Police parcel interception call followed by fake bank fraud team

What is this scam?

A multi-stage impersonation scam sees fraudsters call victims claiming to be local police, stating that a parcel linked to the victim's name has been intercepted as part of a fraud investigation and providing a made-up crime reference number. Shortly after, a second call arrives from someone posing as the victim's bank fraud team, using the fake 'investigation' to create urgency and persuading the victim to transfer funds to a 'safe account' or surrender online banking credentials. Which? has flagged a wave of cases involving fraudsters claiming to be from regional police forces.

Example scam message

Red flags to look out for

• Police never call you to say a parcel has been intercepted and then hand you over to your bank — this two-call sequence is the scam.
• Genuine bank fraud teams never ask you to move money to a 'safe' or 'holding' account — your bank is already safe.
• A crime reference number sounds official but can be invented in seconds — always verify by calling the police on 101 using a different phone.
• Fraudsters may already know your name, address, or partial account details to sound credible.

What to do if you receive this

1. Hang up both calls — the police and your bank will never coordinate like this.
2. Call 101 from a different phone (or wait 5 minutes on the same phone) to check whether police really have contacted you.
3. Contact your bank directly using the number on the back of your card.
4. Report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040.