Recently, some tools have been stolen from an outbuilding on Dordale.

Please review your shed and outbuilding security, for advice visit https://www.westmercia.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/secure-shed-garage/

Mark all your tools – SmartWater property marking kits can be obtained Free Of Charge from FVCA for residents and businesses in Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridge, for a kit email admin@fvca.org.uk Should items be recovered, SmartWater provides traceability of items back to the rightful owner and a 100% conviction rate.

Payment diversion fraud affects businesses and customers where electronic financial transactions are taking place.

Criminals are experts at impersonating people. Stop, think as it could protect you and your money.

For further information visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/house-buyers-and-businesses-warned-of-payment-diversion-fraud

WHATSAPP FRAUD

There have been a significant number of reports of Scammers pretending to be a family member or friend on WhatsApp.

This was highlighted earlier this month and the warning is repeated here again this week.

The basic method they use is as follows:

• The suspect will send the victim a message via WhatsApp claiming to be their son/daughter/friend and that they have had to change their number, having lost or damaged their phone

• The Scammer will then say they are now using a new phone number

• As a result of this, the Scammers will claim they are getting in touch in order to borrow money to purchase the new device or pay off a debt.

• After this, the Scammer will give their bank details so a payment can be made to them, with some coming back with further demands for money.

LOTTERY FRAUD

Analysis of reports to Action Fraud by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has identified a dramatic increase in Advance Fee Lottery Frauds over the last six months.

Over £925,000 was lost by victims during that period. Victims reported losing an average loss of just over £1,500.

70% of victims reported to be aged 50 or over.

Fraudsters will contact the victim in the following way or similar:

• Lottery fraud occurs when criminals use fake messages and calls to convince a person that they have won a lottery or a prize draw

• The victim is then informed that they will need to pay an advance “fee” in order to receive the winnings

• Victims are commonly asked to pay these advance fees by purchasing gift cards, and relaying codes to the Fraudster.

• In some instances, victims have reported being asked for personal and financial information in order to obtain their “winnings”. Some victims reported providing their bank details thinking they would be sent a small payment to verify the account. In reality, criminals use these details to steal the victim’s money.

IF YOU THINK YOU ARE BEING SCAMMED OR DO NOT RECOGNISE THE CONTACT

• Stop – Taking a moment to stop and think can keep you and your money safe.

• Challenge – Keep your money and information safe from criminals by only purchasing items from authorised sellers and doing your research fully before making a purchase.

• Protect – if you think you’ve fallen for a scam contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

With more than 30,000 firearm and shotgun licence holders in the West Mercia Police Force area, please take a few minutes to complete the survey.

The Association of Police & Crime Commissioners want to hear your views on potential changes to the licensing of firearms and shotguns in England and Wales. Their online survey takes just a few minutes to complete, and will remain open for responses until Weds 20 October. https://www.apccs.police.uk/latest-news/have-your-say-on-potential-changes-to-firearms-licensing

This is a free scheme to deter cold callers and rogue traders and help vulnerable and elderly people feel safer in their own homes.

It is funded by the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner to help reduce doorstep crime.

Nominated Neighbour uses bright yellow window stickers to show potential house callers that that they will only been seen if accompanied by a known and trusted person after their identity has been verified by that person.

All it takes is a neighbour, family friend or family member to agree to be nominated and have callers directed to them.

The scheme deters scam callers, who will not want their identity to be checked. In addition to the window sticker, a pack containing useful information on keeping safe is also provided.

Further information can be found at: Nominated Neighbour Scheme.

To join the scheme or if you have questions, contact the Redditch and Bromsgrove Community Safety Team at CommunitySafety@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk or call 01527 534187.

STOP, HANG UP, CALL 159

If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details…

…Stop, hang up and call 159 to speak directly to your bank.

Last year criminal gangs stole over £470m by pretending to be your bank or other service provider.

159 is the memorable, secure number that contacts you directly to your bank if you think you’re being scammed.

159 works in the same way as 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS. It’s the number you can trust to get you through to your bank, every time.

159 will never call you. Only a fraudster will object to you calling 159.

When should I call 159?

