417 courier fraud reports across the South West with £2,865,727 in losses

Wiltshire Police has set out figures on courier fraud, reporting that 417 reports of the crime were identified across the South West between February and May 2025, with total reported losses of £2,865,727¹. The force published the figures alongside case studies and prevention work in an article on Wiltshire & Swindon Prepared, the local resilience site¹.

Of those 417 reports, 44 involved the purchase or handover of gold or jewellery, and gold was the most requested item, followed by watches¹. In Wiltshire itself, the force said there were 25 cases of courier fraud last year, resulting in the loss of £155,230¹. The article describes courier fraud as criminals impersonating police officers, bank officials or other trusted figures to deceive victims into believing their bank accounts have been compromised or that they must assist with a police investigation, after which victims are encouraged to withdraw money or buy high-value items and hand them to a courier under false assurances of reimbursement¹.

The force gave one case in detail. In August 2024, a couple from Salisbury were defrauded out of £350,000 after being contacted by someone claiming to be a Metropolitan Police Detective, who said they had arrested someone in possession of bank cards in the couple's names and needed their help to work undercover¹. The victims were instructed to purchase first £100,000 worth of watches and then, when this failed, gold bullion, which was delivered to their address on three separate occasions, with someone dressed as a postman attending each day to collect the gold¹. The fraudster offered methods to "verify" their identity, including getting the victim to call the police directly, but stayed on the line so the phone reconnected to them, and the couple also received additional calls pretending to be from their bank¹.

Officers have been visiting taxi firms and jewellers across the county to educate them on how fraudsters manipulate victims into purchasing jewellery, gold bullion and watches¹. The force said taxi services are often used to facilitate fraud, whether to transport the victim to a store or to collect a package on someone else's behalf and deliver it to the victim's home¹.

Why it matters for households

The force said victims are often the elderly, and that many live alone and suffer age-related illnesses, so it asked families, friends and neighbours to keep vigilant and help protect vulnerable people in their lives¹. It described courier fraud as a nasty crime which can have devastating psychological effects and significant financial loss¹.

Davies gave several points of contact for households. She said anyone called by someone claiming to be from the police can always hang up and call back on 101 to check the veracity of the call¹. She said anyone who suspects they have been a victim of courier fraud should report it to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 1232040, and that anyone who has revealed bank details or handed over a card to a courier should call their bank straight away to cancel the card¹.

The article does not give a breakdown of the 417 reports by police force area, nor say how the South West figure was compiled. General guidance on checking official sources and warnings is set out in the site's staying informed hub.

What happens next

No further dates for this reporting period or for the force's prevention visits have been announced in the article¹.