Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network’s national e-newsletter - December 2013
Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network’s national e-newsletter - November 2013
Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network (England and Wales) - October 2013
Just scroll down for the latest NW news from around the District, County and further afield
Sunday, 29 December 2013
@NAT - Public WIFI - Securing your life online
Advice from the identity theft experts:
The lowdown on public WIFI
The lowdown on public WIFI
A recent study conducted by Experian Consumer Services revealed the following facts about our Public WIFI use in the UK.
- Half of Britons who use public WIFI, don't know whether it's secure
- One in ten use public WIFI for online banking
- 36% of WIFI hotspots checked in London were completely unsecure
While these statistics are quite shocking, there's no need to panic with our great tips on staying safe online...
- Where possible, save important tasks like online banking until you are at home on a secure network
- Turn off automatic connection on your devices
- Check for the padlock icon at the left of the address bar or for 'https' in the URL which are signs that the site is secure
- Consider getting a personal VPN which can protect your data as it travels over open WIFI connections
Friday, 27 December 2013
@NAT - HSBC's advice on preventing online fraud
Online fraud is one of crime's growth areas.
CLICK FOR ADVICE from this high street bank on staying safe.
CLICK FOR ADVICE from this high street bank on staying safe.
Friday, 6 December 2013
@WAR - 5 Thefts of Landrover Defenders in Warwickshire
Please feel free to share both the information on Cyber Safety
(attached) and the alert below on thefts of Landrover Defender vehicles
with your neighbours, friends, family and general community.
Please be aware that we have identified a trend of Landrover
Defenders being stolen, so far mainly in the south of the county.
Thieves appear to be able to bypass the security and ignition systems to enter and drive away the vehicles and, we are asking owners to take simple additional precautions to protect their property.
If you have a garage, please store your vehicle in it whenever possible.
Use a steering lock overnight or when leaving the vehicle unattended.
Consider fitting a Tracker system
Please spread this message to friends and relatives who own Landrover vehicles. Finally, please be actively on the lookout for suspicious persons or activity around Landrover Defender vehicles and report anything that you consider to be of concern, to Police, on 101.
Thank you.
Julie Dale
Warwickshire Police
@WAR - Scams you may have missed
One document from Trading Standards with all the warnings since Feb 2013.
Latest Email Alerts (pdf, 435 Kb)
More information and advice from Warwickshire Direct:
Rogue traders and scams
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
@WAR - Advent Scams from Trading Standards
03/12/2013 BT Scam
BT
customers are warned to beware of bogus emails that state ‘This e-mail has been sent to you by BT Internet to inform you that we were
unable to process your most recent payment of bill.’ The phishing email
asks the recipient to flow a link in the email to update their billing
information! Never respond to bogus emails or click on the links they contain.
If you think the email is genuine, contact the business via its website.
03/12/2013 Doors to Door
Mattress sellers
Warwickshire
Trading Standards has received reports that mattress sellers are selling these
products door to door in the Rugby and Wellesbourne areas. Consumers reported the
items being sold from a large white van.
These
sales are often an indication that the mattresses are cheap imports that do not
meet fire resistance standards. It's a criminal offence for a furniture
supplier not to meet the safety standards. Always buy upholstered furniture
from bona fide suppliers you know and trust.
03/12/2013 Road Planing
Warning
Householders
and businesses are warned ot beware of rogue traders offering plane driveways
(skim then with tarmac). One consumer was offered a price of £0.95 per square
foot, but on completion the trade demanded an inflated price of £2750. Never
buy services from people offering tarmac a surfacing work door to door.
03/12/2013 ‘Google’
Advertising Con
Businesses
are warned to beware of cold callers claiming to be able to promote their
businesses website to the top of any google search/offer tope three search
google ad. One caller took £118 from a local trader but appeared to do no work
at all.
03/12/2012 ‘Moneymaking’
Scheme
A
Warwickshire consumer reported to Trading Standards registering for a ‘money
making scheme’ on a traders website. The resident then received a phone call
from the trader who asked for bank details, claiming that no funds would be
payable until ‘registration’ was complete. However, having done so almost £1300
was immediately taken from the resident’s bank account. The ‘scheme’ was a
scam!
03/12/2013 Postal Cash
Winner
A
consumer reported to Trading Standards receiving two identical letters claiming
she had won a £20,000 prize. You can’t win a competition you have not entered!
