An elderly resident in Watford received a call during April, from a fraudster claiming to be from the Metropolitan Police. 

The fraudster asked the victim to purchase gold bullion as a means to transfer the funds, who made multiple transactions, amounting to over £200,000. The fraudster then met the victim on several occasions to collect the gold.

If you receive a call you are 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 or purchase high value items 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.

If you are not happy with a phone call and are suspicious of the conversation you have with the caller then please end the call and dial 101 or report online herts.police.uk/report. In an emergency or if a crime is in progress call 999 immediately.

Remember, when reporting a suspicious phone call to police, wait at least five minutes before attempting to make the call to ensure you’re not reconnected to the offender.

Alternatively, use a mobile phone or a neighbour’s phone or test your landline by phoning a friend or relative first, to ensure you aren’t still unwittingly connected to the offender.

For more info and advice visit: Action Fraud.