Warning as elderly woman scammed by man claiming to be “DC Ryan Gosling”

Three elderly residents were targeted by courier fraudsters in the Horncastle area yesterday.

We are urgently appealing to the public to remain vigilant and to spread the word about courier fraud so we can prevent more people from becoming a victim.

In one of the reports, a woman in her 90s was contacted last Friday (20 January) by someone claiming to be DC Ryan Gosling from Lincolnshire Police. The alleged officer asked for the victim’s personal details and urged the victim to dial 999 during the call so his identity could be confirmed.

Whilst still connected to the fraudster, the victim dialled 999 and a second individual claiming to be a Lincolnshire Police call taker confirmed the identity.

The alleged officer then instructed the victim to withdraw foreign currency from a bureau de change as it was believed to be counterfeit. The victim was also told to put the cash in an envelope and was given a password to mention to the courier attending her address.

On Friday afternoon, a male attended the victim’s address and collected the cash from her. It’s believed the same fraudster contacted the victim again on Saturday (21 January) and instructed her to take more cash out to help with an investigation into her bank. A female later attended the victim’s address and collected the cash.

A woman in her 80s also received a similar call from someone claiming to be PC 9139 Ryan Gosling from Lincolnshire Police informing her that her bank card had been cloned. Thankfully the victim recognised that this was a scam and has since contacted her bank since the incident.

In another report, a man in his 80s was contacted by an unknown male who mentioned they had suspects in custody who they believe stole money from his account. It’s believed no money was lost during this incident.

Stay safe from fraud

The police and your bank will never ask for your PIN, bank card, or ask you to withdraw cash or buy items like gold bullion, jewellery, or any other high value goods on their behalf.

They will also never ask you to verify your personal details or PIN by phone or offer to pick up cash or your bank card by courier.

If you receive an unexpected call, hang up immediately. Make sure your call is fully disconnected before you verify the caller’s identity on a number you can verify yourself, not one given by the caller.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately. For more crime advice, visit our Fraud advice page on the website or Action Fraud.