03/12/2013 Call Blocking
Scam
More
Warwickshire consumers are complaining to Warwickshire Trading standards that
they have received calls that would appear to be from outside the UK offering
call blocking services. The callers claim to be able to block nuisance calls
for a fee. In reality they usually do nothing or at best register the consumer
with the Telephone Preference Service, a free service.
03/12/2013 PPI Scam
A
consumer was cold called and told he was entitled to £3200 compensation for
miss-sold PPI, if the consumer first paid £320 in UKash vouchers. No consumer
should have to pay anything to claim PPI. In addition, a request for an upfront
payment in UKash vouchers is a clear sign that this is a scam.
03/12/2013 Money Laundering
Warning
A
Warwickshire resident, who posted their CV on a UK based job website received
an unusual email from a South African company offering him a salary of £27,600
+ 8% commission on each transaction. In return the job hunter was asked to
transfer and receive funds using their own bank account. This is in fact money
laundering where the job seeker is employed to transfer criminal assets, a criminal
offence.
03/12/2013 Small Ads
Scam
A
Warwickshire consumer agreed to purchase a television from a private seller
through a local advertisement. The seller advised the consumer that they would
deliver the television if the consumer would cover the cost of delivery. The
consumer agreed and the seller asked for £30 to be paid in advance using untraceable
UKash vouchers to the courier. They were then asked for a further £50 for ‘insurance’
and £20 for ‘change of deeds’, this time directly by the courier. The consumer
paid out a total of £80 but did not receive the television. The consumer has no
contact details for either the seller or the courier. Trading Standards believe
that the courier and the seller may have been the same person and that the
consumer is a victim of advanced fee fraud.
03/12/2013 Loan Scam
A
consumer reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards being the victim of a loan
scam. The consumer applied for a loan online which was approved but before the
consumer could receive the funds the rogue trader requested a ‘refundable’
insurance payment of £129 and a further £175 to ‘release’ the funds. The
consumer waited but did not receive the loan. The rogue trader then contacted
him again requesting a further £195 due to a ‘software’ issue. This last
request was not paid.
03/12/2013 OFT Scam
A
Warwickshire resident reported to Trading Standards receiving a bogus phone
call from someone pretending to be from the OFT (Office of Fair Trading). The
call lasted for five minutes and the caller stated that the consumer was
entitled to £4,500 as she was a ‘good citizen’. The caller provided a phone
number for the resident to dial to claim her money!
Please
feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate
(including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.).
If you have any information you wish to provide to
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or
to appear in future email alerts, please email me.
For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams
For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
Tel: 01926 414039
Mob: 07771 975570
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Saturday, 23 November 2013
@NAT - Courier Scams
If you’re contacted by your bank asking you to cancel your debit card following suspicious activity you might feel relieved that you’re accounts are being well protected... or you could be about to fall for a cunning scam.
Read more: http://www.money.co.uk/article/1009890-warning-courier-scams.htm#ixzz2lVyVhnxp
Called the 'Courier Scam', it's targeting elderly and vulnerable people across the UK and has already caused many to hand over their savings.
Read more: http://www.money.co.uk/article/1009890-warning-courier-scams.htm#ixzz2lVyVhnxp
@WAR - Darker Nights Campaign
Take A Few Simple Steps To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Burglary
- Set a timer switch to turn your lights on when it gets dark – unlit houses are a give away that no one is at home.
- Lock your doors, patios and downstairs windows - even when you are in. Make sure you double check them again before you go to bed.
- If you have a burglar alarm, make sure you set it when you got out and also when you go to bed.
- Don’t leave car keys, ID cards or valuables near windows, doors or letterboxes, where burglars can reach through to steal them.
- Lock your garden gates and side entrances. Don’t leave tools lying around in the garden which could be used to break in to your home.
If you have information about a burglary phone the police on 101
@WAR - Latest Incidents reported to Warwickshire Police
Please be advised that we had two incidents reported this morning.
Between Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd November a Catalytic converter was stolen from a VW Vivaro van parked on the Kineton Rd Industrial Estate incident 94 - 22/11/13 refers.
Catalytic marking kits can be purchased from Southam Police station or NHW Sainsbury's, Leamington Shopping Park, Leamington Spa for £5.00.
