National Insurance Scam Calls

One of our Coordinators had 2 calls to his mobile phone on the 17th May 2021 both said they were the ‘national insurance investigation branch’ and would be issuing a warrant for his arrest if he did not pay overdue payments.

 

He blocked first call, it came again from a second number.

He blocked that one as well please see numbers as well now:-

07787.786400

07789.855101

 

Like many of Bexley's residents he says that these sort of calls/texts are coming thick and fast to his mobile phone.

*"More than 1,000 phone calls have been made to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, over a new scam involving National Insurance numbers. 

Victims have reported receiving an automated telephone call, during which they are told their "National Insurance number has been compromised." 

They are then instructed to "press 1 on their handset to be connected to the caller” to supposedly fix the issue and get a new National Insurance number but following these instructions could lead to sinister consequences. 

Once connected to the "caller", victims are pressured into handing over personal details - which the criminals claim is to enable them to receive a new National Insurance number. However, giving the criminals your personal details will enable them to commit fraud using your credentials and information. 

Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, said: “We are asking the public to remain vigilant and be cautious of any automated calls they receive mentioning their National Insurance number becoming compromised.” 

If you receive an automated call like the above, hang up and consider noting the details down on a call log to send into the team."*

*Source: https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/

PROTECT YOUR POOCH

 

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

Upcoming Webinars to book yours for Dog Theft Webinar via Zoom (27 May 2021, 5pm)

Click here to watch the recording

[Click any image to view enlarged]

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 - factsheets

The recent Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 (the Bill) has had much media, academic and political attention since its first reading on the 9th March 2021. This blog focuses on Part 6 of the Bill, which restructures the system of adult out-of-court disposals in England and Wales.

An out of court disposal (OOCD) is a method of resolving an investigation when the offender is known and when that offender admits the offence. An OOCD can only be used in limited circumstances and it should reduce re-offending by enabling restorative and reparative justice. Nationally, there are a number of methods for dealing with suspects in this way. These are universal and include community resolutions, conditional cautioning, simple cautions, cannabis warnings and Penalty Notices for Disorder.

More information on Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 visit the Home Office and Factsheets there.

Beware of scam texts doing their rounds

Over the last week a Bexley Neighbourhood resident has received the following scam texts, most you will know and be aware of a couple not so, it might be a good idea to watch out for them to avoid being fooled:-

 

1) From Tele: 07767 168774 on 12/05/21

HSBC attempted payment from new device from my account.

 

2) From Tele: 07485 425910 on 13/05/21

Royal mail - pay your despatch fee so the package can be redelivered or it will be returned to sender.

 

3) From Tele: 07422 893943 on 13/05/21

Hermes sorry missed your delivery to reschedule and pay go to this link.

 

4) From Tele: 07485 547359 on 14/05/21

AVIVA are offering a 1 Year fixed rate bond @ 4.517%, clink on link to invest.

 

5) From Tele: 07485 415454 on 15/05/21

TRUST WALLET, there have been unauthorised attempts to log into your account, please click on link to correct the problem.

Visit https://bexleywatch.blogspot.com/2021/05/what-does-action-fraud-do.html for reporting suspicious text message (smishing) or It’s quickest to report fraud to Action Fraud online using the online reporting tool, but you can also report by phone on 0300 123 2040 Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm.

Beware shipping fee scam text

One of our residents received this text message today Saturday 15 May 2021, 9:06am, and 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. 

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.

You can also report the scam to Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting centre.

For more information visit the authentic Royal Mail help centre.

Vaccinations Update

In total, 94,535 of Bexley's 206,046 residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This equates to a first dose vaccination rate of 46 per cent of residents. This is higher than the average rate in England. 

The following graph shows the percentage of residents who have been vaccinated by age group in Bexley up to 10 May 2021. 

Who is eligible for the vaccine?

Anyone who is 38 and over can now book their vaccine.

Book your Covid-19 vaccine

Under new advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) those in their 30s will be offered the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine rather than AstraZeneca.

Pregnant women who are eligible are also being directed to vaccination centres offering Pfizer and Moderna in their local area in line with JCVI guidance. They can also speak to their GP practice or maternity service if they have any questions about the coronavirus vaccine or can talk to a healthcare professional at their appointment.

Read the vaccine guidance for pregnant women and those planning pregnancy

Source: Bexley Together.

Roadmap stage 3: Monday 17 May

Some of the rules on what you can and cannot do will change on Monday. However, many restrictions remain in place.

It's more important than ever that we continue to keep each other safe, especially in London, where there is some concern about the risk posed by new variants of the virus.

You should continue to follow the hands, face, space, fresh air guidance and you should continue to work from home if you can. When travelling within the UK you should aim to do so safely and plan your journey in advance. 

You should get a test and follow the stay at home guidance if you have COVID-19 symptoms.

Find out how the restrictions are easing from 17 May

Source: Bexley Together (above)