Kent Police are urging residents — and their families — to learn the warning signs after telephone scammers posing as police officers and bank staff stole more than three quarters of a million pounds from people across the county.
The Knock at the Door Nobody Expected
It starts with a phone call. A calm, authoritative voice — someone claiming to be a police officer or a member of your bank’s fraud team — tells you your money is at risk. Act now. Don’t tell anyone.
For a growing number of Kent residents, that call has ended with a stranger on the doorstep, there to collect a bank card, a PIN, or thousands of pounds in cash. Kent Police have confirmed that courier fraudsters tricked victims across the county out of more than £750,000 in a single year — money taken, in many cases, straight from lifelong savings and pensions that people spent decades building up.
How the Scam Works
The method is deliberate. Fraudsters ring their targets — often elderly people living alone — and pose as police officers or bank staff. There’s a problem with your account, they say. Your card’s been cloned. Your savings are in danger. You need to withdraw cash, buy gold or jewellery, or hand over your bank card and PIN. Don’t worry — a “courier” will come and collect it.
Number spoofing is what makes this so hard to spot. The call can appear on your screen as a genuine bank or police number. Looks completely legitimate. Victims are typically told not to speak to their bank, their family, or anyone else — cutting them off at exactly the moment they need someone most.
And the £750,000 figure? Fraud is heavily under-reported across England and Wales, according to Kent Police and national partners including Action Fraud. The true losses in Kent are almost certainly worse.
Who Is Being Targeted
The victims are most often older adults — frequently over 70, often living alone, and more inclined to trust someone presenting themselves as an authority figure. Kent’s older population is large and growing, particularly in coastal and rural areas, which leaves some districts carrying a disproportionate share of the risk.
Many victims are targeted more than once. Once criminals identify someone as responsive, the losses can stack up fast. But the financial damage is only part of it. Victims frequently describe lasting anxiety, embarrassment, and a reluctance to answer the phone or open the door — a quiet, corrosive harm that never shows up in any loss figure.
What the Police Want You to Know
Kent Police are unambiguous on this. Neither the police nor your bank will ever ask for your PIN or full online banking password over the phone. They won’t ask you to withdraw cash, buy goods, or hand your card to a courier. They will never — not under any circumstances — ask you to move money to a so-called “safe account.”
Kent Police’s Economic Crime Unit says that if you get a call like this, hang up, wait a few minutes, then ring your bank or the police back on a number you already know — from a different phone if you can manage it.
Reporting and Getting Help
Anyone who thinks they’ve been targeted should call Kent Police on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Fraud can also be reported to Action Fraud — the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre — on 0300 123 2040 or through their website. Family members and carers who notice warning signs in an older relative are urged to raise concerns early. Before a courier ever reaches the door.
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Key Takeaways
- Kent residents lost more than £750,000 to courier fraudsters in a single year, according to Kent Police, with the true figure likely higher due to under-reporting
- Fraudsters use number spoofing to make calls appear genuine, and target mainly older, vulnerable adults living alone across urban and rural parts of the county
- Neither the police nor banks will ever ask you to hand over cash, cards or PINs to a courier — any such request is a scam
What This Means for Kent Residents
More than £750,000 gone in a single year, from one type of fraud alone. It’s not some distant, abstract threat — it’s happening in Kent towns and villages right now, and it’s happening to people’s parents and grandparents. If you’ve got an older relative, neighbour or friend living alone, a straightforward conversation about scam calls could be the thing that keeps their savings intact. Report any suspected fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, and contact Kent Police on 101 if you think someone’s already been targeted.