Husband prevents trickster conning his wife (From Sutton Guardian)

Cash card courier scammer targets Sutton woman

10:00am Sunday 17th March 2013 in News By Mike Pyle

A quick-thinking husband made sure his wife narrowly escaped becoming a con man's latest victim.

The trickster called the 56-year-old woman at her home in Sherwood Park Road, Sutton, on Wednesday, March 13, claiming to be a bank employee concerned about a fraudulent transaction on her account.

He took her postcode and door number and told her to call the helpline number on the back of her bank card - even providing a reference number and contact name.

When she called the helpline, she was told to cut up her card without damaging the chip and key the PIN into the keypad, before a courier would shortly come to pick the card.

At this point the woman's husband raised his concerns about the call and contacted police.

As Sutton police officers arrived at the house,  a taxi driver pulled up andsaid he had been asked to pick up an envelope from the house and take it to a central London address.

Safer neighbourhoods Inspector Ceri Rowe said this was a clear attempt to trick the woman out of her savings.

She added: "Banks will never ask for your PIN or bank card so never reveal them to anyone even if they say they are from your bank because your bank will already have these details.

"If you are contacted by someone who asks for your PIN or bank card, hang up. Use a different line to report it to police on 101. Or allow at least five minutes for the line to clear automatically. Call 999 if the crime is happening."