A couple in their 80s have become the latest victims of a scam that has been plaguing the borough over recent months.
The so-called bank courier scam involves tricksters phoning their mark purporting to be from their bank or the police.
In some cases they claim they will need to send a courier to collect a bank card, in other cases they send the courier to collect money under the ruse there has been a problem with their account.
Scores of people in Sutton have been targeted by the scammers in recent months with police receiving 29 reports in just three weeks in November.
The latest victims are a Carshalton couple in their 80s who were tricked out of £5,000 in savings this week.
The couple, who live off Bishopsford Road, got a call from someone claiming to be a Hammersmith-based police officer.
He said one of their bank cards had been cloned. He gave them a number to call their bank, on but because the original caller did not hang up the phone the line stayed open even after the victim hung up and dialled the number they were given.
It meant the victim was still speaking to the original caller when they thought they were speaking to the bank.
The con-artist continued the ruse by telling them there had been money laundering problems at the bank and they should withdraw all their money
The victims managed to withdraw £5,000 in cash. The scammers sent an unwitting taxi driver to the house who collected the money.
The couple were told they would get a call to confirm the money had been replaced in their account, plus some extra for their trouble, but the call never came.
Police have urged people to be vigilant for scams and never to give out details in unsolicited phone calls.
They also say people should never give out their PIN or account details as their banks will already have these and will never ask for them, nor will they ever ask you to withdraw cash or send your card to them.
If you get a call from someone you think is a scammer, use a different line to report it to police or wait five minutes for the line they called on to clear before making the call. If the courier is on the way to your house, call 999.
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