Notices

West Mercia Police reported an outbreak of Courier Fraud scams in this region earlier in the year and now, once again, they are raising your awareness following a spate of reports of Courier Frauds focused in the Herefordshire area.

Courier Fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victim by telephone usually claiming to be a police officer, bank official or other law enforcement official.

The caller may also be able to confirm some easily obtainable basic details about the victim such as their full name and address. The caller will try and build up trust with the potential victim before proceeding.

Their aim is to get the victim to reveal their PIN, credit or debit card and /or bank details, and more than often will target the elderly as potential victims.

How does it work?

• The scammer calls you claiming to be from your bank or as a police officer and will tell you either a fraudulent payment on your account needs dealing with, or sometimes that a person has been arrested using your details and cards
• You may be asked to call the bank back to convince you the call is genuine using the number on the reverse of your card. However, the Scammer has still kept the line open so you are still touch with the Scammer
• If you do try to call your Bank back, always wait at least 5 minutes for the line to clear or use another phone
• They will either ask you for your card PIN number or tell you to key it into the phone – you should never be asked for your PIN or pass it over on the phone
• The Caller then tells you they will send a Courier to pick up your card – they may often provide a “password” to give to the Courier to make it sound even more genuine

Once they have your card and your PIN they then have access to your money.

Other versions of this scam include:

• Asking you to withdraw a large sum of cash which the police will mark and return to the banking system in an effort to identify a corrupt banking person – once you hand over the cash to the courier –  it is gone
• Scammers have also realised now that when a more vulnerable person goes into the Bank to withdraw large sums of cash the Bank staff become suspicious so the Scammer may tell the victim to withdraw the cash in Euros from a Foreign Exchange outlet
• A person claiming to be a police officer and is investigating sales of counterfeit goods then asks you to buy an expensive item such as a watch or jewellery from a specific retailer. You are then asked to hand it over to the Courier to deliver to the “Police” and again that is the last you see or hear of it.
• A further common variation is to tell you your bank account has been compromised and you need to transfer all your money into a “Safe Account”. Once again you have delivered your cash directly to the Scammer.

Protect yourself

• Your bank or the police will never call you to ask you to verify your personal details or PIN by phone or offer to pick up your card by courier. Hang up if you get a call like this.
• If you need to call your bank back to check, wait five minutes; fraudsters may stay on the line after you hang up. Alternatively, use a different line altogether to call your bank.
• If you think you have been scammed use the dedicated  “159” telephone number for direct access to your Bank

Police in north Worcestershire have issued some advice for motorists after a high spate of thefts of keyless vehicles in the past couple of weeks.

https://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/west-mercia/news/2023/june/ford-owners-urged-to-be-extra-vigilant-after-spate-of-vehicle-thefts/

A residents has received a cold caller wanting to know if they were interested in selling their motorhome. The caller identified themselves as J & O Motorhomes, does anyone know of them?  The incident appears suspicious and resident has been advised to report to the police.  

If the caller is genuine they have nothing to fear and we can update our community.

If you receive a cold caller, and it is not clear that they are genuine, please report https://www.westmercia.police.uk/

West Mercia Police are investigating a theft of an Silver Landrover Defender stolen from an address on Dordale Road during the afternoon of Wednesday 26th April at approximately 15:55hrs, and they want to reassure the community that they are doing all that they can to trace those responsible.

A White car was seen in the area around the time of the theft parked up on Dordale Road.

If anyone witnessed anything suspicious or who has CCTV/Dashcam please contact West Mercia Police either via 101 or our website www.westmercia.police.uk 

Perpetrators of this crime often ‘work to order’ and will target specific vehicles, based on demand and value. If a criminal is targeting a certain vehicle they will also be targeting the owner, looking for easy ways to exploit their security and get to their keys.

“The most common methods used by thieves are to follow victims’ home or ‘cruise’ around residential areas looking for opportunities. If you think you are being followed or see any suspicious vehicles, take the registration number and report it to the police.”

You can also reduce your chances of becoming a victim of car key burglars with the following simple crime prevention methods which are the most effective way to deter potential thieves:

• always keep your keys somewhere safe and out of sight

• always lock your car away safely in the garage, if you have one

• fit a high quality alarm to your vehicle • use additional security systems such immobilisers and visible security locks

• always take your keys with you when leaving the vehicle unattended

• always keep your keys safe and concealed in public places

• make sure doors, windows, the boot and sunroof are secure whenever you leave your vehicle

• if you own more than one vehicle, park the lesser valued vehicle behind the more expensive one on the driveway, making it more difficult to remove

It is also important to remember to protect your home:

• make sure all windows and doors are securely locked

• install a high quality burglar alarm

• install an exterior security lighting system

Advice and tips can be found on our website here

If you are the victim of a burglary of any kind, call 999 immediately.

Message from: PCSOSimon Cadwallader

West Mercia Police are investigating a number of reported car key burglaries in the Bromsgrove area and we want to reassure the community we are doing all that we can to trace those responsible.

Car Key Burglary is a crime where an individual breaks into a home with the specific aim of removing car keys and stealing a car from that property.

