Local Priorities Fraud Message

Local Priorities Fraud Message

I wanted to provide you with an update regarding Fraud, which people around your area have highlighted as an issue of concern on the priority survey.

Community awareness message – unexpected deliveries and suspicious callers
We are asking residents to be mindful of a small number of recent suspicious incidents involving unexpected high-value deliveries.
The pattern reported is that a resident receives an item they were not expecting. Shortly afterwards, a person attends the address claiming that a mistake has been made and asking to collect the item.
This may be linked to fraud. In some cases, criminals may use stolen card details to order goods from a legitimate company, but arrange for the delivery to be sent to an innocent person’s address. Someone then attends the address to collect the item before the fraud is identified.
The resident may not be the intended victim of the fraud, but their address may have been used as a drop-off or collection point.
Our advice is:
Decline to accept any unexpected delivery.
Do not hand over an unexpected parcel to someone who attends your address claiming there has been a mistake.
Do not allow the person into your home.
If safe to do so, make a note of the time, description of the person, any vehicle details, and what was said.
Contact the delivery company or retailer using official contact details from their website, not any number provided by the person at your door.
If you feel threatened or a crime is happening, call 999.
If the incident has already happened, or you have information that may assist police, please report it online or by calling 101.
Please also consider speaking with elderly or vulnerable relatives, friends, and neighbours so they are aware of this type of incident. The aim is not to cause alarm, but to help people pause, check, and avoid being drawn into a fraud.

Fraud can affect anyone within the community, so we want to make sure you have the tools and knowledge to protect yourself from it. It comes in many different forms and across varying channels, whether that's through emails, phone calls or in person encounters. Some adults may be even more vulnerable to fraud or financial abuse, but it is something that everyone can be at risk of. If you’re concerned about someone you know, please contact your local social services and ask for Adult Social Care.

Please see a few resources below to protect you and others from potential fraudsters: 

• Learn the ten golden rules to prevent fraud.
• Find out about the most common types of fraud.
• Download The Little Book of Big Scams to find out more. The Little Book of Big Scams audio version is also available.

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 are working on our brand-new strategy for how we police London and we want your help. Our New Met for London: Phase 2 strategy will guide how we deliver on behalf of Londoners over the next three years.