A 27-year-old man from Northampton has been arrested in connection with a series of phone frauds that targeted unsuspecting victims in March 2024.

The man is suspected of impersonating bank officials and contacting at least three people, claiming to investigate fraudulent activity on their accounts. The victims were then instructed victims to withdraw cash and send it to an address in Hatfield.

Fortunately, police had been alerted to the scams and were able to intercept the parcels containing cash before they reached the intended recipient. This swift action prevented over £16,000 from being stolen.

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, March 26th, in Hatfield. He has been released on bail while the investigation continues.

Detective Constable Craig Blake, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “These types of phone scams are unfortunately quite common, with fraudsters posing as bank staff or police officers. The important thing to remember is that you will never be asked to hand over cash or personal banking details by legitimate callers.

“If you believe you may have been a victim of a similar fraud – please report the details to Action Fraud.”

If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that your bank and the police would:

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 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.