Perpetrators of this crime often ‘work to order’ and will target specific vehicles, based on demand and value. If a criminal is targeting a certain vehicle they will also be targeting the owner, looking for easy ways to exploit their security and get to their keys.

“The most common methods used by thieves are to follow victims’ home or ‘cruise’ around residential areas looking for opportunities. If you think you are being followed or see any suspicious vehicles, take the registration number and report it to the police.”

You can also reduce your chances of becoming a victim of car key burglars with the following simple crime prevention methods which are the most effective way to deter potential thieves:

• always keep your keys somewhere safe and out of sight
• always lock your car away safely in the garage, if you have one
• fit a high quality alarm to your vehicle • use additional security systems such immobilisers and visible security locks
• always take your keys with you when leaving the vehicle unattended
• always keep your keys safe and concealed in public places
• make sure doors, windows, the boot and sunroof are secure whenever you leave your vehicle
• if you own more than one vehicle, park the lesser valued vehicle behind the more expensive one on the driveway, making it more difficult to remove

It is also important to remember to protect your home:

• make sure all windows and doors are securely locked
• install a high quality burglar alarm
• install an exterior security lighting system

Advice and tips can be found on our website here

If you are the victim of a burglary of any kind, call 999 immediately.

Police in North Worcestershire would like to reassure local people that they are aware of a number of thefts of vehicles recently and to ask that owners are doing what they can do to help prevent further thefts.

Sergeant Dan Townsend said: “Following a recent spate of keyless car thefts and attempted thefts of other vehicles in and around North Worcestershire, we have increased patrols in areas that have been targeted.

“Keyless entry vehicles, while convenient to the owner, are however an extremely easy target for theft. Many car key fobs allow for ‘keyless entry’, a system in which the car can read the signal of your fob so you can open the door without pressing a button.

“Unfortunately the signal sent out by the fob can be captured by criminals using a cheap and readily available tool called a ‘relay device’. If they capture – or clone – your key’s signal they can then open your car and drive it away.

“One of the simplest ways to protect your keys is to invest in something known as a ‘Faraday Pouch’. This is a small pouch for your keys which is lined with metal foil which the radio waves cannot penetrate.

“You can also add a device to physically immobilise the car such as a steering wheel lock. Any physical device like this will act as a very visible deterrent and given the additional time and effort that will be needed to overcome these devices will make would be thieves think twice about targeting your vehicle.

“We also recommend fitting anti-snap locks to front and back doors of your home and making sure all windows are locked and secure. These are relatively inexpensive and can be fitted very quickly.

“While there is a lot the public can do to protect their own property I would like to reassure everyone that we are working hard to catch those responsible and we have several investigations ongoing.

“Much of our intelligence comes from concerned members of the public who may have seen people hanging around, acting suspiciously. Please, if you see anyone acting suspiciously near your car or your property, call us on 101 and let us know.”

Preventing keyless car theft:

• Ensure your vehicle is properly locked and keep keys far away from doors and windows to ensure the vehicle is no longer in range of the key’s signal.
• Place keys in a metal/foiled lined box or container, or another container that blocks the keys signal from reaching the vehicle when it’s not in use.
• Switch off the key’s wireless signal when you don’t need New Pageyour vehicle. If you are unsure if the key has this function, find out in your owner’s manual.
• You could also purchase an aftermarket security device, such as a steering wheel lock, a driveway parking post or even a wheel clamp. Even if the thieves are able to access and start your car, these should prevent them from driving away. Many criminals will consider bypassing these as ‘too much hassle’.
• Other steps include checking if there are any software updates for the car itself, remaining vigilant for unusual activity in your area and having an aftermarket immobiliser or tracker fitted.More information and crime prevention advice is available on our website hereIf you have information but don’t feel comfortable speaking to police, you can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers. It is 100% anonymous, they never ask your name and they cannot trace your call or I.P address. You can visit crimestoppers-uk.org or call 0800 555 111.

Criminals are turning to more sophisticated ways to take your money, whether through online offers, emails or telephone calls. Can you outsmart them?

Test your own ability on Take 5 – follow this link – Are you scam-savvy? – Take Five (takefive-stopfraud.org.uk)

Criminals are still using the cost of living crisis to scam the public

– do not become a victim –

Action Fraud are repeating their warning about cost of living scams in the lead up to Christmas

So once again we are encouraging members of the public to be extra vigilant against fraud, especially in sharing your personal and financial details with people you do not know. Do not let the fraudsters cash in on the cost of living crisis,

and please make sure you share this message with any friends and family who may be more vulnerable.

Common scams that are still circulating right now include:

• Energy Bill Rebates

• Cost of Living Payments

• Fuel Vouchers, Phone Bill discounts and Supermarket offers

• Fake Investment opportunities

Also beware of Non-Delivery and Non-Payment Scams.

• Non–Delivery Scam means a buyer pays in advance for goods or services online but those items are never received

• Non-Payment Scam means the seller sends goods sold via an online sales site but the seller never gets paid

Remember that criminals are expert at gaining your confidence and impersonating Government Agencies, Utility companies, Businesses and the Police.

As stated before, If it looks too good to be true it probably is.

Always be aware, and do not let Fraudsters and Scammers ruin your Christmas.