Thames Valley Police issued an urgent warning on February 16, 2026, about a rise in phone scams targeting people living in Oxford, Oxfordshire. These fraudsters call residents pretending to be from their bank and claim that issues with the postal service mean a new bank card must be issued immediately.
The scammers then arrange for a person to visit the resident’s home to collect the old bank card and hand over a fake replacement. During this exchange, the caller often asks the victim to provide their secret PIN or other private financial information.
Police officials state that real banks will never send a courier to your house to pick up a card or ask for a PIN during a phone call. If anyone receives a suspicious call like this, they should hang up the phone right away and never give their bank card to anyone at the door.
Coordinators from the Oxford Neighbourhood Watch are sharing this information to help protect local people from these crimes. Residents are encouraged to check on their neighbours and report any suspicious activity through the Thames Valley Alert system.
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