Amazon suspicious caller scam

One of our residents received a phone call from 020 8306 5179 whereupon the resident was met with a recorded message claiming to be from Amazon, stating that his account shows he had made purchases of £300 today. If he had made those purchases then he should just hang up. If he hadn’t  then he should press 3 on his handset.

Needless to say he hung up and called Amazon on 0800 279 7234 who verified he had no such purchases on his account within the last 24 hours and that Amazon never call customers without permission. 

Amazon took the suspicious number from him and further offered the Action Fraud website for reporting.

Reporting cyber crime, fraud or phishing attempt to Action Fraud.

This external site shows the list of Amazon related scams is almost endless! 

Appeal to identify man after female officer kicked in the head at protest

Images of the man officers want to identify [click to view enlarged]

Detectives investigating an incident during which a female police officer was kicked in the head by protestors have released an image of a man they want to identify.

Throughout the day on Monday, 14 June, protestors opposed to the extension of Coronavirus restrictions held a demonstration in Parliament Square and Whitehall.

Shortly before 20:00hrs, officers intervened to encourage the remaining protestors to move out of the road so that it could be reopened to vehicles. Some refused to do so, which resulted in two people being arrested on suspicion of obstructing the highway.

As officers escorted those who had been arrested towards police vans parked in King Charles Street, they were set upon by a group of protestors who tried to free one of the detainees.

A female officer was knocked to the floor in the struggle where she was then kicked in the head. She had to be carried away from the scene by colleagues.

Fortunately, her injuries were subsequently assessed as superficial.

Footage from the incident has been analysed and officers have identified a man they want to identify and speak to.

Anyone who can help to identify the man is asked to call 101, providing the reference 6522/28JUN.

Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers, anonymously, by calling 0800 555 111.

Source: Met Police News [29 June 2021]

Fake 'Sign in to keep using Microsoft Account' email

A local resident received the following scam and fake email (see screenshot below):-

When tested in a safe browser, the 'Sign in now' button takes the recipient to the following fake URL:-

With the contents below 'CLICK HERE TO VERIFY" in the screenshot below:-

Notice the caption below the screenshot stating 'made in webflow'.

When tested in a safe browser, the link plus clicking it takes you to a fake and deceptive site as shown in the screenshots below:-

The tell-tale signs are evident and links are deceptive and hence unsafe. The recipient alerted Bexley Neighbourhood Watch.

This is doing its rounds as evident in one external site here.

Do not click on links or attachments in unexpected or suspicious texts or emails.

Reporting cyber crime, fraud or phishing attempt to Action Fraud.

Report suspicious emails: If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, you can report it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service by forwarding the email to - report@phishing.gov.uk.

Kent Community Watch May 2021 Magazine

Apologies for this being a little later than usual.

• Opens as a PDF

Beware of a fake phishing scam email from BT

 

This is a screen shot [click image to view enlarged] taken from an email received by a local resident purporting to be a scam email as shown. It appears authentic and phishing for your personal details to update your billing information thereby allowing the scammer to obtain your personal details. DO NOT click or submit to such unsolicited suscipious emails without verifying them.

The domain seems fictitious and not registered. Another resident claims to receive two of these a day!

Such scams should be reported to https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime. The information you give to Action Fraud can help track down the scammer.

July Scams and Fraud Webinar

EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGY BEHIND SCAMS AND HOW SCAMMERS ARE SO EFFECTIVE AT THEIR CRIMES

Join us at our online webinars in July to coincide with our Scams campaign.  The webinars are FREE to attend and is open to anyone who would like to know more about scams, the psychology behind scams, prevention and how a fraud case is investigated.

 

The webinars bring together experts in their field relating to online fraud, a topic which we are all too familiar with and can affect anyone and everyone, as our lives are played out more digitally.

Date: 6 July 2021, 5pm

Speakers: Paul Maskell, Fraud & Cyber Crime Prevention Manager, Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU)

Click to book for Zoom Meeting registration.

