Quick-thinking police officers rescue pensioner's £4,250 parcel destined for London scammers
Quick-thinking police officers in Penarth have prevented a pensioner from being scammed out of more than £4,000 by intercepting a parcel on its way to scammers in London.
The money belonged to an 80-year-old lady called Anne, who had received a fraudulent phone call from people claiming to be from her bank.
They falsely told Anne that money had been taken out of her bank account and that, if she sent them money, they could retrieve it for her.
Although a few hours after posting the money, Anne realised she had been tricked and contacted South Wales Police.
Officers PC Jay Monk and PC Nicholas Beynon then visited Anne's home and discovered she had used Royal Mail special delivery to send £4,250 in cash in a box to a London address.
The quick-witted officers then sprung into action to stop the delivery reaching its destination.
PC Monk and PC Beynon used the delivery's tracking number to discover the parcel was due to leave Cardiff destined for London.
The officers then headed for the Penarth Road sorting office hoping to get either the driver's contact number or a message to the Royal Mail premises in London.
But PC Monk and PC Beynon managed to make it quickly enough to the sorting office to get the parcel before the driver could leave.
South Wales Police said if the parcel had managed to make it to London, it may have meant chasing it through the system and it may have ultimately been too late to reach.
Anne was said to be "delighted" when PC Monk and PC Beynon gladly returned the money to her, South Wales Police added.
The incident has been reported to the Metropolitan Police and Action Fraud.
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