WELCOME TO the official blog of Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association (BBNWA), Bexleyheath Police Station, 2 Arnsberg Way, Bexleyheath, Kent DA7 4QS. Mobile Tel: 07496 385471 bexleynw@outlook.com
Bexley
Council is offering the opportunity to trial an e-cargo bike for up to 6
months. The use of e-cargo bikes could help your business save money,
time and improve its image whilst making Bexley’s streets quieter,
greener, safer and less polluted.
Whether your business has more
than one shop and you need to move things between them, or you make
local deliveries, get in touch and trial an e-cargo bike.
To find out more contact Katie.Johns@sustrans.org.uk
Source: LBB
A fake message posing as Cadbury is spreading quickly on WhatsApp. It's inviting people to grab a ‘Cadbury FREE Easter Chocolate Basket’ by clicking through to a site that has nothing to do with Cadbury.
We have an example of the WhatsApp message you need to watch out for.
An email claiming that you’re due compensation from Tesco ‘because of a system error’ has been confirmed as a fake. Unlike other phishing attempts this message didn’t have any branding and used random employee names to try to appear real.
Find out what the email looks like and what to do if you receive one.
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Bexley Fraud & Cyber Crime Summary
February 2022
|
Number of offences |
101 |
|
Total loss |
£151,262.40 |
|
Average per victim |
1,497.65 |
The top 5 by volume (number of reports) type of fraud is as follows:
The top 5 by amount reported lost:
Fraud Advice
Other Consumer Non Investment Fraud
Sometimes businesses use deceptive business practices that can cause their victims to suffer financial losses.
The victims believe they are participating in a legal and valid business transaction when they are actually being defrauded. Fraud against consumers is often related to false promises or inaccurate claims made to consumers, as well as practices that directly cheat consumers out of their money.
How to protect yourself
• Research the company before purchasing goods or services.
• Use Companies House to find out how long they have been trading.
• Ensure you use trusted, reviewed companies.
• Avoid using direct bank transfers when purchasing items online, instead use a credit card.
Advance Fee Fraud
Advance Fee Fraud is an umbrella term to describe a particular fraud type where the criminal convinces a victim to make upfront payments for goods, services and/or financial gains. But the goods/services don’t exist.
Many different types of Advance Fee Fraud using various techniques and scams are used by criminals. Some of these (including Romance Fraud and Recruitment Fraud) are covered more in-depth later in this book. However, the
|
Fraud Type |
Amount of Offences |
Amount Lost |
|
NFIB3A - Online Shopping and Auctions |
12 |
£7,006.56 |
|
NFIB3D - Other Consumer Non Investment Fraud |
9 |
£7,427.00 |
|
NFIB1H - Other Advance Fee Frauds |
8 |
£5,302.00 |
|
Push Payment |
8 |
£23,065.65 |
|
NFIB2E - Other Financial Investment |
7 |
£14,245.00 |
|
Fraud Type |
Amount Lost |
Amount of Offences |
|
NFIB3C - Door to Door Sales and Bogus Tradesmen |
£43,710.00 |
7 |
|
Push Payment |
£23,065.65 |
8 |
|
NFIB2A - Share sales or Boiler Room Fraud |
£16,000.00 |
2 |
|
NFIB2E - Other Financial Investment |
£14,245.00 |
7 |
|
Courier Fraud |
£10,940.00 |
1 |
numerous different tactics used by criminals means it’s worth describing the basic technique behind the fraud; the criminal will offer something to you, but in order to progress, you’ll need to pay something up front.
Below is a list of types of Advance Fee Fraud. This list is by no means exhaustive!
Clairvoyant or Psychic Fraud– The criminal predicts something significant in your future, but they need
money to provide a full report.
Cheque Overpayment Fraud – The criminal overpays for something with an invalid cheque, and asks for
change.
Fraud Recovery Fraud – Once you’ve been a victim of fraud, the criminal contacts you, claiming that they
can recover your losses, for a fee.
Inheritance Fraud – The criminal tells you that you’re in line to receive a huge inheritance, but you’ll need to
pay a fee to release the funds.
