Alert bank staff prevent Horsham man from handing over cash to fraudsters

People are still being targeted across Sussex by telephone and courier fraud.
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However, Sussex Police say more and more people are becoming wise to these scams and are not allowing the fraudsters to deceive them.

Out of 24 people who have reported being called by the scammers on March 3, just one person handed over any money.

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On that day, an 82-year-old man from Horsham was convinced to try to withdraw a large quantity money from his bank. However work by alert bank staff warned him to the fact it was a scam, so no money was withdrawn or handed over.

Detective Inspector Gill Sole said: “The message is getting out there that this type of call is a scam but we want to make sure that nobody falls victim to this.

“Police and banks would never phone like this and ask for personal details about bank accounts, pin numbers or ask for money to be withdrawn. If anyone calls claiming to be a police officer and asks you to check the suspicious behaviour with your bank, make sure the line is clear by making the call a significant time later or better still using a different phone.

“I urge anyone reading or hearing this message to pass it on to any friends and relatives who may not be aware of this particular type of targeted fraud, to prevent any vulnerable friends or family members from becoming victims.

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“If you have any information, whether you have received similar calls or know someone who has been a victim of this crime, contact Sussex Police via 101 or email [email protected] quoting Operation Edisto. You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”