Source: https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/webinars

Dogs & Water: Message to Houndwatch Members

Potential role of veterinary flea products in widespread pesticide contamination of English rivers

[Click image to view enlarge]

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969720370911

Scam Advice Session - This Tuesday Morning

 

This Tuesday 29th June at 11am Get Safe Online will be holding an exclusive Facebook Live session in collaboration with our partners at Lloyds Banking Group, where we will be providing advice and tips on some of the most commonplace scams.

You and your communities are warmly invited to join us where you can hear advice from our panel of leading fraud prevention experts.

Our Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/GetSafeOnline/. The live event will start streaming on this channel at 11am on Tuesday. Simply access the page at this time to view the session, there is no need to register.

You will also have the opportunity to ask the panel questions during the discussion. 

Topics will include:
Impersonation scams: including scam calls 
Investment scams: the different types of investment scams currently circulating, from promises of ‘high return, low risk’ investments to attractive ‘pension pots’. 
Purchase scams: With many people purchasing more products more frequently online, purchase and delivery scams have become rife in recent months. We’ll discuss some of the most commonplace, and how you can avoid them.

Attached is an e-leaflet providing all the details, as well as social media posts that you are able to use to share details of the session, if helpful. 

We look forward to seeing you and your communities there!

GetSafeOnline flyer of the event. (pdf)

Ring Doorbells & CCTV Sign Up >50

 

We are pleased to report that in just over its third week already over 50 Montrose Ave/Close Watch residents have joined the new CCTV register that’s designed to help police quickly identify where any CCTV is situated should they need to investigate an incident.

The register, which does NOT involve any live access to householders private CCTV, also covers ‘RING” doorbells as these devices also provide very effective CCTV. Montrose Ave/Close Watch, who launched the CCTV Register scheme in the Borough of Bexley, are appealing to people who might not have yet registered to do so and for householders that have CCTV doorbells to also register.

“We have been overwhelmed by the speed at which so many residents from across Montrose Ave/Close Watch have signed up to the CCTV register so far. It shows there is a real great community spirit in our town. With 51 properties already now registered we’d love to get the number to at least over another 50 or more properties because that’s such a message about Montrose Ave/Close Watch that will help drive crime prevention and encourage offenders miss out our town and go elsewhere.”

“We love to hear from people who have not yet got round to registering and also from householders who have “RING” type doorbells that record people approaching the door, it’s CCTV and it would be great to have it on the register.”

“All we need for residents to register is their name, address, email and ideally their telephone number and that’s it.” They can contact their local coordinator who will send them an online form link to make it easier and faster to register as has been the case so far.

Often CCTV images can help the police track or discover a wider level of activity by offenders. The Bexley scheme has been successful in this respect. Residents, who are now signed up to the CCTV register, all provided images of persons approaching their property what resident’s thought were individual events were pieced together by police who then had evidence that the area was being targeted. Consequently, offenders were duly investigated and where there was a burglary, a forensics team followed the enquiries..

For more information or to register your CCTV or RING doorbell please go to this link:
https://bexleywatch.blogspot.com/2021/06/how-you-can-help-deliver-step-change-in.html

Catalytic converter theft is up by more than 100%, new Which? research reveals

Exclusive data obtained by Which? shows that, between 2019 and 2020 alone, incidents of catalytic converter theft in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (Police Scotland refused our request) rose a staggering 104% on average. This rise is despite the various national lockdowns in 2020, when the vast majority of people and their cars were at home.

With a ban on petrol and diesel cars on the horizon, you’d be forgiven for thinking your car’s catalytic converter would soon be resigned to the dustbin of history. For thousands of motorists up and down the country though, this decades-old emissions-control device has been the cause of significant repair bills and even complete write-offs, as a new crimewave has swept the UK.

A combination of factors including surging global demand for vehicles, as well as a slump in mining during the pandemic, has meant that the price of the precious metals contained within catalytic converters has risen exponentially. At the time of our investigation, an ounce of rhodium cost more than a brand-new Honda Jazz.

This hasn’t escaped the attention of criminals. With a single scrap catalytic converter currently worth around £400, organised gangs are targeting dozens of cars each day. Our research reveals that older Toyota and Honda models are particularly at risk.

