An elderly woman from Surrey has lost her life savings of £1,700 after falling victim to a courier scam, police have warned. The 80-year-old victim was targeted by fraudsters posing as government officials, who convinced her that her bank account was compromised and that she needed to withdraw cash to protect her money.
The scammers instructed the woman to withdraw £1,700 from her bank and hand it over to a courier who would arrive at her home, claiming the money would be placed in a secure government account. The victim complied, and the courier collected the cash, which has not been recovered.
Surrey Police said the scam is part of a growing trend targeting older adults, where fraudsters impersonate police officers or bank staff to gain trust. They urged residents to be vigilant and never hand over money or personal details to unexpected callers.
Detective Constable Sarah Jones said: “These scams are despicable and often leave victims feeling embarrassed and devastated. We want to reassure the public that genuine officials will never ask you to withdraw cash or send a courier to collect it.”
Police are investigating the incident and have released advice on how to spot such scams. They recommend hanging up immediately if someone requests money transfer and contacting the bank or police directly using a trusted number.
