Elderly couple loses £350,000 in scam involving fake Met Police officer, gold bullion, and watches.
An elderly couple lost £350,000 after being deceived by a fraudster posing as a Metropolitan Police officer. The scammer claimed to have arrested someone with the couple's bank cards and needed their help in an undercover operation. The victims were instructed to purchase £100,000 worth of watches, followed by gold bullion. The fraudster offered methods to verify their identity and even had calls with the victims pretending to be their bank to further legitimize the crime. Wiltshire Police's Complex Fraud Team warns that such frauds are extremely sophisticated and that the police or banks would never ask victims to withdraw money or purchase items to send them. The team advises victims to hang up and call the police or their bank from a different phone line or wait for a few minutes before calling to ensure the fraudster is not still on the line.