It doesn’t help that we found ads offering cash for scrap converters on Facebook Marketplace. Posting such ads was made an offence under the 2013 Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

Read on to find out about thefts in your area, what authorities and car manufacturers are doing to tackle the problem and what Facebook told us. Plus learn how to minimise the chance of your car being targeted.

Source: Which? [21 June 2021] to read on and how to minimise the risk.

Vaccine Passport Scam Alert

 

The Cyber Crime Unit has been made aware of a Covid Vaccine Passport scam email (pdf) going around that purports to be from the NHS and informs recipients that they can apply for their “Digital Coronavirus Passports”

 

See above image [click to view enlarged].

 

Clicking on the link takes you to a convincing but fake NHS website that asks for personal and payment details. (for an admin fee)

 

The website has since been taken down, but in case similar emails/websites appear to remain vigilant.

Just to reiterate, your vaccination status is obtained FREE through the NHS App, website or by calling the NHS on 119.

 

More information can be found on the gov.uk website;

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad

BEWARE: Cycle Lane Laws have Changed

 

One that many of us may have missed due to lockdown*. From Tuesday 22nd June 2020 (when in force but now From 22 June 2021*), fines of up to £130 will be issued in London to drivers parked or stopped on cycle lanes marked out with unbroken white lines. (see picture).

Local councils will be able to use enforcement cameras to issue fixed penalty fines to drivers parking and driving illegally in cycle lanes. Remember this when dropping passengers, picking up booked jobs, or assisting disabled passengers.

https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/timeline/CyuP4685/SI-2020548/

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/548/made

Citizens Advice on scams

It’s important to always keep an eye out for scams - they can and do affect anyone. Take a look at Citizens advice pages below for more information and support.

If you think someone might be trying to scam you, it’s important to act straight away. If you need further advice and support you can call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133

Read Citizens advice pages for more information:

• Check if something might be a scam
• Check if you can get your money back after a scam
• What to do if you've been scammed
• Report a scam
• Get emotional support if you've been scammed
• Get help with online scams

Source: Citizens Advice on scams

The ICO recently fined three companies for making nuisance calls

The ICO recently fined three companies for making nuisance calls who did not have valid consent to send direct marketing messages.

So, when can you make marketing calls?

You can call any individual who has specifically consented to receive marketing calls from you – for example, by ticking an opt-in box.

You can also make live calls without consent to a number if it is not listed on the TPS – but only if that person hasn’t objected to your calls in the past and you are not marketing claims management services.

In practice, this means you will need to screen most call lists against the TPS register. You will also need to keep your own ‘do not call’ list of people who object or opt out, and screen against that as well.

Read the ICO guidance here: http://ow.ly/9yH550F8uxS

The laws governing electronic marketing are contained in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.

Click to find out What are PECR?

Members of the public who believe they have been the victim of nuisance texts, calls or emails, should report them to the ICO, get in touch via live chat or call their helpline on 0303 123 1113.

How To Create or Make a WhatsApp Group for Neighbourhood Watch

"Vigilance remains the watchword"

For the purposes of crime prevention, if not already done so, Coordinators can set up a Whatsapp Group to post alerts to registered neighbours who have joined the neighbourhood.

The group alerts can provide a forum for keeping up-to-date on any suspicious and/or criminal activity within our roads. It allows for registered residents to post real time alerts and observations of incidences taking place and making them the eyes, ears and fingertips that keep their neighbours informed.

If you don't have Whatsapp on your mobile or PC, you can download it from https://www.whatsapp.com/download/. 

Add the registered resident who has signed up to your watch scheme (or find out for joining by emailing bexleynw@outlook.com on how to join one) to your contacts on your mobile. Then follow the steps below.

How to create and invite into a group

You can create a WhatsApp group with up to 256 participants.