Also overnight a Landrover Defender had its bonnet and spare wheel stolen from Westfield Rd Southam. Incident 67 - 22/11/13
If you have any information regarding the above please contact Warwickshire Police on 101.
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
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
@WAR - Beware fake car insurance
Warwickshire and West Mercia motorists warned about fake insurance
Drivers
across Warwickshire and West Mercia are being warned about fraudsters
selling fake motor insurance policies over the internet or in person.
The
warning has been issued by Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williamson,
who heads cyber crime investigation for the two forces.
Hundreds of motorists in various parts of the country have already been conned by the practice – known as “ghost broking”.
Monday, 11 November 2013
@NAT - Suspicious Activity - Some examples and a surprising consequence
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY, CALL 101
EMERGENCIES CALL 999
“Suspicious”, dictionary definition; “inclined or tending to believe that something is wrong”
Phrases used in police bulletins
‘Anyone who saw anything suspicious’
‘Report anyone acting suspiciously’
The above phrases have been taken from recent online police incident reports and I wonder how many people would have responded if they had realised that what they had seen was ‘suspicious’?
And to develop this a bit further, how many people would recognise suspicious activity in any context.
MORE INCLUDING THE SURPRISING CONSEQUENCE
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Thursday, 17 October 2013
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Friday, 11 October 2013
@NAT - National Personal Safety Day 14th October 2013
| Subject: National Personal Safety Day 14th October 2013 | ||||||
|
||||||
|
@WAR - Recent scams reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Recent scam
reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Follow
us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
11/10/2013 ‘Ministry
of Justice’ Scam
A consumer
reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards receiving up to six aggressive phone
calls from someone falsely claiming to be calling from the Ministry of Justice.
The caller had told the consumer that they were due a £4500 Government payment
but had to pay £199 in ‘solicitors fees’ first which he offered to come and
collect from the consumers home! More on scams: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams
11/10/2013 Pension
Transfer Warning!
A consumer
reported receiving a text message from a company that was offering to transfer
his pension in order to put him at a ‘financial advantage’. Consumers are warned
to beware of these offers. Many people have lost their pensions as a result of
transferring them because they were then charged huge fees. Take independent
financial advice before making any pension decision!
11/10/2013 Cold
Callers
Several
consumer have reported receiving unexpected phone calls from people claiming to
be able to stop cold calls for a fee. One caller claimed the cost would be
£1.90 and asked for the consumer’s bank details. Another said the payment would
be a one off £79.99 charge that would block calls for ‘life’. Many of these
callers simply take payment either for doing nothing or for registering the
consumer with the Telephone Preference Service, something a consumer can do
free of charge by visiting www.tpsonline.org.uk
11/10/2013 Personal
Injury Scam
A
Warwickshire resident reported receiving a phone call from someone offering to
represent the consumer if she made a personal injury claim for a car accident
she had had two years previously. The consumer made the caller aware that no
one had been injured in the accident but the caller claimed this did not matter
as long as she was willing to claim she had suffered back pain for at least six
weeks.
11/10/2013 Loan
Con
A consumer
reported receiving a phone call from someone who claimed the resident was owed
a refund on a home improvement loan. The caller said he did not want any
personal details but later asked for bank account information so the ‘refund’
could be sent. Never give out financial information to unexpected callers. They
may try to access your account and steal your money!
11/10/2013 Home
Improvement Con
A consumer
had a call from a trader who claimed the Government were giving away £20,000 to
each UK home to upgrade windows and boilers. The trader asked the consumer if
he had money in the bank and then requested bank details and credit card
numbers. He became aggressive when he was refused.
There are a
number of genuine schemes that offer grants or loans to individuals (depending upon
status) for environmental home improvements. Visit: https://www.gov.uk/energy-grants-calculator
Please
feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate
(including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.). If you have any information you wish to provide to
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or
to appear in future email alerts, please email me.
Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
Tel: 01926 414039
Mob: 07771 975570
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday
Friday, 27 September 2013
@ALL - Amazon infected email scam
Beware of emails (see below) purporting to come from Amazon (or any other online retailer) that don't give details of your purchases and have zipped attachments.
Why?
Example:
Why?
- The attachment is infected - Make sure that your anti-virus is up to date
- There is no name or purchase details in the body of the email - it is totally generic
- Amazon do not use attachments
If you do have an infected computer use your AV software's recommended procedure for recovery.
