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
Charity No: 1072368
One of our residents received this text message today supposedly from 'Royal Mail' seeking an unpaid shipping fee. The urgency of it to state that failure to do so will result in the parcel returned to sender.
DO NOT CLICK on the link. This is an image for posting here to show the fake address.
The link is deceptive and has been reported as unsafe as shown in the images below.
Needless to say please be aware of such phishing scams or report to report@phishing.gov.uk. Do not click on links or attachments in unexpected or suspicious texts or emails.
Due to Covid-19 and repeated lockdowns, people aren’t using their cars as much as they used to. However, car crime remains a pressing problem in the UK – alarmingly, one car is stolen every ten minutes.
Whilst we can't always prevent it there are simple steps we can all take to reduce our chances of becoming a victim of car crime.
Leave your car locked A simple mistake that can prove calamitous: 44% of cars were broken into via an unlocked door. Leave your car well-lit 80% of car crime occurs during the evening or at night. Parking near streetlamps or in a busy area can deter thieves. Leave your car empty or with no items on show Owners often forget that personal belongings within the car are at as much risk of being stolen as the car itself.
TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CAR SAFE
Following 3 simple steps (leave your car locked, well-lit, and empty) will help to keep your car safe, but there are further steps you could take:
* Store car ownership information at home, not in your car
* Secure number plates with anti-theft screws available from car accessory stores
* When parking in a car park, look for a ‘Park Mark’www.parkmark.co.uk indicating the car park meets recognised security levels
* Fit locking, anti-tamper wheel nuts to secure alloy wheels
* Secure items outside of your vehicle. Anything left on roof-racks, tailgate racks, holiday top boxes or in tool chests are easily stolen when the vehicle is parked. The use of cable locks, padlocks and self-locking tools chests, which are secured to the vehicle, makes them more secure, but still, don’t leave things in them if you can avoid it.
Catalytic converters are targeted because of the precious metals that they are made with, namely rhodium, platinum and palladium. Thieves simply cut the catalytic converter from the exhaust pipe of a parked car and sell them on to scrap metal dealers. Taller vehicles are more vulnerable as the catalytic converters are easier to access.
To reduce the risk of having your catalytic converter stolen you could
1) Purchase anti-theft products such as Catloc - a Sold Secure approved product (how to prevent catalytic convert thefthere)
2) Park to restrict access to the underneath of the car
3) Ask your dealer to weld the catalytic converter to the car
4) Fit a tilt alarm
5) Register your converter and mark it with a forensic marker, which will make it harder for thieves to dispose of
Keyless car theft – also known as relay theft –is relatively simple. With a relay amplifier and a relay transmitter, a thief can detect whether the car has keyless entry. Working in pairs they identify a house with a car parked nearby and one person stands by the car with a transmitter, while a second waves an amplifier around the perimeter of the house. If the car key is close enough the amplifier will detect its signal, amplify it, and send it to the accomplice’s transmitter.
This transmitter then effectively becomes the key, and tricks the car into thinking the real key is nearby. The thieves can then open the car, get in and drive away.
The whole process can take as little as 60 seconds and can be completed in near silence.
TOP TIPS TO AVOID KEYLESS THEFT
To avoid keyless car theft remember DISTANCE, SIGNAL, STEERING WHEEL.
KEEP KEYS A SAFE DISTANCE FROM THE CAR: Keeping keys far away from doors and windows. This will minimise the chances a thief will be able to find and amplify the key’s signal and is general good practice.
BLOCK OR TURN OFF THE SIGNAL: Consider purchasing a Faraday pouch to keep your car key in. These pouches contain signal-blocking materials that stop your key transmitting its code, preventing crooks from being able to detect and amplify the signal. Check your manual or speak to your dealer to find out if your key can be switched off
STEERING WHEEL LOCK: Consider using a steering wheel lock, a driveway parking post, or even a wheel clamp
To protect you motorcycle, moped or scooter remember LOCK, CHAIN, COVER.
LOCK: use a disc lock to help secure the front brake disc, or a grip lock to secure the brake and throttle controls. You could also use a D lock on the front wheel to stop it being wheeled away.
CHAIN: Use a chain lock through the back wheel (the front wheel can be removed). Chain your bike to something heavy, even when in a garage. You can fit specific attachments to lock your bike to at home.
COVER: Thieves often ‘shop’ for particular bike models. Using a cover instantly makes it less attractive to them. A cover also provides another time consuming obstacle for the thief.
* Use a designated motorcycle parking place with a stand and security loop if you can
* Mark your motorbike with its vehicle identification number
* Add a ‘kill switch’ which prevents the start button from working unless pressed
* Never leave loose items such as helmets or other possessions with your bike
Reporting a crime
If you are unlucky and have been a victim of crime you can report it in several ways:
If it’s an emergency and the crime is still taking place, call 999 and ask for the police.
If it’s not an emergency, do not call 999. This doesn’t mean the crime is not important – it just helps the police to make the best use of their resources. Many police forces use the 101 non-emergency number, so you can ring that number instead.
You can go to your local police station and report the crime there. You can find the address and telephone number in the local telephone directory or online. Check what time your local police station is open, as not all stations are open all the time.
If you have information regarding a crime and don’t want to talk to the police, contact the charity Crimestoppers online or call 0800 555 111. You will remain 100% anonymous. Always.
Please note: Neighbourhood Watch does not take reports of crime.