Create a group

1. Go to the Chats tab in WhatsApp.
2. Tap New Chat > New Group.
   • If you have an existing chat on the Chats tab, tap New Group.
3. Search for or select contacts to add to the group. Then, tap Next.
4. Enter a group subject. This will be the name of the group that all participants will see.
   • The subject limit is 25 characters.
   • You can add a group icon by tapping the Camera icon. You can choose Take Photo, Choose Photo, or Search Web to add an image. Once set, the icon will appear next to the group in the Chats tab.
5. Tap Create when you're finished.

Invite into groups via links

If you're a group admin, you can invite people to join a group by sharing a link with them. The admin can Reset link at any time to make the previous invite link invalid and create a new link.

1. Open the WhatsApp group chat, then tap the group subject.
   • Alternatively, swipe the group to the left in the Chats tab. Then, tap More > Group Info.
2. Tap Invite to Group via Link.
3. Choose Share Link, Copy Link, or QR Code.
• To reset the link, tap Reset Link > Reset Link

Note: Any WhatsApp user you share an invite link with can join the group, so only use this feature with trusted individuals. It’s possible for someone to forward the link to other people, who could then join the group without additional approval from the group admin.

Source: Whatsapp

Beware of WhatsApp Account Compromise.

Useful youtube video shows how:-

Fake Hermes parcel delivery texts

 

Scam texts claiming to be from delivery company Hermes have been circulating for a long time, but recently the scammers behind them have been trying to make their attempts to con you even more convincing by luring you into a bank transfer scam. 

Which? show you various examples of the texts and explain how fraudsters have been changing their tactics to try and catch you out.

How the scam is evolving

Source: Which? [17 June 2021]

Beware of rip-off driving licence renewal services

Google and Bing adverts are being used to sell rip-off driving licence renewal services that cost up to seven times the price of the official DVLA website, Which? has found.

Visit Which? to learn more and how to spot rip-offs and get your money back.

 

Beware of ticket fraud as restrictions ease

 

Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when buying tickets for festivals and events online, as figures from the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime reveal almost £1 million has been lost to ticket fraud so far this year.

Action Fraud has launched a national awareness campaign today (Monday 14 June 2021) to remind the public to take extra care when booking tickets online, as it is anticipated that increased demand for tickets following restrictions easing will lead to more unsuspecting victims being targeted.

Spot the signs of ticket fraud and protect yourself:

• Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known and reputable ticket site.
• Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Credit card or payment services such as PayPal give you a better chance of recovering your money if you become a victim of fraud.
• Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Is the vendor a member of STAR? (pdf) If they are, the company has signed up to their strict governing standards. STAR also offers an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service to help customers with outstanding complaints. For more information: star.org.uk/buy_safe

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

WhatsApp Account Compromise

The Met Police have seen a rise in the reporting of WhatsApp accounts being hacked.

Criminals are targeting WhatsApp users, taking over accounts and trying to defraud or hack their friends too.

 

How the hack works

The criminals abuse the legitimate process of transferring a WhatsApp account from one phone to another.  They use an already compromised account to message the account owner’s contacts. The criminals impersonate the owner of the hacked account and usually claim that they are having problems receiving a six-digit code, and asking if they can send it to the friend instead (or that they have sent it to them by accident) they then request the friend tell them the code or forward it on to them. The code is the WhatsApp verification code for the new victim—by sending it to their friend they are really sending it to the criminal who is then able to transfer the new victims WhatsApp account to the criminal’s phone.

What follows next is normally the criminal impersonating the victim and requesting money from their contacts (usually for an emergency but always on the promise of being repaid) or the criminal will use the compromised account in the same manner as before to hack more and more accounts.

 

No matter the claim, you should never share your WhatsApp SMS verification code with others, not even friends or family. Sharing codes can cause you to lose your account.

Learn more here: https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/account-and-profile/stolen-accounts/

 

If you're unfortunately tricked into sharing your code and lose access to your WhatsApp account, read the instructions below on how to recover your account.

Please note, WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted and messages are stored on your device, so someone accessing your account on another device can't read your past conversations. But they will be able to read and reply to any new messages you receive and post in any groups you are a member of.