If you suspect that your computer is infected and is not protected you can get a free scan from most of the reputable AV vendors. Just Google "free antivirus scan"
Example:
| |
Order Details | |
| |
| |
|
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Friday, 20 September 2013
@WAR - GP Surgery Experiences - A Survey for 13 - 25yo
Hi All
I
am writing to let you know that we have just gone live with our Young
People’s survey on GP Surgery experiences. It is very important for us
at Healthwatch Warwickshire to ensure that we are hearing the voices of
children and young people. With this in mind we have adapted the survey
that has been completed with adults earlier this year, to make sure that
we are capturing the views of younger people.
The
survey is aimed at young people between the ages of 13-25. It has
been piloted with some young people at the PUSH project ( Thank you to
Dan!) and following their support and enthusiasm we have made some small
changes and are running the survey until 31st October. We are running a prize draw of 3 £10 Love to Shop High-street vouchers.
It
would be fantastic if you could encourage young people you work with
and are in contact with to fill in the survey – it is available by
following the link - http://tinyurl.com/mwxlker
Or by going on to our website www.healthwatchwarwickshire.co.uk
Alternatively if you need a number of printed copies to do in a session with young people then please let me know.
I
appreciate that not all of you work directly with young people –
however if you could possibly forward to any contacts/networks you may
have we would greatly appreciate your support.
If you would like further information please don’t hesitate to contact me
Thanks
Donna
Donna Ranchhod
Community Engagement Officer
Healthwatch Warwickshire Ltd
4-6 Clemens Street, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV31 2DL
Company Number: 8181496
Telephone: 01926 422823
Direct Dial: 01926 453961
@NAT - Recent Updates from the National NW Website
Latest Newsletter
http://news.angelbc-mail.com/NLI/ViewHtmlEmail.aspx?a=D6CC22594E5801897CD2DB184153CF45&b=BA728B5D843C0C8B99051B7AF24CC85A
For parents worried about the online safety of their children
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/get_safe_online_launches_new_online_safety_hotline_for_parents/
Helping the isolated & vulnerable - survey reveals benefit of Neighbourhood Watch Membership
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/helping_the_isolated_vulnerable_survey_results/
Other West Midlands items
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/?cat_id=9
http://news.angelbc-mail.com/NLI/ViewHtmlEmail.aspx?a=D6CC22594E5801897CD2DB184153CF45&b=BA728B5D843C0C8B99051B7AF24CC85A
For parents worried about the online safety of their children
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/get_safe_online_launches_new_online_safety_hotline_for_parents/
Helping the isolated & vulnerable - survey reveals benefit of Neighbourhood Watch Membership
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/helping_the_isolated_vulnerable_survey_results/
Other West Midlands items
http://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/?cat_id=9
@WAR - Summary of recent items
http://onlinenews.warwickshire.police.uk/wpnews_pressrelease/hot-weather-opens-the-door-on-sneakin-burglaries/15504
http://onlinenews.warwickshire.police.uk/wpnews_pressrelease/police-issue-warning-over-telephone-scam/15525
Collectors are going door to door in our village collecting for a well-known charity. They are asking for contributions by standing order, which means they expect us to reveal details of our bank accounts, our name and address and a specimen of our signature etc and to make regular payments. These people are usually agents working on a commission basis and almost certainly are not members of the charity they represent.
As a matter of personal security, it is unwise to reveal information about our banking arrangements to strangers. If you wish to support the charity ask if they will let you have an application for you to complete and post later.
This is an automated message - please do not reply!
Message purporting to be from BT Yahoo warns recipients that the classic version of the BT Yahoo! email system is closing and users must click a link to upgrade to the new system. Users are warned that their email will no longer work if they fail to upgrade.
Brief Analysis
The message is a scam. BT Yahoo has rolled out a new system and their Classic Mail has indeed been closed. However, this message is not from BT Yahoo. The "Upgrade" link opens a bogus website designed to trick users into submitting their account login details.
Unsubscribe
me from this list
Dear Natwest Bank Online Customers,
We are currently upgrading our server due to the recent insecurity, we require you to Update your account details to keep your account secured.Click on the Update Link Below
Click Here Update Your Account Information.
