Police Scotland hunting courier scammers who stole at least £10,000 from an Inverness resident; urges Highland folk to beware of similar incidents

Police have urged Highland residents to beware after a courier scam conned an Inverness resident out of at least £10,000.

Officers are investigating the theft in Slackbuie on Friday, which involved a “five-figure sum”, and have urged residents to be vigilant in case the thieves try to strike again elsewhere.

The scam involves people receiving a call from someone posing as a bank or financial institution official or fraud investigator, alerting them to account activity/fraudulent activity on their account.

The victim was then instructed to visit their bank to withdraw money and pass it to a courier, who would then ask for a password. They are told this is part of an inquiry into bank staff.

Inspector Emma Wright said: "We are asking members of the public to be aware of scams and take precautions to avoid becoming a victim.

"These criminals are experts at impersonating people and organisations, so we would urge people to be vigilant.

"Bank staff and the police will never contact you to ask you to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier.

"If you receive a call like this we would urge you to stop and think. If you are in any doubt at all, hang up and contact the bank.

“This can be done using the phone number on the back of your card or official paperwork. If the caller is genuine, they will understand your hesitation, don’t feel pressured to handing over details or withdrawing money.

“We would encourage people to share this information with any elderly relatives or neighbours to ensure they are aware of these scams and how they can take precautions to avoid becoming a victim.”

Anyone who thinks they may have fallen victim to this scam is asked to contact 101.