Quick-thinking Uber driver praised by police as scam targeting vulnerable woman who already lost £3,000 is dramatically halted
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
An Uber driver has been praised by fraud investigators after his quick thinking helped protect an elderly woman from losing even more money in a courier fraud scam.
The private hire driver contacted police after becoming suspicious about a job to collect an envelope from a woman in her 80s in Earl Shilton and deliver it to an address in London. Believing the envelope may have contained the woman’s bank card, he raised the alarm with officers rather than completing what initially appeared to be a routine collection.
Police attended the woman’s home on Saturday 25 July, where she explained she had already been deceived by a fraudster posing as a representative from her bank. Over several days, beginning on Wednesday 22 July, the scammer convinced her there had been fraudulent activity on her account before obtaining personal information and arranging for her existing bank card to be collected after claiming a replacement had been issued.
By the time officers intervened, around £3,000 had already been taken from the victim’s account. However, investigators said the driver’s actions prevented the fraud from escalating further and safeguarded the vulnerable woman from potentially much greater financial losses.
Detective Constable Dan Thorpe, from the force’s specialist Economic Crime Unit (ECU), praised the driver’s instincts.
He said: “We would like to thank the driver involved for his vigilance and quick thinking. Although he had been booked to carry out what appeared to be a straightforward collection, he trusted his instincts when something didn’t feel right.
“While the woman had already lost around £3,000, the driver’s intervention allowed us to attend, safeguard a vulnerable victim and prevent what could have been significantly greater financial losses.”
Thorpe explained that the victim initially had doubts about the caller but became more trusting after the fraudster demonstrated knowledge of her personal details, including her date of birth. Repeated calls over several days eventually convinced her to hand over her bank card, believing she was dealing with her genuine bank.
The case has also highlighted the role taxi and private hire drivers can play in disrupting courier fraud. Criminals frequently use legitimate taxi and private hire services to unknowingly transport stolen bank cards, cash or valuables after manipulating victims into believing they are assisting their bank or the police.
Investigators said drivers are typically told they are collecting an item from a relative’s address, while victims are coached by fraudsters to provide a convincing explanation when handing over the package. In reality, offenders are exploiting legitimate transport services to collect bank cards or valuables without drivers being aware they are assisting criminal activity.
As part of Operation Blue Mountain, the Economic Crime Unit is working with taxi firms and private hire operators to improve awareness of courier fraud. Officers are encouraging drivers collecting packages to ask what the item contains and whether the sender personally knows the person requesting the collection.
Any concerns should be reported immediately to police by calling 999 and quoting “Blue Mountain”, providing the driver’s taxi registration number, current location and intended destination.
Police are also encouraging taxi and private hire drivers to remain alert to unusual repeat journeys involving elderly or vulnerable passengers travelling to local banks, and are urging families to discuss courier fraud with older relatives to help prevent further victims.
