Thornton-Cleveleys man, 90, victim of £64k courier fraud

The suspect telephoned the victim claiming to be a fraud investigator

A 90-year-old man has lost £64,000 after being targeted by someone claiming to be a fraud investigator.

He was told his bank card had been cloned earlier this month and became the victim of a "despicable" courier fraud, Lancashire Police said.

The man, from Thornton-Cleveleys, was told to buy gold bullion to show there was activity on his account and then fraudsters collected it from his home.

It has prompted a warning from the force "to be alert" to similar scams.

There has been a spike of courier fraud in the county in recent months with fraudsters posing as police targeting residents in Blackburn, Lancaster and Preston.

'Huge repercussions'

One man left £7,500 on his doorstep and in October a woman in her 80s withdrew €3,500 (£2,953) from the bank when she was told it was needed for evidence in a fraud inquiry.

In Thornton-Cleveleys the man was told to buy gold bullion on two occasions amounting to £64,000 which the fraudsters later collected from his address.

"This type of criminal is despicable as they prey on people's trust and vulnerability," Helen Grimshaw, of Lancashire Police, said.

"We know fraud like this can have huge repercussions on victims' mental health."

She urged people to share with friends, neighbours and family particularly those who are elderly or vulnerable.

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