Loan Fraud– The criminal asks you to pay an upfront fee for a loan.
Lottery Fraud – You’re told you’ve won a prize in a lottery, but you’ll need to pay the criminal an admin fee.
Racing Tip Fraud – The criminal offers racing tips that are “guaranteed” to pay off, for a small fee.
Rental Fraud – The criminal asks for an upfront fee to rent a property, which may not be theirs, or even may
not exist.
West African Letter Fraud (aka 419 Fraud) – The criminal asks for help moving a large sum of money from
one country to another, promising to cut you in, but asks for a payment upfront first.
Work from home Fraud – The criminal offers you to make easy money working from home, but you need to
pay a fee in advance, for business leads, or a website.
Vehicle Matching Fraud – The criminal contacts you just after you’ve placed an advert trying to sell
something (usually a car). They ask for a “refundable” fee to put you in touch with a non-existent immediate buyer.
How to protect yourself
Be extremely wary about giving money to anyone upfront, especially a stranger, for any reason.
If they claim to be an official, double check their identity, but don’t do so using any contact details they give
you.
Don’t be pressurised into making a decision in that moment. Always take time to think, don’t forget to Take
5.
REMEMBER – Criminals will try any lie to get your money
CAUTION – Don’t give money upfront if you have even the slightest suspicion
THINK – Why should I give this person money? Why have they targeted me?
Door-to-Door Fraud
Door-to-door scams involve criminals knocking on your door and unexpectedly offering products or services. Fraudsters convince you to pay for goods or work which is often overpriced, of poor quality or is not even carried out. In many cases, this work is not necessary. They may use intimidation and pressure you to make quick decisions so that you agree to their demands.
Criminals may try to convince you that work is urgently required and the price they are charging is fair. They will put pressure on you to have the work done immediately and may ask for payment upfront. Often the work is not completed, or if it is, the work is to a poor standard. You may also be overcharged for any work done.
They can use deception to convince you:
Claiming they were working on a neighbours’ address and noticed you need work completed and they have
left over materials.
They may inspect areas you can’t access, for example the loft or roof and show you photos or videos
claiming they are evidence that you need the urgent repairs. Beware of these tactics as these images may not even be your property.
They may throw water down when you are not looking to indicate you have ‘damp’.
They may be insistent you pay in cash immediately or put down a deposit, even offering to take you to the
bank to get the money. If you do this, they may continue to find reasons for you to pay more money.
Some callers will be legitimate. Gas, electricity and water companies may visit to read your meters. Charities
may visit to ask for donations and council officials may contact you regarding local issues. Always ask for identification and tell them to wait outside whilst you check this by calling the company or speaking to a relative or friend. If you are calling the company, don’t use the phone number on the person’s ID card).
How to protect yourself
Always check their identity. If you are not happy about a person’s identity, do not let them into your house under any circumstances.
Never leave your front door open/unlocked and unattended, so a second individual can’t enter without your knowledge.
Take time to consider your options and research costs from other providers. If in doubt contact your local Trading Standards.
If you feel pressured by any cold caller, have the confidence to be firm and say no.
Call the citizens advice consumer helpline following a doorstep caller on 03454 04 05 06.
REMEMBER - Take time to consider your options. Don’t be pressured into making a quick decision.
CAUTION - Never pay upfront for goods or services you have not received.
THINK - Are they a legitimate company? Why haven’t they given you a written quote?
Remember:
Your bank, the police, or tax office will never ask you to attend your bank, withdraw, transfer or pay money over the phone or send couriers to collect your card or cash. Nor would they ask you to buy goods or vouchers.
This is a scam.
Hang up
Take 5
Verify
(Never give details or money following a cold call)
(Seek a second opinion, tell someone what has happened)
(if concerned, contact the company via a pre-confirmed method)
All of our videos and electronic leaflets can be found on the following link; www.met.police.uk/littlemedia Free cyber advice can be found https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home
Always report, Scams fraud and cyber crime to Action Fraud,
either online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by telephone on 0300 123 2040.
STOP
Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
CHALLENGE
Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
PROTECT
Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.
