Bank and police join forces to save victims over £1m from fraud

Police and banks join forces to fight back against fraud

BANKS and police have joined forces in a rapid response scheme to fight back against fraudsters in Hampshire – saving innocent victims from being scammed out of £1.4m in 2018.

The Banking Protocol initiative, which was developed in partnership with National Trading Standards, trains bank branch staff to spot the signs of a scam and what to do when a customer is at risk.

If a staff member suspects a customer is being tricked by a fraudster – for example, if someone is making an unusually large cash withdrawal – they will speak to the potential victim and ask questions.

If their suspicions are confirmed, the staff member can then invoke the Banking Protocol and contact police, who will send a priority response to the branch and investigate the suspected fraud.

A total of seven arrests were made by Hampshire Constabulary last year through the initiative, while in total 247 emergency calls were received.

The latest figures reveal that across the country the scheme has prevented £38m of fraud and led to 231 arrests in 2018. Pensioners are the main group of people targeted.

The Banking Protocol was rolled out by Hampshire Constabulary in June 2017. Since March 2018, the scheme has been implemented by all 45 police forces across the UK. All the main high street banks and the Post Office are now fully signed up.