents across the county.

Since the beginning of October, scammers have managed to steal more than £80,000, using this method, asking victims to hand over their bank cards or cash to couriers.

The most prominent cases have been:

  • Another Harpenden resident handed over £40,000 to a courier after a call from a ‘police officer’.
  • Two Hemel Hempstead residents lost £10,000 and £5,000 respectively after receiving calls from bogus police officers.
  • A Watford resident lost £4,700 after a ‘police officer’ called saying they needed to check serial numbers on bank notes.
  • Another Watford resident lost £1,870 after a call from a ‘police officer’ asking for banks cards to be handed over to a courier.
  • Residents from Kings Langley and St Albans were also contacted but reported no losses.

Detective Inspector Katy Jackson, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “These kinds of scams usually involve the victim receiving a telephone call, either from a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer or bank official and informing them of fraudulent activity on their account.

"The victims are then instructed to withdraw cash, purchase high value items or place their bank cards and PINs in an envelope. These might then be collected by legitimate couriers or taxis which have been arranged by the fraudsters or by the fraudsters themselves pretending to be couriers."

The police said that bank cards are used by fraudsters to "purchase high value items or withdraw cash".

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“Usually, the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their personal and bank details," DI Jackson added.

"However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent, which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds.”

If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The police offered the following advice to be wary of scams:

  • Never ask for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone, so do not disclose these to anyone, no matter who they claim to be.
  • Never ask you to withdraw money or purchase high value items and send it to them via a courier, taxi or by any other means.
  • Never ask you to send your bank cards, or any other personal property, to them via courier, taxi or by any other means.

If you believe that you are a victim of fraud or cybercrime please contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to report.

If a crime is in progress or someone’s life is in danger, call 999 immediately.