Call 159 if:

• Someone contacts you saying they’re from your bank – even if they are not suspicious
• You receive a call asking you to transfer money or make a payment – even if it seems genuine
• You receive a call about a financial matter and it seems suspicious

Remember, 159 will never call you. But you can rely on 159 to get you through to your bank.

Who is behind 159?

159 has been set up by banks and telephone companies who want to fight fraud. It’s a pilot scheme at the moment. The following banks are part of it:

• Barclays
• Lloyds (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland)
• NatWest (including Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank)
• Santander
• Starling Bank

That covers over 70% of UK primary current account holders.

We want more banks to join us, and we hope they will over the course of the pilot.

Will it definitely work on my telephone?

Almost all major consumer telephone companies are participating, and over 80% of UK mobiles and landlines will be able to use 159 at the outset. We are working to grow this reach to 100% during the pilot.

The telephone companies are:

• BT, including EE and Plusnet
• Gamma
• O2, including giffgaff
• TalkTalk
• Three
• Virgin Media
• Sky

What happens if 159 doesn’t work, for any reason?

You should contact your bank in the normal way, using the number on your bank card.

How much does it cost to call 159?

Calling 159 will cost the same as a national rate call; usually part of the included minutes in most phone tariffs.

What’s the idea behind the 159 pilot?

159 is a pilot scheme – the idea is to collect evidence to show that calling 159 helps fight fraud. Then we want to make 159 a universal number – available on all phones and for all banks.

A crime prevention message from PCSO Hyder

Protect yourself from doorstep crime. Be aware of people who turn up unannounced, most genuine callers will have a pre-arranged appointment. If in doubt, keep them out!

Doorstep crime can include rogue traders offering home improvement or gardening services, or bogus callers who claim to be the council, police, health carers or energy companies.

Rogue traders may say they are in the area working on another property and they have spotted a problem with your home or garden. They may claim to have materials left over from another job, like paving or tarmac. They may try to pressurise you to buy goods or sign up for services on the spot. Unfortunately all too often they may offer to carry out work cheaply , but charge an extortionate price after the work has been completed.

Bogus callers may claim to be working for the council, water, gas or electric company. They could also say they are a nurse, doctor or even from the police. Bogus callers may say they need to come into your home, or try to get you to go outside. They may try to distract you so they can steal your money. They can be male, female or even children.

A pedlar is someone who calls at your door to sell items that they have to offer, This can often include cleaning or household goods. These goods may be sold at an overpriced value. By law pedlars are required to carry a pedlar’s certificate, which is issues by the police force in the area they operate.

If you are not sure who is at the door, do not open it. Check the identity of any caller. Confirm who they are by calling the company they work for by using the number from the telephone directory or from off one of your bills. Do not call a number provided by them.

If caller does not leave your property when asked to do so, call the police.

Please write the date you received the mail on its envelope, then pop it into any mailbag or envelope and send it to:

FREEPOST

NTSST

MAIL MARSHALS

Once again, criminals are using Covid-19 to try and scam consumers out of money and personal details. Currently there are many scams circulating regarding to this, pretending to be from different organisations such as the NHS, the World Health Organisation or even your local pharmacy.

These scams may come in the form of text messages, phone calls, websites or even in person. When using text messages, people may be asked to press a number on their keypad or to reply to confirm they wish to receive a vaccine – this may result in a charge being put on the person’s phone bill and a loss of personal information.

Over the phone, criminals may impersonate health officials so they can offer a vaccine in exchange for a fee or requesting bank details to “verify” your details. Emails are making the rounds which often have an attachment or link to book your vaccine. These attachments may contain malware which infects your device and steals information. The links may go to a fake convincing looking vaccine booking forms and may contain some of your personal details to give you confidence in the website – however at the end of the form they will request bank details or further information about you.

With so many different scams relating to Covid-19, it is important to remember the following about the NHS:

• They will never ask for payment – the vaccine is free

• They will never ask for your bank details

• They will never arrive at your home to administer the vaccine unannounced

• They will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as NHS letters, passports or other identification documents.

Action Fraud received 537 reports in 48 hours relating to fake emails purporting to be from British Gas. The emails state that the recipient is due a refund because of overpayment and there is a link to a phishing website requesting personal and financial information.

