Police are warning Welwyn Hatfield residents to be vigilant after four elderly victims were targeted by scam phone calls in the past week.

Since Monday, September 9, fraudsters made calls to four victims in the borough, with one person losing more than £6,000.

On each occasion the victims were called via a landline by someone claiming to be a police officer from London, who needed their assistance with an investigation.

The callers then asked the victims to withdraw large sums of money from local banks, and then hand it to a courier who would visit their home address.
PC Kelly Woodward said: “Thankfully, many people recognise these calls for what they are and refuse to part with any money, however there are occasions when people fall prey to the highly persuasive nature of these fraudsters and often lose thousands of pounds.

“I want to stress that police would never ask you to withdraw money as part of an investigation and hand it to a courier.

“We’re working with banks and the local community to help raise awareness and prevent further incidents, and you can help us by sharing this advice with relatives, friends and neighbours, especially those who are elderly.

“If you have received a similar call, please report this to police.”

You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, or call the non-emergency number 101.