Failure to update your account will lead to account suspension
Sincerely,
http://onlinenews.warwickshire.police.uk/wpnews_pressrelease/police-issue-warning-over-telephone-scam/15525
I received a text message today stating that my bank debit card is due to expire shortly (they knew the last three digits of my bank account number) and a replacement would be dispatched within 24 hrs and would I check with them if I had any queries, my debit card still has many months to run.
I checked with my bank and they confirm that this text did not originate with them.
Presumably, anyone who replied to the text would be drawn into revealing confidential details of their banking arrangements.
SCAM - The money was not expected!
SCAM - Poor use of English!
SCAM - The attached file will either be infected or will deliver your details to a fraudster!
DELETE IMMEDIATELY
Revenues
notify message
This is an automated message - please do not reply!
Dear client,
You are receiving this message because of you have been received the money.
Transaction sum: 9570 USD
Transaction date: 2013/09/07
Print the attached file for details.
Thank you for using Western Union!
You are receiving this message because of you have been received the money.
Transaction sum: 9570 USD
Transaction date: 2013/09/07
Print the attached file for details.
Thank you for using Western Union!
IF YOU GET AN EMAIL FROM BT SAYING YOUR ACCOUNT IS BEING CLOSED BECAUSE YOU NEED TO UPGRADE IT, IGNORE IT BECAUSE IT'S A SCAM
BT Yahoo! Mail 'Classic Version Closing' Phishing Scam
OutlineMessage purporting to be from BT Yahoo warns recipients that the classic version of the BT Yahoo! email system is closing and users must click a link to upgrade to the new system. Users are warned that their email will no longer work if they fail to upgrade.
Brief Analysis
The message is a scam. BT Yahoo has rolled out a new system and their Classic Mail has indeed been closed. However, this message is not from BT Yahoo. The "Upgrade" link opens a bogus website designed to trick users into submitting their account login details.
ANOTHER SCAM
A very poor try
By single clicking on the links see just how NOT NatWest is the place you may end up.
Dear Natwest Bank Online Customers,
We are currently upgrading our server due to the recent insecurity, we require you to Update your account details to keep your account secured.Click on the Update Link Below
Click Here Update Your Account Information.
Failure to update your account will lead to account suspension
Sincerely,
Online Natwest Bank Staff.
@WAR - CSW Broadband Website Relaunch
Check out the latest news in your area and take part in the discussion.
CSW Broadband
Warwickshire County Council
Tel: 01926 738320
Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/CSWSuperfastBroadband
Twitter - twitter.com#!/cswbroadband
@WEL - Community Forum 26Sept - Venue Change
Dear All,
Please find attached the final running order for the above meeting
which is taking place on Thursday 26th September from 6.30 pm.
PLEASE NOTE THAT, DUE TO
CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL, THE VENUE FOR THIS MEETING HAS CHANGED AND
WILL NOW BE HELD AT:-
ST PETERS CHURCH, CHURCH STREET , WELLESBOURNE
CV35 9LS
I would be grateful if you could
disseminate this information to any contacts that you may have informing them
of the change. Thank you.
If you are unable to attend, but would still like to take part in
identifying the police priorities for the area, then please vote on line as
follows:-
Many thanks.
Kind regards
Amanda Wilson-Patterson
Localities & Communities Officer
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Telephone: 01926 413642 (internal 3642)
Website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk
For further information on the Stratford-on-Avon Area Office visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/stratfordarea
@WAR - WCC Community Computers Scheme
Dear all,
This is to inform you that WCC has once again launched the Community Computers scheme.
20 laptops and 5 desktops are up for grabs in Stratford district (100 laptops and 25 desktops countywide) and are available to:
a) locally based community or voluntary organisations, including Parish and Town Councils;
b) small-scale groups who have little or no IT equipment and can show how it will be used to grow their organisation;
c) groups who do not have significant reserves or other resources.