As part of the scam alert, an example of the message has been released by Action Fraud. It states: “Hello, British Gas wants to inform you that you are eligible for a payment refund of £594. “Our records indicate that you have paid more than you should have for your British Gas Service from 2017-2019 and because of this reason, we have decided to refund you the total amount which you have overpaid.”

A link is also included in the email, which leads to phishing websites that are designed to steal personal and financial information, Action Fraud said. As with all potential suspicious or scam emails, forward them to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) via report@phishing.gov.uk

There has been a rise in the number of scam calls which are energy-related recently. These may come in the form of calls which promise you a reduced bill if you sign up to their service or the call may be from criminals pretending to be your energy provider and demanding money.

The criminals try to take advantage of people by calling and demanding payment immediately. The scams can use intimidating and aggressive tactics, such as pretending to be a representative of your energy provider and insisting you are behind on your energy bills. If you are concerned it may be a scam, hang up the phone and call back on a number which you know to be genuine. Here are some warning signs that you can look out for:

• Threats to cut your power immediately if you do not pay

• Unclear details about your current agreement with your energy provider

• Requests for money transfers or prepaid debit cards

The NHS COVID Pass was recently launched by the NHS, so people can prove their COVID vaccine or test status. This pass may be asked for when travelling abroad or if you are attending events and venues in England that ask for proof of your COVID-19 status. The pass can come in a digital form via the NHS app for vaccine or test statuses or a paper copy to prove your vaccination status.

The NHS COVID Pass is completely free and can only be obtained via the NHS app or using the online NHS COVID Pass service via the website NHS.UK. For the paper copy version, you can request it via the NHS website or by calling 119.

Criminals have been using this as a tactic trying to get people to part with their money or their details. These have come in the form of emails and texts which invite you to apply for the pass by clicking on a link. The link takes you to a convincing fake NHS website which will capture your personal details. These are the same tactics that we’ve seen previously relating to vaccines.

With so many different scams relating to Covid-19, it is important to remember the following about the NHS:

• They will never ask for payment – the vaccine is free

• They will never ask for your bank details

• They will never arrive at your home to administer the vaccine unannounced

• They will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as NHS letters, passports or other identification documents.

If you have received any emails or texts, it’s important to report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, Monday-Friday 8am-8pm. Or online at: reporting.actionfraud.police.uk.

You should also forward any scam emails to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk and forward any scam texts to your network operator at 7726.

Text messages that ask for your personal or financial details are a common lure used by criminals. Don’t take the bait. Report suspicious texts by forwarding them to 7726 (it’s free of charge)

Some advice from PCSO Hyder

Bicycles are one of the most targeted items by thieves…

Always lock your bike when you leave it, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Look to spend about 10% of what your bike is worth on the lock. For better security use two or more locks of a different type – a D lock plus a robust chain and padlock.

All bike frames are given a unique serial number. This is normally located underneath the bike and should be written down or photographed and kept somewhere safe.

Security mark the frame. You can use a UV Pen or a property marking solution such as Smartwater. When marking your bicycle use your initials, postcode or another mark that is unique to you.

When possible lock your bike at recognised secure cycle parking area. Wherever you leave your bike unattended please ensure that the area is well covered by good lighting and CCTV, ensure both the wheel and the bike frame is secured to an immovable object.

If your bike is kept in a shed, keep the shed secure with good quality locks and ensure the windows are covered and an alarm is fitted. Remember, even if your bike is stored in a shed or garage, be sure to still use a bike lock in order to prevent anyone from riding off with it should they manage to break in and gain access.

Remember to Insure your bike either on your homes contents insurance or on a separate insurance policy. Double check with your insurance company that your insurance policy does also cover your bike.

The August edition of Our News, the e-newsletter for Neighbourhood Watch supporters, is ready for you to read.

Read about Lottie, the Neighbourhood Watch winner of the Croods 2 treehouse design competition, how crime trends changed during the pandemic and about summer events for volunteers

Received an email or text which you’re not quite sure about? Is it asking you to login to your account, or maybe to “confirm” your payment details?

If you are suspicious, you should report it by forwarding the email to: Report@phishing.gov.uk