Police in the Midlands have warned the public after a fraudster used a new twist on courier fraud to target a vulnerable woman in Leicester, then came back to her home and stole jewellery. Leicestershire Police said two people had recently been targeted, prompting the fresh alert over a scam that begins with a call from someone pretending to be police or bank staff.

Leicestershire Police said the victims were contacted on Tuesday, May 12 by someone claiming to work for Leicester Police. In one case, the victim handed over a bank card and PIN number at her home in Abbey Ward, Leicester, before the same fraudster returned and stole jewellery. The suspect told her he would keep the jewellery safe at the police station in case she was burgled.

The case has pushed police to spell out how courier fraud works. A scammer first calls a victim and tries to win trust by confirming basic details such as a name, address and other information already known to them. Once that trust is built, the caller may claim there has been fraud on a bank account or say they are investigating counterfeit currency. In some cases the victim is persuaded to withdraw cash from a branch, then a courier collects it from the home.

Nicole McIntyre, speaking for the force, said it was unusual for a suspect to return to the address and steal jewellery as well. She said the scam relies on confidence and speed, and that the people targeted are often elderly or vulnerable. She also said the fraudsters can sound convincing enough to make the call seem legitimate.

“While the courier fraud scam is one we are very familiar with, and is always one of concern, it is unusual that the suspect has returned to the address and also stolen jewellery,” McIntyre said. “Suspects target elderly or vulnerable people and often sound genuine to gain the trust of the victims.”

McIntyre said the fact the victim had already handed over her bank card and PIN appeared to have made her even more exposed to further abuse. “Clearly, knowing the victim has already handed over her bank card and PIN he has returned exploiting her vulnerability once more,” she said.

Police said banks and officers would not contact people in this way. McIntyre urged anyone who gets a call like that to end it immediately. “We want to remind people that police or banks would not contact people in this way. If you get a call like this hang up,” she said.

The warning comes as courier fraud continues to work because it borrows the authority of public institutions and turns it against the very people most likely to trust them. For Leicester and the wider Midlands, the message from this case is blunt: a call that sounds official can still lead to a stranger at the door, and a return visit can turn a financial scam into a burglary as well.