Taylors Lane Closure 21st October 08:00 to 23rd October 17:00
The latest edition of the newsletter for Neighbourhood Watch supporters across England and Wales.
Here are some highlights in October’s edition:
*Enjoy photos and stories from our National Crime and Community Conference, and celebrate the winners of this year’s Volunteer Recognition Awards
*You’re invited to complete our 2024 Crime and Community Survey before 31st October (click this link to complete the survey)
*The MLA shares tips on keeping your home secure as we approach winter
*SimpliSafe gives guidance on home security during the darker nights
READ THE OCTOBER NEWSLETTER HERE.
We hope you enjoy this edition – please share it far and wide with your communities!
ROMANCE FRAUDS
Romance Frauds continue to cause both financial and mental harm to their victims, hence our need to cover this topic more frequently to make everyone aware of its dangers.
Whilst the majority of people using dating sites are genuine and honest, users should always be vigilant when discovering new relationships online to protect yourself and your bank account.
Check that the dating site you are using is a member of the Online Dating Association (ODA) which offers levels of protection, and also a means to report abuse of the site online. Never be afraid to report a suspected scammer to the ODA, as you should not be the person to feel ashamed.
Ways to spot a Scam:
- Remember scammers are after only one thing – your money
- Do not provide too much personal information on a Dating Site profile
- Look out for spelling and grammatical errors in their Profile
- The person you are talking to tries to get you to move from the dating site onto a Chat site early in the relationship
- Declarations of love start flowing too early in the contact; they will tug at your heartstrings and send messages of tenderness or neediness
- The scammer will play on your emotions with sad stories about needing money to exit a country, or to come and meet you, or for finance for medical expenses for sick relations and many, many more plausible stories
- Never respond to requests to send money to someone you have only just met especially if they ask for payments by Gift Cards or Bitcoins which may be untraceable afterwards
- Scammers may suggest they want to send you money and ask you for details of your bank account so they can then access it – NEVER give out bank account details
- Beware of requests for finance to help set up a new business, or even to pay for an ongoing business operation
- Never share personal images of yourself that are revealing and inappropriate with anyone you have never met; these very often lead to blackmail situations
- Scammers may also request money to be sent to a named bank account, but the name on that account will not be the one from their online profile, and may well be in another country
- And finally, never be rushed into making any decision, if you are unsure then sign off, talk to a friend or relative and if still unsure, block that contact to save any further problems.
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DVSA Scam
Texts have been circulating recently claiming to be from the DVSA and telling the recipient they “Have a Parking penalty due”
and “if you do not pay your fine on time, your car may be banned from driving, you might have to pay more or you could be taken to court”
Firstly, DVSA does not deal with parking fines so never send such texts, and secondly the texts are easily recognised by the date format, as well as spelling and grammatical errors.
Do not click any links in the message; just delete it straight away.
Please feel free to share this information with any family, friends, or neighbours that you think it may be able to assist.
IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BEING SCAMMED OR DO NOT RECOGNISE THE CONTACT
Take Five to Stop Fraud
- STOP: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
- CHALLENGE: Could it be fake? It’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
- PROTECT: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam
and report it to Action Fraud
If you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk.
Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take early action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. Scam mobile calls can also be forwarded to 7726, followed by the word “CALL”, then the scam phone number
Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk
For further information visit:
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/
With darker nights still upon us, some simple ways to protect your home.
Popping out of the house?
- Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes!
- Double-lock any door
- Make sure that any valuables are out of sight – this includes leaving packaging from outside of your house
- Keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening
- Never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways
- In the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on
- If you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night
- Set your burglar alarm
- Make sure the side gate is locked
- Lock your shed or garage
- Lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor
Going away?
- If you’re off on holiday and wish to post anything on social media, make sure your posts aren’t public and that they’re only seen by your friends – you don’t want potential burglars to know your house will be unattended!
- Leave lights and a radio on a timer to make your house appears occupied
- Ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property, or you could join a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme to keep in touch with those in your street
- Consider asking your neighbours to close curtains after dark
- If your driveway will be empty – you could also ask a neighbour to park on there to deter burglars from breaking in
- Remember to cancel newspaper and milk deliveries – you don’t want these piling up on your doorstep!
Our website offers further crime prevention advice:
Crime prevention advice | West Mercia Police
If you need us, you can contact us directly by replying to this message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also get in touch via our website:
https://www.westmercia.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
Or in an emergency please call 999.