Courier fraud? Be part of Norfolk's early warning system

Estimated reading time 5 minutes or less.

I was out the other day doing my 5/2 challenge*. This is about doing more exercise and moving a bit more (see my February blog). My favourite time to do this is first thing in the morning. Going out on my bike when the roads are quiet is a great way to think about the day ahead and what I need to do.

My front bike light has a display on it which helps me know when it's getting close to needing a recharge.

This happened the other day as I was riding along. The display started flashing, giving me an early warning that the battery was running low. I've been caught out in the past when night cycling and the front light has cut out suddenly, making it hard for other road users to see me and putting me more at risk of an accident. So, I upgraded the light with this feature.

As I cycled on, the blinking light made me think about other ‘early warning’ systems for example, alerting people to the threat of natural disasters like a tsunami. At the end of July this year, a large earthquake offshore at the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami warnings being issued across the Pacific region. 

A couple of days later I had a meeting with a police colleague to talk about the threat from ‘courier fraud’, and what we could do as a partnership to help protect Norfolk citizens. 

The impacts of this type of financial scam (like other types of scams) can be absolutely devastating on the victim. While it might not be possible to stop courier fraud altogether, we want to do our very best to limit its impact.

And it is a real threat in Norfolk. Earlier this year there was a cluster of incidents in one part of the county, where fraudsters posing as police officers contacted residents by phone, urging them to withdraw or transfer large sums of money. Tragically, one such scam resulted in a £4,000 loss for the victim.

These scams are often highly sophisticated. Victims are told they’re assisting with a police investigation or protecting their finances, and are persuaded to hand over bank details, cash, or even bank cards to a courier. In some cases, fraudsters keep phone lines open, play recorded messages, and use convincing language to maintain the illusion of legitimacy.

Operation Radium is about protecting our communities from courier fraud.

This work has identified a wider pattern of offending, prompting a coordinated safeguarding response involving police, adult social care and community partners. The focus is not only on investigating the crimes, but also on preventing further harm by raising awareness and supporting those affected.

As part of Operation Radium, Norfolk Police are implementing a targeted trigger plan designed to respond swiftly to emerging patterns of courier fraud.

This plan enables frontline officers, call handlers and safeguarding professionals to identify high-risk incidents early, coordinate a rapid response, and ensure victims receive the support they need. The trigger plan also helps flag repeat targeting and enables intelligence-sharing across agencies to disrupt offenders more effectively.

… and this is where you and your organisation can help!

Your support could make a real difference in preventing further harm in the local community. We’re asking all our adult safeguarding partners - health, social care, care agencies, faith groups, sports groups, taxi companies, housing staff and community organisations etc - to help us spread awareness of courier fraud. 

See this letter from the police. 

Please do opt in to receive the trigger alert.

You can do this by emailing Sam BURTON, Sergeant 728 Community Safety – Neighbourhood Policing. Sam’s email is [email protected] 

Your support could make a real difference. If there is a trigger for your part of the county, information will be sent to the contact email you have given. All you need to do is share it quickly to all your staff, team members and people you know. Whether it’s through newsletters, community meetings or frontline conversations, every opportunity to reinforce the message can make a difference. Also let the police know if you identify any related concerns or incidents.

We especially encourage professionals working with older adults to share the warning signs and remind people that the police or banks will NEVER ask for money, PINs or send couriers to collect cash. 

The aim of the trigger is to flood that part of the county with information to help people be alert to courier fraud … and get the early warning information out to as many people as possible.

Together, we can build a stronger, more informed network of protection around those most at risk.

So, please sign up to join Norfolk’s early warning system against courier fraud.

Thank you.

Walter Lloyd-Smith

Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board Manager

* I am pleased to report I have managed to keep up the 5/2 challenge. At the time of writing this blog it is day 238 and it's still going strong. I do feel better for it. Not long to go now before I reached 365.

PS – As I mentioned in my May blog, we've been keeping an eye on the local government reorganisation. The board has now written to those involved in preparing proposals, asking them to consider a series of safeguarding adult questions and inviting them to provide evidence of assurance.