Tuesday 31 March 2020

@WAR - There’s something for everyone with our Digital Library Service, still available 24/7!



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library.warwickshire.gov.uk
Warwickshire Libraries - catalogue and more
books, ebooks, information, events and fun activities.
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There’s something for everyone with our Digital Library Service, still available 24/7! Including free eMagazines and eNewspapers with popular titles to download and read at your leisure. Visit bit.ly/2Uqzun3 #doitonline #BestWarwickshire #LibrariesAtHome

@SOA - Community Support & Volunteering | Find out how you can help and who can help you


@NAT - The new police regulations - What it means to the public

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@NAT - Guidance for charities and volunteers during the covid-19 pandemic


NCVO Guidance image
NCVO: Coronavirus - Advice for your organisation
NCVO has pulled together lots of guidance and resources to support charities, voluntary organisations and volunteers during the covid-19 pandemic. Visit: https://www.ncvo.org.uk

@NAT - Looking after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak


@WAR - Helping out people who are staying at home


@ALC - Alcester Police North & South SNTs. Latest Weekly Report. Sunday 29th March 2020

Alcester Police North & South SNTs. Latest Weekly Report. Sunday 29th March 2020
Community information, Alcester - Bidford - Studley - Henley

Wednesday 25 March 2020

@NAT - Coronavirus (COVID-19): MOT extentions

Coronavirus (COVID-19): MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles due before 30 March 2020

What to do if your car, van or motorcycle’s MOT due date is up to and including 29 March 2020. From 30th March 2020, MOT due dates for cars, motorcycles and light vans will be extended by six months. This is being done to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
For more information, visit the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-before-30-march-2020
Please note, there is separate guidance about what to do if your MOT due date is up to and including 29th March 2020. You can find this here: https://www.gov.uk/…/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-van
You must NOT take your vehicle for its MOT if you or someone you live with have COVID-19 symptoms, or if you’re extremely vulnerable from COVID-19.
The symptoms are:
• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
Find out what to do if you have these symptoms on the NHS website.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

***End of message ****
(Message circulated CMS to all Communities across West Mercia policing areas – please share on).

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Thursday 19 March 2020

@NAT - Scammers take advantage of COVID-19


Warwickshire County Council is warning residents that fraudsters are taking advantage of the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic to scam vulnerable people.

Since February 2020, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has identified 21 reports of fraud where the virus was mentioned, with victim losses totalling over £800K. Ten of these reports were made by victims that attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers.

Some of the scam tactics have included:

Sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails in an attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial details.

Impersonating the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Fraudsters claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of coronavirus infected people in their area. In order to access this information, the victim needs to click on a link, which leads to a malicious website, or is asked to make a payment in Bitcoin.

Selling unapproved and falsely branded products, (for example teas and essential oils), claiming they can treat or prevent the Coronavirus. There are currently no approved vaccines or drugs available to prevent or treat the disease.

Creating malicious web pages with coronavirus based domain names. These encourage Internet users to visit them, putting their computers at risk of viruses. Some are attempting to mimic genuine sources of information.

Cold calling residents offering ‘safe’ investments following falling share prices.

Taking advantage of vulnerable older people who are attempting to self-isolate. This may include offering to fetch shopping or carry out all household chores in return for cash or for divulging bank details.

Warwickshire County Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said:

“At this difficult time, look out for your vulnerable friends and family members. Keep in contact with them and abreast of all the latest information and advice about scams and health issues generally and most importantly help ensure they are safe and comfortable.”

Advice to residents:

Watch out for scam messages: Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to unsolicited messages and phone calls that ask for your personal or financial details.

Shopping online: If you’re making a purchase from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, and ask a friend or family member for advice before completing the purchase. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases. For more information on how to shop online safely, please visit: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/shoponlinesafely

Protect your devices from the latest threats: Always install the latest software and app updates to protect your devices from the latest threats. For information on how to update your devices, please visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/securing-your-devices

Keep up with all the latest help, advice and information at: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/coronavirus

Friday 13 March 2020

@NAT - FREE Call Blocker Units

FREE Call Blocker Units For People Receiving Scam Or Nuisance Phone Calls
*** APPLY ASAP - DO NOT DELAY ***
The National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team has secured government funding to provide free* call blocking units to help protect people in receipt of scam or nuisance phone calls and feel their circumstance may make them more likely to fall for a scam.
Applications can be made through their website: www.FriendsAgainstScams.org.uk/callblocker
What Is A Call Blocker And How Does It Work?
The NTS Scams Team is supplying the trueCall Secure Plus call blocker unit. A call blocker is a unit that filters unwanted scam or nuisance phone calls (more info here) from your landline (this unit does not work with mobile phones). You can watch some short animations on how the unit works here. The call blocker checks the caller's number. If it is a trusted caller then it allows the phone to ring as normal. If the caller isn’t recognised, then the call blocker acts as a personal assistant by intercepting the call and asking the caller to identify themselves. This process blocks unwanted calls without the phone ever ringing. If you want even more protection, the call blocker can completely block calls from unrecognised callers with an automated message asking them to hang up and call a nominated person if their call is important. The unit plugs into an existing phone and phone line, it can work alongside broadband and/or lifeline/pendant devices that are already installed.
Further Information
The unit can be installed and set up by a qualified engineer from QubeGB who will show you how to manage the unit's settings. At installation you will be asked to complete a short survey and consent form. The NTS Scams Team may contact the applicant at three months after installation, to carry out another survey.
To find out if you (or someone you know) is eligible for a free call blocker to be fitted, please apply online. Please note we have a very limited number of units and they will be allocated on a first come first served basis.
What Happens Next?
• You can apply for either yourself or someone else by completing a short online survey with their consent.
• Receive the call blocker (can take up one month for your unit to arrive) along with a welcome letter detailing how to arrange an installation date and time.
• A QubeGB engineer arrives at the arranged date and time to install the call blocker and completes the installation survey and consent form. Please note that there is a self-installation option, more information on this will arrive with the unit.
• After three months, a member of the NTS Scams Team may contact the user to complete a short survey over the phone.
****There is no charge associated with obtaining a free call blocker. However, on the day of installation and every Sunday after, the unit will perform a link through the phone line to trueCall’s head office (0208 area code in London). This may incur a cost charged at your standard call rate if your call tariff does not include free weekend and evening calls.
• If they would prefer not to have this happen, it can always be switched off and no charges can occur.
During this link, the unit will transfer a list of the recently blocked scam and nuisance calls for the National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team to investigate. However, the unit will also perform this link if it is reset (e.g. turned on/off, unplugged/plugged in, during a power cut). The NTS Scams Team recommends that once installed, you do not unplug or switch off the unit from the power or from your phone to avoid any unnecessary charges.
At no point will anyone contact you out of the blue from the project and request money. QubeGB will only contact you to arrange an installation date if you haven’t made contact within two weeks of receiving your call blocker in the post.
The trueCall Secure Plus call blocking unit comes with three years free access to the internet control panel. This control panel allows you to view incoming and outgoing calls and you are able to set up the unit preferences. However, after three years you are asked to opt in to continue this service which is currently £10 for one year, £15 for two years or £20 for three years access. However the control panel isn’t needed for the unit to work.
If you would like to apply on behalf of any consumers, you can do so from today as an organisation on behalf. If consumers would like to apply for themselves, or on behalf of family/friends, applications open at 9am on Friday.

Tuesday 3 March 2020

@STT - Stratford SNT Newsletter


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