Courier fraudsters have snatched over £1.1 million from people living in the South West during the last financial year.

Courier fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victims by telephone pretending to be a police officer or bank official.

Data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), run by the City of London Police, reveals that 121 reports of courier fraud were received in the last financial year from people living in the South West – amounting to losses of more than £1.1million.

Jordan Coates, regional fraud protect advisor from SWROCU, said: “A majority of victims of this fraud are older, in the 50 to 89 age range, and the data for our region shows the average loss over the last financial year to be more than £43,000. This is likely to be less than the actual figure because it's a crime type that is vastly underreported due to the sense of shame and embarrassment felt by those affected.

“It is important to remember that it is never your fault if you have been the victim of fraud. Fraudsters create a high-pressure environment forcing us to make quick decisions that we may not have typically made.”

Mr Coates continued to explain that the bank or the police will never call to ask people to verify personal details, share a one-time passcode or PIN by phone or offer to pick up a card by courier.

“The police or your bank will not contact you out of the blue to participate in an investigation or send a courier to your home to collect bank cards, cash, or other valuable items - any requests to do so are a scam and should be reported.”

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at  actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040, or call 101.