£60,000 returned to fraud victim after police probe - officers warn others to be vigilant

A police investigation has resulted in more than £60,000 being returned to a fraud victim.
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Cleveland Police received a report via Action Fraud, the UK’s reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, that a business outside of the UK had mistakenly sent more than £62,000 to buy goods from a UK company.

A fraudster was able to trick the UK business into thinking that they were dealing with the genuine company.

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The crime is known as mandate fraud. This is when someone persuades victims to change a direct debit, standing order or bank transfer mandate, by pretending to be an organisation that receives regular payments; such as a subscription or membership organisation, or business supplier.

A Cleveland Police investigation has resulted in more than £60,000 being returned to a victim of fraud.A Cleveland Police investigation has resulted in more than £60,000 being returned to a victim of fraud.
A Cleveland Police investigation has resulted in more than £60,000 being returned to a victim of fraud.

Enquires led to more than £60,000 being located in a bank account. At this time the bank did not know who the money belonged to, but police enquiries were able to trace the money back to the victim. It will now be transferred back to the victims’ business.

Detective Sergeant Andrew King, from Cleveland Police Economic Crime Unit, said: “This is a great result for the victim, who will hopefully now be able to recover financially from the initial loss.

“Enquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible and bring them to justice. Our detectives’ actions have helped return financial security to this business and help them move forward.

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“We would like to offer some simple crime prevention advice which could help prevent people and local businesses from becoming victims of crime.

“Always remember, check it twice, or you could be paying the price.”

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