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We know you flagged that fraud is a concern for you, so this is a quick update to tell you how we’re addressing concerns and supporting residents. This is to notify you of a new technique fraudsters are using to trick people into handing over their bank & credit cards. The below incident was recently reported to police.
The victim received a call from someone claiming to be from American Express who said there had been some transactions on thier TV Licence Account. The victim had previously received several emails re his TV licence. He was told he would shortly receive an email from Manchester Police. This email was sent & told the victim he would receive another phone call. Shortly afterwards someone claiming to be a police officer from Manchester rang saying the victim’s cards had been cloned & warning markers put on them. Someone was being sent to collect them. The victim was told not to speak to the person but just hand over his cards. He handed over both his American Express & HSBC cards. A few hours later the victim received a call from American Express saying they had blocked his card due to several transactions in a few hours. The victim then called HSBC to cancel his card. HSBC had already blocked the card due to several tranactions in the last few hours. The following day (27/10/26) the victim received several calls from the suspect who did not answer. After several unanswered calls they started to call the victim’s office. The first few calls went unanswered. One of the victim’s colleagues then answered one. The caller said they were from the American Express Intervention Team and that he had an open investigation with the victim. The victim’s colleague ended the call & after that no more calls were received.
Remember the initial call re fraudulent activity on your bank or credit card would come from the bank or card company not police. They will also go through the transcations with you. Banks, credit card companies & police do not send couriers to collect cards. If you are told a courier is on the way call 999. If you don't realise till after you have handed the cards cancel them as soon as you realise & report to police via 101 or online. Any questions please feel free to call me on 07769435340.
Kind Regards
Adam Charles
PCSO 7572 SN
 We consider fraud to be a serious crime and will put the time in to tackle it however we can. In the meantime, there are ways to keep yourself safe. Fraud comes in many forms and across various different channels, whether that's through emails, phone calls or in person encounters. Please see a few resources below to protect you and others from potential fraudsters: For more information and help and to report fraud, go to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre. Lastly, if you think you’ve uncovered a scam, been targeted by a scam or fallen victim to fraudsters, please contact 101 or Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online at Action Fraud. We want your help to shape the future of policing across London. We are seeking your views on our new inclusion strategy to ensure that the Met is a police service that is trusted, representative and more effective at keeping London safe. You can have your say on our Inclusion Strategy consultation which runs until Thursday 26 November. | 
