DOZENS of potential scam victims in Dyfed-Powys have been saved from losing a combined £1.4m by new banking procedures, figures have shown.

Staff at banks, building societies and Post Offices worked with the police to stop £1.4 million of fraud through the Banking Protocol rapid scam response in the Dyfed-Powys Police area in the first half of this year, according to the latest figures from UK Finance.

Between January and June this year, the data shows that 57 emergency calls were made in the Dyfed-Powys Police area, protecting customers from losing an average of £24,000 to criminals.

The Banking Protocol was rolled out by Dyfed-Powys Police in 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 and convince people to visit their bank and withdraw or transfer large sums of money.

It is also used to prevent romance fraud, in which fraudsters use fake online dating profiles to trick victims into transferring money, 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.

Katy Worobec, Managing Director of Economic Crime, UK Finance, said: “Fraud has a devastating impact on victims so partnerships like the Banking Protocol are not only crucial in helping vulnerable people, but it also stops stolen money from going on to fund other illicit activities including drug smuggling, human-trafficking and terrorism.

“Criminals have continued to capitalise on the pandemic to commit fraud, callously targeting victims through impersonation, romance, courier and rogue trader scams.

“Branch staff and the police are working on the frontline to protect people from fraud and these figures highlight the importance of their work in stopping these cruel scams and bringing the criminals to justice.”

Paul Callard, Dyfed-Powys Police’s Economic Crime Team Manager said: “Fraud is a crime that very often targets the more vulnerable members of our community and the psychological and financial impact upon victims can be traumatic, sometimes even life-changing.

“The Banking Protocol has proven to be a fantastic initiative.

“It allows us to identify vulnerable fraud victims at an early stage and, working with partner agencies, we are able to prevent further financial loss and provide support to help victims break the link with the criminals that have been targeting them.”