TL;DR: On 28 August 2026, Take Five to Stop Fraud published a warning about courier fraud, in which criminals pose as banks, police or other official bodies. Victims are told of account problems or an investigation and then asked to buy expensive items, hand over bank cards, give cash or jewellery, or move money to a 'safe account'.

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What happened

The Take Five to Stop Fraud article describes a victim who was called about unauthorised purchases. Over several weeks she was convinced to buy mobile phones and hand over a bank card to supposed 'investigators' who were examining corrupt bank staff. Such schemes can develop over weeks as trust is built.

Red flags

Stop, Challenge, Protect

Genuine banks and police never send couriers for cards or cash. Hang up and call your bank on 159 or the number on your card. Our guides on how to protect elderly parents from phone scams, elder fraud statistics for 2026 and the fake Action Fraud recovery scam help families spot the pattern.

Why victims go along with it

The Take Five example shows why courier fraud is hard to spot. The contact begins with a plausible hook, unauthorised purchases, and the criminals build trust over days or weeks. By the time the requests become unusual, such as buying phones or surrendering a card to supposed investigators, the victim may believe they are helping a genuine inquiry. The demand for secrecy is the key warning: a real bank will not ask you to mislead your own branch or staff. Talking to a friend or relative before acting can break the spell. The Take Five guidance sums up the response in three words, Stop, Challenge and Protect. Stopping means not acting under pressure, challenging means checking independently, and protecting means contacting your bank and reporting the approach, even if you did not lose money, so that the pattern can be tracked.

Where to report

Contact your bank straight away, then report to Report Fraud (Action Fraud) at reportfraud.police.uk or 0300 123 2040. More advice is at Take Five to Stop Fraud.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is courier fraud?

An impersonation scam where criminals pose as banks, police or officials and get victims to hand over cards, cash, jewellery or purchased goods.

What are the warning signs?

Urgent requests from claimed bank or police staff, demands for cards or goods, secrecy, and pressure to mislead your real bank.

Do real banks send couriers?

No. Take Five says genuine institutions never demand that you surrender your card.

How do I check a caller?

Hang up and call your bank independently on 159 or the number on your card.

Sources

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