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24
Dec 2020
North Yorkshire Police issues alert over delivery fraud
Harrogate district residents expecting deliveries over the holiday period are being targeted by fraudsters.
North Yorkshire Police has received 24 reports of the scam since November an dis urging people to be vigilant over the festive season.
The scammers have been sending messages saying delivery slots with parcel delivery firm DPD have been missed. The message includes a link to rearrange a delivery time.
The victim is then asked to pay a small sum to rearrange delivery. If they agree, they often then receive another call purporting to be from their bank alerting them to suspicious activity.
The victim is then asked to transfer their money to an account they believe to be secure, but to which the scammers have access.
The conmen are taking advantage of the popularity of delivery services in the run up to Christmas.
Read more:
- Doorstep scams were on the rise over lockdown.
- Puppy scammers target Harrogate mum and her disabled daughter.
Andy Fox, financial abuse safeguarding officer at North Yorkshire Police, said:
The police have also received reports that the fraudsters have gained enough information over the phone to take out a loan in the victim's name. This is then transferred to a bank account they control.
The police have encouraged anyone that has been caught out by this scam to contact their bank immediately and report it to the force on 101.
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