 

How to protect yourself

 

·        If you receive a suspicious or unexpected message from a friend or “mutual” on WhatsApp (or any social media), contact them via other means to check the message is genuine.

·        Never share any codes or pin numbers.

·        Set up 2 factor authentication (2FA) It’s quick and easy to set up and adds another layer of security to your account.
WhatsApp’s website https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/verification/about-two-step-verification gives a guide on how to turn on 2FA - open WhatsApp > Settings > Account > Two-step verification > Enable.

·        Don’t give your login details (email/number & password) to anyone. Only enter your login details on the official website or app.

·        Be extremely weary of sharing your phone number or email address over social media. / Instant messaging.

·        Always double check friend requests or “being added” by contacts and don’t accept them from people you don’t know.

·        Always challenge requests for your information.

 

How to recover your account;

 

Sign into WhatsApp with your phone number and verify your phone number by entering the 6-digit code you receive via SMS..

 

Once you enter the 6-digit SMS code, the individual using your account is automatically logged out.

 

You might also be asked to provide a two-step verification code. If you don't know this code, the individual using your account might have enabled two-step verification.

 

You must wait 7 days before you can sign in without the two-step verification code.  Regardless of whether you know this verification code, the other individual was logged out of your account once you entered the 6-digit SMS code.

 

More information can be found here; https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/account-and-profile/stolen-accounts/

  

How to update WhatsApp

 

You should keep WhatsApp (and any other apps on your smartphone) up to date.

 

Download software updates as soon as they are available, these are normally security updates which are fixing potential vulnerabilities in the apps software.

 

Android

Visit the play store, click on menu and choose ‘My apps and games’. Tap update next to the WhatsApp messenger.

 

iPhone

Visit the app store, click updates and refresh. Tap update next to the WhatsApp messenger

 

Windows Phone 8.1

Visit the store and select menu. Click on ‘My apps’ and select WhatsApp to update.

 

Windows Phone 10

Visit the Microsoft store and click on ‘Menu’. Select ‘My Library’ and tap ‘Update’ next to WhatsApp.

Source: https://www.met.police.uk/cyberprotect

Kent Community Watch Summer June 2021 Magazine

 

• Opens in a flip page view 

• Opens as a PDF

Is your router safe or are you at risk from hackers who steal your ID?

Millions around the UK could be at risk of using routers with security flaws, a Which? investigation has found.

In December 2020, Which? conducted a survey of more than 6,000 UK adults, asking them which routers they’re using at home. They found millions could be using devices more than five years old that are no longer being supported with firmware updates.

Which? sent a selection of the most commonly used old devices to security specialists, Red Maple Technologies, to find out just how secure they are, and discovered issues with more than half, from ISPs such as Virgin, Sky, TalkTalk, EE and Vodafone.

This could potentially affect up to 7.5 million Brits based on their survey.

Some of these models haven’t seen an update since 2018 at the latest, and some haven’t been updated since as far back as 2016, which could affect six million of these users. Without firmware and security updates, there’s no guarantee that security issues will be fixed.

Routers might sit in the corner of the room collecting dust, but they’re a vital part of everyday life. Especially as we now need the internet more than ever to work, shop and stay in touch with loved ones. Read on to find out if you’re affected and what to do next.

Source: Visit Which? to find out if your router is unsafe visit.

May 2021 Monthly Crime Police Statistics for Bexley Wards

MAY 2021 Crime Statistics BY WARD

West Heath 

Thamesmead East

St Mary's and St James

Slade Green and Northend

Sidcup

Northumberland Heath

Longlands

Falconwood and Welling

Erith

East Wickham

Crook Log

Crayford

Blendon and Lenhill

Blackfen and Lamorbey

Bexleyheath

Belvedere

Barnehurst

MAY 2021 Crime Statistics BY CLASS DESCRIPTION

Arson and Criminal Damage

Burglary

Drug Offences

Theft

Vehicle Offences

Violence Against the Person

Source: These were received by Bexley Watch in an Excel Sheet format and the screenshots are taken from it for each ward and class description as shown above. Click on each image to view large.