Following a crime
Prevent others becoming a victim: Tell your Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator: They can warn others in your area of the crime whilst keeping your confidentiality if you wish. The quicker you act, the sooner you might stop someone else becoming a victim.
Support for yourself: If you have been affected by crime and need confidential emotional support or advice on what to do next, you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.
An elderly 79 year woman has her handbag snatched on her way to bingo, but the robber doesn’t get far. Police follow a digital trail of evidence and put him behind bars.
People have reported being conned by a caller
pretending to be from their bank after receiving a text purporting to be
from Royal Mail that asked for their bank details.
Claire had £7,762 stolen from her after being taken in by afraudulent text pretending to be from Royal Mail.
The text urges shoppers to follow a link to a website that looks
very similar to the Royal Mail’s and asks them to enter personal and
financial details, putting them at risk of money being stolen or their
accounts being hacked.
What to do if you are not sure if a call is genuine
Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and
cybercrime, warned that “criminals are experts are impersonating
organisations that we know and trust”.
A spokesperson said: “It’s
important to remember if you’re contacted out the blue by someone
purporting to be from a well-known organisation, asking for your
personal or financial details, that this could be a scam.”
The organisation advises:
Hang up immediately as this could protect you and your money.
If
you are suspicious of any communication you receive, contact the
organisation in question directly through a phone number you’ve used
before to check if the communication you’ve received is genuine.
If
you need to contact the organisation to check the call was legitimate,
wait five minutes; fraudsters may stay on the line after you hang up.
Alternatively, use a different line altogether to contact your bank.
You
should also take care not to click on any links in unexpected emails or
text messages as these could lead you to malicious websites after your
personal and financial details.
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.
Action
Fraud will refer all fraud crime cases to the National Fraud
Intelligence Bureau (NFIB). The NFIB is run by the City of London Police
(which operates nationally).
For expert advice on how to get your money back if you’ve been scammed click here.
A 96-year-old D-Day veteran is brutally attacked on his doorstep. Police in Taunton, Somerset, quickly arrest his attacker after tracking his spending habits
If you think criminals are getting away with it, think again!
This ten-part series takes a very different look at crime, showing how the police and the public are using smart technology and specialist tactics to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
Frontline Fightback, narrated by Rav Wilding, features an array of equipment, including cameras that can spot crimes almost before they happen, software that can quickly identify repeat offenders, sophisticated satellite tracking and high-tech drones fitted with heat-seeking technology.
While police forces across the UK embrace these changes, the series also looks at how tech companies and universities are developing still more crime-fighting technologies that, it is hoped, will transform policing in the 21st Century.
The series features victims of crime and shows how a combination of smart technology, specialist tactics and great police work are starting to make a real difference.
A 96-year-old D-Day veteran is brutally attacked on his doorstep. Incredibly, he survives, and police in Taunton, Somerset, quickly arrest his attacker after tracking his spending habits and lying in wait at a McDonalds restaurant. Online banking fraud is one of the UK’s fastest growing crimes, but the latest voice recognition software is helping banks identify fraudsters and prevent them stealing our money. And a special West Midlands Police unit is targeting illegal off-road bikers who are putting the safety of other road users at risk.
A brave mother fights back against car thieves as they try to steal her Audi from her driveway – with her baby inside!
If you think criminals are getting away with it, think again!
This ten-part series takes a very different look at crime, showing how the police and the public are using smart technology and specialist tactics to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
Frontline Fightback, narrated by Rav Wilding, features an array of equipment, including cameras that can spot crimes almost before they happen, software that can quickly identify repeat offenders, sophisticated satellite tracking and high-tech drones fitted with heat-seeking technology.
While police forces across the UK embrace these changes, the series also looks at how tech companies and universities are developing still more crime-fighting technologies that, it is hoped, will transform policing in the 21st Century.
The series features victims of crime and shows how a combination of smart technology, specialist tactics and great police work are starting to make a real difference.
A mother fights back against brazen car thieves as they try to steal her Audi from her Birmingham driveway. She’s determined to stop them, not least because her baby is in the back of the car! Thanks to hi-tech security, two thieves are arrested after stealing two statues from the grounds of Leeds Castle in Kent. Meanwhile, the hunt is on for two thieves who destroyed priceless artwork after smashing their way into Coventry Cathedral. And we see how the Met’s response officers are using mobile fingerprint scanners, saving them precious time and enabling them to check identities on the go.
You can buy them in the UK, BUT you CAN'T ride them on a UK public road, cycle lane or pavement. It is an offence to do so, and people are being issued with fines and even being given points on their driving licences!! Be careful.
The only place an e-scooter can be used is on private land, with the permission of the landowner. No Council has provided permission for privately owned e-scooters.
They are currently classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), and are treated as motor vehicles - subject to all the same legal requirements - MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.
As such, because they don't have visible rear red lights, number plates and a signalling ability they can't be used legally on the roads.
UPDATE:
TfL and London Councils have now announced the three operators selected to take part in the UK’s largest rental e-scooter trial which will begin across the capital on Monday 7 June. They are: Dott, Lime and Tier.
This trial will be the only legal way of riding e-scooters in public places within London. Private use of e-scooters in any public place remains illegal, and the Metropolitan Police Service are undertaking enforcement activity to deal with illegal e-scooters.
Ealing, the City of London, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea and Richmond have confirmed their participation in the trial from 7 June as full-service boroughs, while Tower Hamlets will be joining as a ride-through borough. Lambeth and Southwark are also seeking to join the trial.
Councillor Steven Hall
East Wickham Ward