A recent Office for National Statistics report shows that fraud now accounts for 40% of all crimes recorded.
Scammers have exploited our fear and confusion, whether by impersonating the government to offer fake Covid-19 grants, setting up fake NHS websites to steal card details, or posing as delivery companies to target online shoppers.
We reveal what the latest data from Action Fraud tells us about fraudsters' tactics and the 12 emerging threats we all need to watch out for.
One parent was conned out of £3,600 in the WhatsApp impersonation scam. Even after several weeks spent investigating, their bank initially refused to refund them. But we thought that shouldn’t be the end of the matter.
This story shows what a lottery the reimbursement process can be for scam victims, even with the voluntary code designed to protect them. We also explain how to get your money back from your bank if you've been deceived.
The MPS will be holding a ‘Behind the Badge’ event on the South East BCU. This event is specifically aimed at recruiting diverse applicants into the role of police officer.
A diverse representation of officers will be on hand to discuss and answer any question for potential candidates. They will be encouraged to have open and honest discussions on what it is like working in the Metropolitan Police. Tickets must be booked via this link
The Venue is:
Woolwich Powis Street Jobcentre
71-77 Powis Street
Woolwich
London
SE18 6JB
Doors to open at 4:30pm. Recruitment event to start at 5pm to 7pm.and Behind the badge summit to start at 7pm.
A member received a bizarre email from a company claiming to be an investment bank that was ‘working to acquire a new and more robust regulation’ and that part of the process involved paying a refund to the recipient.
This type of fraud can also lead to recovery scams, where fraudsters target prior victims, claiming to help recover losses, only to defraud them further.
We explain how the email has all the hallmarks of a scam and how both cons work.
Scammers have stepped up a gear in what is a new twist on delivery scams where the perpetrators create fake chatbots that sneakily sign victims up for expensive monthly subscriptions. It starts by sending phishing emails impersonating Royal Mail that invite you to ‘start a chat’ to trace or reschedule a delivery.
The fake Royal Mail chatbot is plausible as it lists a delivery tracking number and shares an image of a parcel, explaining that the ‘label was damaged’, to convince you to reschedule the delivery.
Read more about how the chatbox scam works, who’s behind it and how to protect yourself.
🐾 Do not leave dog’s unattended
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| Click each image to view enlarged |
Bexley Watch are reaching out to make you aware of the Mayor of London's Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) campaign that launched today. The campaign aims to build male allyship and encourage men to reflect on the way we view, treat and talk about women.
Male violence against women and girls starts with words. If you see it happening, have a word with yourself—then your mates. For more information on how we’re making London safer for women, visit www.london.gov.uk/have-a-word.
This is a fantastic video and campaign from the @MayorofLondon
Men need to change, and we all know it. If you see something #haveaword
Security Advice for Everyone (SAFE) are teaming-up with the Charity Commission for England and Wales to present a webinar on “Online Security and Fraud Prevention” on Tuesday 29th March at 12pm.
Zoom pre-registration: https://tinyurl.com/yckvmavs
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| click to view enlarged |
The Charity Commission will talk about its expectations of charity trustees, to safeguard their Faith Charity and beneficiaries from online harm including from fraud.
SAFE by CST will discuss how to protect yourself and your community from online threats.
We will look at how to minimise exposure to potentially harmful attacks, virus protection, how to spot fake emails and provide hints and tips on how to stay safe online.
Our programme will be of interest to any member of a community that feels vulnerable to violent extremism or hate crime. All our webinars are free and suitable for over 18’s only.
Please share this invitation with anyone who you think may be interested.
We look forward to welcoming you onto a SAFE webinar soon. Please see our full schedule below with links to the Zoom pre-registration page ↙
Some useful links and documents can be found by scanning our new Linktree:
Also, by following this link: https://linktr.ee/SAFE_CST.
In the meantime, if we can be of any help, please contact us on enquiries@safe.cst.org.uk.
Also – check out our website for more information, and registration details as new webinars are released, at safe.cst.org.uk and please follow us on:
LinkedIn: safe-by-cstTwitter: @SAFE_CST
