@WAR - Warwickshire Trading Standards Alerts

Please feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.). 21/01/2016 For a safer home, register your appliances now 21/01/2016 PayPal friends and family warning 20/01/2016 Blue badge renewal copycats 20/01/2016 Gumtree cheque fraud warning 18/01/2016 Get Safe Online launch new phishing scams awareness campaign Recent Articles: 14/01/2016 Gumtree sellers scam warning 13/01/2016 Buying or selling a property? Don’t be duped by fraudsters 12/01/2016 Stratford car dealer given suspended prison sentence 08/01/2016 Current email spam scams! 21/12/2015 Car clocker pleads guilty to fraud

Our mailing address is: Warwickshire County Council Shire Hall Warwick, Warwickshire CV34 4RL United Kingdom

@SOU - Southam SNT Newsletter

Incident No.0288 - 08/12/15

Theft – London End, Priors Marston. A large cardboard box containing Dinky & Corgi Toys (cars) removed from garden shed at the rear of property.

Incident No.0183 - 10/12/15 

           

Theft - Priors Marston. A White Daf Truck Horse Box stolen from rural farm.

Incident No.0058 - 17/12/15

Burglary (non dwelling) – Key Lane, Priors Marston. Garden shed at rear of property broken into. Various garden tools taken.

Incident No.0161 - 30/12/15

Theft – The Square, Long Itchington. Single axle Ifor Williams trailer with spare wheel stolen. Securing chain had been cut with bolt cutters.

Incident No.0078 - 31/12/15

Theft - South Parade, Harbury. Childs Motor cross bike (Blue & White) and adults petrol Go-Ped scooter taken between 21-31.Dec 2015.

Incident No.0024 - 04/01/16

Damage – Mill Street, Harbury. Rear window smashed on Ford S Max parked on road. No entry believed made into vehicle and nothing stolen.

FULL NEWSLETTER

@SOU - Trailer therfts

We have had a couple of incidents trailer thefts

 

Incident 164 - 30/12/15 - overnight a Single axle metal Ifor Williams trailer with spare wheel was stolen from a residential property in Long Itchington the trailer was secured.

 

Incident 130 - 13/01/16 between 09/01/15 - 10/01/15 A 8x4 wooden and metal trailer with drop down tail board was stolen from a property in Southam.

 

Incident 248 - 14/01/2016 -  between 15.00hrs - 18.00hrs a single axle Ifor Williams trailer was stolen from a farm near Calcutt. The trailer had a drop down tail board.

 

Please attempt to secure your trailer with a clamp, make it harder for the criminal by attaching a chain and make a note of the chassis number.

 

A hightop silver transit type van bearing an irish number plate has been reported on farms, two males have approached farmers asking if they would like to buy garden furniture.  Please make a decreet note of vehicle registration markers that you do not recognise or should not be on your farm please advise the team at Southam.

 

Kind regards

 

Katrina

 

Southam Farm watch
Telephone 01926 684984
Email SouthamFarmWatch@Warwickshire.pnn.police.uk
Voicemail 14984

Please access our website www.safer-neighbourhoods.co.uk for the latest news in the Stratford District and also Southam SNT newsletters. In a non emergency or to report a crime dial 101

@WAR - Warwickshire Trading Standards alerts

Please feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.).

08/01/2016 Current email spam scams! By Simon Cripwell on Jan 08, 2016 01:41 pm Some of the latest email scams encouraging consumers and businesses to visit bogus websites or download attachments containing viruses. Bogus penalty charge notice To Whom It May Concern, Please find attached an invoice relating to Penalty Charge Notice Number along with a copy of the contravention. In order to prevent this fine from escalating further we have paid this fine on your behalf. Should you have any queries concerning these charges please don’t hesitate to contact me. Payment for this invoice will be taken by Direct Debit 9 working days from the date of this email. Please refer to page 2, point 3.6 in your Terms and Conditions for information on Traffic Offences. These bogus emails are accompanied by attachments which contain computer viruses. NEVER open attachments in unusual or suspicious emails. Bogus emails rarely contain the recipients own name. Beware of any email marked 'To Whom It May Concern' or 'To the Recipient' etc. Bogus on-line banking email We're sοrry, but you've exceeded the number οf attempts at entering your security details, so we've suspended your access to Internet Βanking. You'll need to reset your memοrable infοrmation. Unlock your accοunt here These bogus emails encourage recipients to follow a link to a bogus website where users names and passwords may be stolen. Read in browser »    Recent Articles: 21/12/2015 Car clocker pleads guilty to fraud 17/12/2015 New Year! New Rights! 16/12/2015 iphone 6 for £1 scam 16/12/2015 Debt scam 14/12/2015 Christmas counterfeits warning

@WAR - Warwickshire Trading Standards email alerts

Warwickshire Trading Standards email alerts. Please feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.).

