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
BE AWARE: Do not use https://freedom-pass.co.uk/ to make a Freedom Pass application or to order a replacement Freedom Pass. This is a fake website that we have reported to the National Cyber Security Centre.
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| Freedom Pass scam website alert |
If you’ve been the victim of a scam, fraud or online crime (cybercrime) you can report it to Action Fraud
Action Fraud is the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. It collects reports about fraud on behalf of the police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. For fraud in Scotland please report it directly to Police Scotland.
You can make a report as a guest, without registering and creating an account.
But we recommend you create an account first, because then you’ll be able to:
You can report scams, fraud and online crime (cybercrime) to Action Fraud, except you should report:
To report one of these please follow the links above.
After you’ve reported something to Action Fraud, your report will be sent to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), which is part of the City of London police. They’ll decide what to do next.
If the NFIB decide there might be enough information in your report for the police to investigate, they'll send it to the local police force for the place the crime happened. That police force will look at the information and decide whether to investigate the case. They should tell you what they’re going to do.
Whether or not the NFIB decide to send your report on to local police to investigate, you’ll be told what the NFIB have done within 28 days of when you made your report (or whenever you last sent an update).
The NFIB might also take other action, for example to take down websites or phone numbers that are used to commit fraud.
To be able to get an update on your report, you need to register with Action Fraud before you make your report. Then you can track the progress of your report by logging into your account.
After logging in, to check your report’s status click ‘My account’ in the top-right hand corner then click ‘My reports’.
Once a case has been passed to a local police force, they’re responsible for keeping you updated.
If the police decide not to investigate your case as a crime, you might still be able to get compensation or money back by bringing a civil case yourself.
Talk to a solicitor or asset recovery agent to find out more.
Source: Met Police (Action Fraud)
London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has expanded, with drivers across the capital – and those visiting – facing a daily charge of £12.50 if their car doesn’t meet the required emissions standards.
A member of the public approached us after inadvertently paying a dodgy company that appeared as 'Ulezpayservice' on their bank statement, rather than the official TfL website. Their bank later informed them that this retailer had set up a continuous payment authority (allowing them to take recurring payments) that has since been cancelled.
Here's how to spot a ULEZ scam and what to do if you've already made a payment.
ULEZ scams
Source: Which? (26 Aug 2023)
Which? investigation found multiple Facebook pages and groups with names, including ‘Buy legit UK drivers licence’ and ‘Full registered UK driver’s licence’, offering ‘official’ documents without the inconvenience of having to pass an exam.
The DVLA confirms that these posts are generally phishing scams aimed at getting victims’ payment and personal details. Read more about the fraudsters lurking behind these dodgy posts on Facebook.
Phishing scams
Source: Which? (29 Aug 2023)
Netflix customers are being warned about a new scam email that is being sent out. The email claims that the recipient's Netflix subscription has been suspended due to a failed payment. The email then asks the recipient to click on a link to update their payment information.
This email is a scam. Netflix will never send an email asking you to update your payment information. If you receive an email like this, do not click on any links or provide any personal information. Instead, delete the email immediately.
Here are some tips to help you spot a Netflix scam email:
If you are ever unsure whether an email is from Netflix, you can always contact Netflix directly through their website or customer service line.
Here are some additional tips to help protect yourself from online scams:
By following these tips, you can help protect yourself from online scams.
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| Netflix Scam Email Warning |
Scammers are hijacking search results for parking apps and QR codes to defraud drivers out of £40 monthly payments as they try to pay for parking. After we were alerted to one scam website, we decided to investigate. Here's what we found.
Parking app scam
Source: Which? (11 Aug 2023)
For some purchases, Amazon sends you a six-digit one-time password (OTP) ahead of your delivery, which you must read out to your courier before they hand over your parcel. These codes are designed to give you peace of mind that high-value purchases will arrive safely. We helped a Which? magazine reader who got in touch after falling victim to a one-time password scam.
If you use Amazon, find out more about how the system works alongside tips if you have a problem with an OTP delivery.
Delivery scams
Source: Which? (15 Aug 2023)
When we think of Neighbourhood Watch , our minds naturally jump to physical home security: locking front doors, fitting window latches, and ...
