MORE Than £23 million was lost to fraud across West Mercia last year, figures reveal.
A total of 3,386 reports of fraud were made to the police by people living in the West Mercia force area in 2025.
Data from Report Fraud, the national service offering specialist help to fraud victims, shows reported losses of £23.8m over a 12-month period.
The majority of the victims (3,176) were individuals, with their reports accounting for £20.5m worth of losses.
There were also 133 limited companies, 14 sole traders, seven charities, 11 PLCs and several other organisations defrauded out of a total of £3.3m.
303 reports of investment fraud accounted for £7.6m of losses, and 228 cases of banking fraud resulted in the loss of £706,600. 95 people were the victims of romance fraud, and swindled out of a total of £480,500.
City of London Police, which runs Report Fraud, says there has been a recent spike in reports of courier fraud.
READ MORE: Man accused of using Blue Badge issued in Worcester in fraud
The force says fraudsters disproportionately target older people, particularly those aged 70 and above.
Courier fraud typically begins with an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer or bank employee.
Victims are told their account is at risk or that they are assisting with an investigation, before being instructed to withdraw money, purchase items, or disclose sensitive information.
A courier is then sent to collect the items such as jewellery, cash, bank cards and PINs.
READ MORE: Droitwich man who stole £2million in 'campaign of fraud' jailed
In reality, this is the work of criminals and anything handed over is lost.
Police say officers will never contact you out of the blue to request personal or financial information. If an officer contacts you in person then they will show you their Warrant Card first.
What to do if you have been the victim of fraud
If you have accidentally shared your bank details or handed over your card to a courier, call your bank immediately.
You can reach your bank’s fraud department directly by dialling 159.
If you are the victim of fraud, you can report it to Report Fraud (formerly known as Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040 or via reportfraud.police.uk
Read more
Hundreds of violent crimes are going unpunished in Worcester
Worcestershire volunteers do more than £4.5m in unpaid work every year
Two railway crossings to remain closed for another two years
Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take early action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks.
You can also report scam mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the fraudulent caller’s phone number.
Forward fake emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