17/12/2015 New Year! New Rights! 16/12/2015 iphone 6 for £1 scam 16/12/2015 Debt scam 14/12/2015 Christmas counterfeits warning

17/12/2015 New Year! New Rights! By Simon Cripwell on Dec 17, 2015 01:35 pm With the recent introduction of the new Consumer Rights Act, Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards has produced a top tips guide for Christmas and New Year bargain hunters. Read in browser » 16/12/2015 iphone 6 for £1 scam By Simon Cripwell on Dec 16, 2015 02:18 pm A Warwickshire resident reported being scammed on social media after seeing in advert for a chance to get a new iphone 6 for £1. The consumer paid her £1 with a credit card and then had £75 taken from her account! No iphone was sent. Fraudsters use social media to disseminate their scams and contact consumers. 'Free' offers may not be all they seem. 'If an offer seems too good to be true it usually is!' Beware hidden small print. NEVER reveal your debit or credit card details to anyone you don't know or trust. Read in browser » 16/12/2015 Debt scam By Simon Cripwell on Dec 16, 2015 02:10 pm A local resident reported receiving a bogus phone call from someone falsely claiming to represent the Citizens Advice Bureau, an organisation that  advises consumers on debt issues. The caller claimed that the resident had a debt (which was untrue) and was phoning to set up a direct debit to pay it off! NEVER provide any personal or financial information to cold callers. Read in browser » 14/12/2015 Christmas counterfeits warning By Simon Cripwell on Dec 14, 2015 09:41 am In a rush to buy those last minute gifts? Warwickshire Trading Standards warn consumers not to be caught out by Christmas counterfeits. Read in browser »   Recent Articles: 11/12/2015 Publication scams 11/12/2015 Bogus Warwickshire County Council callers 11/12/2015 Young cyber-criminal campaign 10/12/2015 ‘Free’ mattresses door to door Whitnash and Leamington Spa 10/12/2015 Virgin Media ‘blocked’ and other bogus emails

@WAR - Trading Standards Update

03/12/2015 The data cycle – how your information shared and sold! 03/12/2015 Trading Standards business news Winter 2015 03/12/2015 Mandate fraud warning to Warwickshire businesses 03/12/2015 Hoverboard safety warning 03/12/2015 Farmers warned of targeted fraud attacks 30/11/2015 Your Christmas shopping rights 30/11/2015 Why do I get unwanted phone calls? This video shows you why 30/11/2015 Dangerous dolls seized

