OVER £1m of fraud has been prevented in Hampshire in 2021 so far after the launch of a new police bank branch scheme.

Throughout the first six months of the year, branch staff at banks, building societies and post offices across Hampshire worked with police to stop £1,016,539 worth of fraud, new figures have shown.

This came as part of the Banking Protocol rapid scam response scheme which has been launched across the country by UK Finance, National Trading Standards and local police forces.

Branch staff are trained to spot the warning signs that suggest a customer may be falling victim to a scam, before alerting the police to intervene and investigate.

Figures reveal that branch staff invoked the Banking Protocol 103 times in the county between January and June, saving victims an average of £9,869 each.

Seven suspected criminals were arrested as a result in that time scale and now police are asking residents to be aware of the dangers.

Detective Sergeant Marcus Mills of Hampshire Constabulary’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “We want to remind local residents that a police officer would never call you and ask you for money. No one, not even someone from your bank, would call you and ask for your financial details or to withdraw cash

“These incidents can often have a significant impact on victims – both emotionally and financially – as they come to terms with the fact that they have fallen for a scam, and the financial losses that come with it.

"However, we are working with the banks to ensure that those individuals do not become repeat victims, educate them and their loved ones and ensure that fraudsters can no longer take advantage of Hampshire residents."

The Banking Protocol was rolled out in Hampshire in May 2017 and since March 2018, the scheme has been implemented by all 45 police forces across the UK.

It is often used to prevent impersonation scams, in which criminals imitate police or bank staff as well as romance fraud and to catch rogue traders who demand cash for unnecessary work on properties.

Customers assisted by the scheme are offered ongoing support to help prevent them from falling victim to scams in the future, including referrals to social services, expert fraud prevention advice and additional checks on future transactions.