Vigilant Uber Driver Helps Thwart £6,000 Courier Fraud Scam in Winchester

Date: 25 June, 2025

A quick-thinking Uber driver has helped prevent a pensioner from losing £6,000 in a courier fraud scam after reporting suspicious activity to police.

At around 6.30pm on Wednesday 11 June, the driver contacted Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary after collecting two packages from a woman in Winchester, which were initially due to be delivered to an address in London.

Shortly after the collection, the drop-off location was unexpectedly changed to a car park in Watford. When the driver arrived, he was approached by a man with his face partially covered who gave a name not associated with the booking.

Becoming suspicious, the driver refused to hand over the packages and informed the man he would be contacting police. The man then fled the scene on foot. The driver returned to Hampshire and handed the parcels—containing £6,000 in cash and bank cards—over to officers.

Subsequent enquiries revealed the sender of the packages was a woman in her 70s who had earlier received a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer investigating a bank fraud. She was falsely told her card had been cloned and persuaded to assist in a covert investigation by withdrawing £6,000 from her bank and placing the cash, along with her bank cards, in two separate parcels for collection.

The victim was instructed to give a misleading explanation to the bank to avoid raising suspicions. After the incident, she became wary and contacted her banks to freeze her accounts.

Detective Constable Mike Dumbleton, from the Hampshire & Isle of Wight’s Economic Crime Investigation Team, praised the driver’s actions:

“Firstly, the driver did the right thing – he trusted his instincts that something wasn’t right, reported it to us, and the result is that the victim is not at a loss of £6,000.

“While this is not the usual method for courier fraud, we would encourage all private hire drivers to be aware of this scam, in case they get requests to transport packages in this way. Please be suspicious, especially if the person you collect the package from is elderly or vulnerable in any way. If you think it is a scam, please report it to us.”

Courier fraud often involves scammers impersonating police officers or bank staff to pressure victims—often elderly—into providing bank details, withdrawing cash, or handing over cards for supposed investigations. Victims are typically told to keep the matter secret.

DC Dumbleton added:

“Police officers, banks or other organisations would never contact people in this way and ask you to withdraw money or disclose such information. If someone calls and asks you to do so, please hang up, as it will be a scam.”

An investigation is ongoing, and police have confirmed there has been a notable increase in reports of courier fraud across the force area in June.

Protect Yourself from Courier Fraud:
• Never disclose your PIN or banking information over the phone.
• Never withdraw or transfer money at someone else’s request.
• Always verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from your bank or the police by calling back using an official number.
• Report suspicious activity to police on 101, or call 999 if a crime is in progress.

For further advice on fraud prevention, visit the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website.