03/12/2015 The data cycle – how your information shared and sold! By Simon Cripwell on Dec 03, 2015 12:18 pm The data cycle -- showing how one person's personal data can be used, passed on and re-used in ways that people may not expect. Gives advice about what to do to reduce nuisance calls. Watch Read in browser » 03/12/2015 Trading Standards business news Winter 2015 By Simon Cripwell on Dec 03, 2015 12:13 pm Trading Standards business news Winter 2015 In this issue: Festive food safety; Top tips for exporters and illicit alcohol Read in browser » 03/12/2015 Mandate fraud warning to Warwickshire businesses By Simon Cripwell on Dec 03, 2015 11:21 am Warwickshire businesses are warned to beware of mandate fraud. Mandate Fraud is also known as Creditor Fraud, Payment Diversion Fraud and Supplier Account Takeover Fraud. This fraud involves the changing of account details for supplier or customer accounts in order to gain control of an account and benefit from unauthorised payments. This could include changing of bank details in a direct debit, manipulation of credit card activity, or changing of an employee’s bank account details for their salary, particularly when a bonus is due. Changing bank accounts is an unusual occurrence and therefore any request to update records should be treated with suspicion. Changes should be authorised at a senior level. Fraudsters rely on the Payee (Company) name not being checked by the Banks. In most cases, only the Sort Code and Account Number are checked by the receiving bank. Additionally, company details, including signatures on published accounts, are copied from the internet. All companies and organisations are urged to ensure that they have robust authorisation and monitoring procedures in place for the creation and changing of bank details and monitoring of payments. This also applies when providing account details in order to set up new payments or amend them. More information Read in browser » 03/12/2015 Hoverboard safety warning By Simon Cripwell on Dec 03, 2015 09:52 am More than 17,000 self-balancing scooters – or ‘hoverboards’– have been examined at national entry points since 15 October due to safety concerns. Of these, over 15,000 (or 88%) have been assessed as unsafe and have been detained at the border. Officers at UK ports and borders have seen a huge spike in the number of these items arriving in recent weeks, destined to end up as gifts under the tree this Christmas. More information Advice to consumers and businesses: Never leave the device charging unattended – especially overnight: a faulty cut-off switch (designed to stop the battery from continuing to charge once fully charged) or a plug without a fuse, as seen in many products detained so far, could lead to the device overheating, exploding or catching fire. Check the device: things to look out for include the shape of the plug – the first unsafe products identified often had a clover-shaped plug. Also check the device for markings or traceable information, such as the name and contact details of the manufacturer and / or importer. If buying online, look closely at the website before you hit the ‘buy’ button: Try searching for reviews of the product or the seller – do these seem genuine? Are there lots of spelling or grammar mistakes on the site? This can be a clue that a business is not professionally run. See if you can find out where the company’s head office is based – and whether that fits with how the website presents itself. Do they have a landline number you can call if there are any problems? Bear in mind that if the company is based abroad, it can be more difficult to get a complaint dealt with or return a faulty product. Read the small print – notice if anything seems odd, repetitive or in incorrect English. Is there an ‘s’ at the end of the ‘http’ part of the web address, or is there a padlock symbol in the task bar? This means the website is using an encrypted system that keeps your details more secure. Don’t be dazzled by a bargain: Are the prices incredibly low? If they look too good to be true, they probably are – particularly if some of your other checks have put doubts in your mind. Be aware that criminals exploit high demand: When items like self-balancing scooters start to sell out at well-known retailers, the void is quickly filled by crooks churning out poor quality imitations that can put people in danger. Don’t ‘panic buy’ from the first website you find – do your usual common-sense checks. Report it: National Trading Standards needs your help to clamp down on unsafe products from abroad. If you believe that any online or face-to-face seller is selling potentially dangerous goods, or something you’ve bought has made you suspicious, report it to Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06. Buying online for onward sale online? If you do this you are assuming the legal responsibilities of a business to ensure that what you’re selling complies with product safety and intellectual property legislation. More information for importers Read in browser » 03/12/2015 Farmers warned of targeted fraud attacks By Simon Cripwell on Dec 03, 2015 09:42 am Farmers are being warned to be extremely wary of any suspicious calls, texts or emails as fraudsters specifically target the agricultural sector when EU grant payments begin to arrive in bank accounts month. More information Read in browser » 30/11/2015 Your Christmas shopping rights By Simon Cripwell on Nov 30, 2015 01:25 pm A useful guide to your Christmas shopping rights launched by Which? Read in browser » 30/11/2015 Why do I get unwanted phone calls? This video shows you why By Simon Cripwell on Nov 30, 2015 12:57 pm The data cycle showing how one person's personal data can be used, passed on and re-used in ways that people may not expect. The video also gives advice about what to do to reduce nuisance calls. Read in browser » 30/11/2015 Dangerous dolls seized By Simon Cripwell on Nov 30, 2015 12:21 pm Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service was able to seize over 60 fake and dangerous Maleficent dolls before they reached the shop shelves in time for Christmas. Read in browser »   Recent Articles: 27/11/2015 Local traders warned to beware of cold calls from bogus publishers 27/11/2015 Dyson service bogus engineers 27/11/2015 Loan scam warning 26/11/2015 Indesit and Hotpoint issue fire-risk warnings over tumble dryers 26/11/2015 Trading Standards offer help as Black Friday approaches

@NAT - Protect your Cards and PINs

This is a Neighbourhood Watch message sent to you by Cheltenham Police 

Between 1^st January and 14^th November 2015 there have been a total of 53 crimes where a distraction method has been used to carry out a theft or attempted theft offence at a supermarket. 

Since the start of the year the following number of offences have taken place:

·         Cheltenham -15 offences

·         Tewkesbury - 11 offences

·         Gloucester - 8 offences

There have been 12 offences across Gloucestershire in November alone and the number may increase as we approach the busy Christmas shopping period.  

It would seem that offenders are hanging around at supermarket cash point machines or the quick checkout tills trying to obtain the credit or debit card pin numbers used by shoppers. They then attempt to obtain the card itself by a form of distraction either at the supermarket or on the victim’s journey home. The most common distraction method used is to ask directions (often to the hospital) while the victim is putting bags into their car but others such as pointing out a fictitious problem with the victim’s car have been used.

It seems that the most likely people to be targeted for this new type of crime are older female shoppers who are on their own.

Please be aware of anyone following you around the store, car park or hanging around near the tills and cash point machines at supermarkets. If you notice anyone acting in this manner please do not hesitate to bring it to the attention of a member of staff at the store. Also where possible go shopping with someone else and be cautious when using your pin number wherever you shop. If you discover your cards are missing report the loss to your bank and police straight away. If you witness anything suspicious at supermarkets please report it to the police by ringing 101 or email on 101@gloucestershire.pnn.police.uk