Closing date is Friday 1st November. Please feel free to circulate to your contacts. Here's the link to the application form:
Of course, if you know of a group without access to a PC please call
Alison Mainey on 07557 565783 and she will send a hard copy -alisonmainey@warwickshire.gov.uk
Kind regards
Amanda Wilson-Patterson
Localities & Communities Officer
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Telephone: 01926 413642 (internal 3642)
Mobile: 07780 995817
Website: www.warwickshire.gov.uk
For further information on the Stratford-on-Avon Area Office visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/stratfordarea
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Recent scams reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
04/09/2013 Tesco vouchers scam
Beware emails suggesting you have ‘won’ £1000 in Tesco vouchers and requesting your credit card details to obtain your prize. This is a phishing scam warn Warwickshire Trading Standards. Always delete suspicious emails and never follow links in them or download forms. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Foam Mattress Warning
Nuneaton and Stratford upon Avon residents are warned to beware of door to door sellers of foam mattresses. The callers are claiming the mattresses come from bankrupt stock but Trading Standards Officers are concerned they may be foreign imports that might not meet tough UK fire resistance standards. Always buy mattresses from businesses you trust. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Job Seekers Warned
Warwickshire Trading Standards are warning job seekers to beware of ‘CRB check’ scams. A job seeker from Nuneaton reported that he had received an email offering him a vacancy but he first had to pay up front for a CRB check at a cost of £60, to be paid in Ukcash vouchers. The offer was bogus. If you are ever asked to pay up front using UKcash vouchers, check the offer is genuine. UKcash vouchers are increasingly being used by criminals as an easy (and difficult to trace) way to obtain cash from their victims. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Pension Warning
An Atherstone resident contacted Warwickshire Trading Standards to report receiving an unexpected telephone call from someone who said they had been ‘given permission to look in to people’s pensions’. When pressed they admitted they were calling from South Africa.
Never provide persona or financial information to unexpected callers.
Unscrupulous companies are targeting resident’s pension pots and trying to get consumers to move them to news funds. The funds may deliver poorer returns and the rogue businesses always take very large commissions – beware! Always seek professional and independent financial advice. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Entitled to PPI
Nuneaton and Warwick consumers contacted Warwickshire Trading Standards after receiving unexpected phone calls from someone who said the consumers were entitled to a £5000 PPI claim. The caller requested the consumers send Ukash vouchers to him (for an undisclosed sum) and then a cheque would be delivered in under two hours!
In a similar case a Rugby consumer was told they were entitled to £3200 PPI claim money if they paid £50 up front in Ukash vouchers. The caller again said they would visit the consumer’s house with the cheque!
The fraudsters all use English sounding names such as Richards, although they are clearly all based abroad.
Fraudsters often ask to be paid in Ukash vouchers as they enable the fraudster to receive the money quickly are not easily traced. Beware! Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Pop-Up Computer Scam
A Warwick resident reported to Trading Standards seeing a pop up appear on her computer screen falsely claiming to come from Cheshire Police and demanding the user pay a £100 fine in Ukash vouchers for allegedly accessing ‘dodgy’ websites. These bogus pop ups are generated by computer viruses. Never send any money and clean your PC with an anti-virus program. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Fraudsters Target Desperate Timeshare Owners
Fraudsters are targeting timeshare owners warn Warwickshire Trading Standards. One Warwickshire owner reported receiving an unexpected phone call from a ‘trader;’ who claimed he could remove the consumer’s liability for his timeshare from him. The consumer had been trying to sell his timeshare for some time and agreed to pay £4000 in Ukcash vouchers. The ‘trader’ claimed that the vouchers could not be cashed until the consumer provided full details of the timeshare. However in reality, Ukcash vouchers can be cashed as soon as the recipient has the Ukcash voucher numbers.
In this case the vouchers were cashed immediately and the ‘trader’ did nothing to remove the consumer’s liability for his timeshare. When the consumer complained to the trader he was given a telephone number to contact Ukash but the number turned out to belong to the fraudsters as well!
The consumer later received another call from someone else asking for more money.
Fraudsters target people desperate to sell their timeshares with these sorts of bogus claims. In reality, timeshares are almost impossible to sell and owners have instead been faced with paying the timeshare company they are with to release them from their contract and from their ever increasing maintenance charges. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
Please feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.). If you have any information you wish to provide to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or to appear in future email alerts, please email me.
For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
Tel: 01926 414039
Mob: 07771 975570
Email: simoncripwell@warwickshire.gov.uk
Web: www.warwickshire.gov.uk
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday
Beware emails suggesting you have ‘won’ £1000 in Tesco vouchers and requesting your credit card details to obtain your prize. This is a phishing scam warn Warwickshire Trading Standards. Always delete suspicious emails and never follow links in them or download forms. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Foam Mattress Warning
Nuneaton and Stratford upon Avon residents are warned to beware of door to door sellers of foam mattresses. The callers are claiming the mattresses come from bankrupt stock but Trading Standards Officers are concerned they may be foreign imports that might not meet tough UK fire resistance standards. Always buy mattresses from businesses you trust. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Job Seekers Warned
Warwickshire Trading Standards are warning job seekers to beware of ‘CRB check’ scams. A job seeker from Nuneaton reported that he had received an email offering him a vacancy but he first had to pay up front for a CRB check at a cost of £60, to be paid in Ukcash vouchers. The offer was bogus. If you are ever asked to pay up front using UKcash vouchers, check the offer is genuine. UKcash vouchers are increasingly being used by criminals as an easy (and difficult to trace) way to obtain cash from their victims. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Pension Warning
An Atherstone resident contacted Warwickshire Trading Standards to report receiving an unexpected telephone call from someone who said they had been ‘given permission to look in to people’s pensions’. When pressed they admitted they were calling from South Africa.
Never provide persona or financial information to unexpected callers.
Unscrupulous companies are targeting resident’s pension pots and trying to get consumers to move them to news funds. The funds may deliver poorer returns and the rogue businesses always take very large commissions – beware! Always seek professional and independent financial advice. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Entitled to PPI
Nuneaton and Warwick consumers contacted Warwickshire Trading Standards after receiving unexpected phone calls from someone who said the consumers were entitled to a £5000 PPI claim. The caller requested the consumers send Ukash vouchers to him (for an undisclosed sum) and then a cheque would be delivered in under two hours!
In a similar case a Rugby consumer was told they were entitled to £3200 PPI claim money if they paid £50 up front in Ukash vouchers. The caller again said they would visit the consumer’s house with the cheque!
The fraudsters all use English sounding names such as Richards, although they are clearly all based abroad.
Fraudsters often ask to be paid in Ukash vouchers as they enable the fraudster to receive the money quickly are not easily traced. Beware! Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Pop-Up Computer Scam
A Warwick resident reported to Trading Standards seeing a pop up appear on her computer screen falsely claiming to come from Cheshire Police and demanding the user pay a £100 fine in Ukash vouchers for allegedly accessing ‘dodgy’ websites. These bogus pop ups are generated by computer viruses. Never send any money and clean your PC with an anti-virus program. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
04/09/2013 Fraudsters Target Desperate Timeshare Owners
Fraudsters are targeting timeshare owners warn Warwickshire Trading Standards. One Warwickshire owner reported receiving an unexpected phone call from a ‘trader;’ who claimed he could remove the consumer’s liability for his timeshare from him. The consumer had been trying to sell his timeshare for some time and agreed to pay £4000 in Ukcash vouchers. The ‘trader’ claimed that the vouchers could not be cashed until the consumer provided full details of the timeshare. However in reality, Ukcash vouchers can be cashed as soon as the recipient has the Ukcash voucher numbers.
In this case the vouchers were cashed immediately and the ‘trader’ did nothing to remove the consumer’s liability for his timeshare. When the consumer complained to the trader he was given a telephone number to contact Ukash but the number turned out to belong to the fraudsters as well!
The consumer later received another call from someone else asking for more money.
Fraudsters target people desperate to sell their timeshares with these sorts of bogus claims. In reality, timeshares are almost impossible to sell and owners have instead been faced with paying the timeshare company they are with to release them from their contract and from their ever increasing maintenance charges. Follow us: https://twitter.com/WarksTSS
Please feel free to cascade this information to whomever you feel appropriate (including using the information in your newsletters/websites etc.). If you have any information you wish to provide to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or to appear in future email alerts, please email me.
For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
Old Budbrooke Road Warwick CV35 7DP
Tel: 01926 414039
Mob: 07771 975570
Email: simoncripwell@warwickshire.gov.uk
Web: www.warwickshire.gov.uk
Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
WAR S - Caravan thefts (from Twitter)
Supt Debra Tedds
Be Aware. Number of caravans stolen from driveways over past few weeks in South Warks. Ensure secured and report any sus activity.
@SWAreaCommander any details? Be worth an appeal I would've thought@SWAreaCommander 2 Kenilworth, 1 Coventry border and 1 Long Itchington. All day time - no known witnesses. Any info appreciated.
Sam Dimmer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)