Beware of COVID Pass Fraud

 

Beware of COVID Pass Fraud - Click image to view enlarged

Also available as a poster here (pdf).

Catalytic Converter event and note of arrest

Sidcup/Longlands Ward

Good work by the police resulted in two people being arrested and their untaxed/uninsured car towed after they were caught trying to steel catalytic converters in Morrisons Car Park Sidcup in the early hours of Saturday morning.

St.Mary's & St James Ward

Your local police team along with their colleagues will be holding a catalytic converter marking event this Tuesday 18^th January 2022.

The event will take place from 11am at Sainsbury car park in Crayford.

If you have any of the models listed below registered between 2000-2016 then please pop down to Sainsbury, Crayford and officers can mark your catalytic converter as well as registering it for free.

If you have any other models and you’re unsure then please pop down and your police team will have a look for you. (see list below) 

Most vulnerable vehicles are

Toyota Prius, Auris & Yaris

Honda Civic, Jazz & CRV

Lexus.

Invitation to volunteer and receive training from the Met police

As part of our ongoing partnership with the Met police, we have been approached to ask if any of our members would like to explore the opportunities of volunteering with them.

Please see the attached information (pdf) (also below as screenshots - click each image to view enlarged) in respect of the various opportunities.

Each volunteer will have the opportunity to engage in any of the following courses, by experienced trainers. These include:

London Nights Training – Personal Safety Input

Personal Safety & Conflict Resolution, Drugs and Mental Health Input

London Life Savers - CPR, DRABC, Defib

Bike Marking Training

Community Road Watch Training

Weapon Sweep Training, Drugs Awareness Input, Forensics Input

London Fire Brigade Input

Counter Terrorism Input

SEND (Special educational needs) and Diversity Communication Input

Crime Prevention Training - Basic - Personal Safety

Crime Prevention Training - Motor Vehicle

Crime Prevention Training - Burglary

They have said that they would love to welcome more members of Neighbourhood Watch, and you can choose when and where they volunteer, you can just volunteer locally or go all over London, they will cover expenses for travel.

If you would like to find out more, please scan the QR code >>>>>>>>>>>>>

or visit the website Police volunteer roles | Careers | Metropolitan Police

The training offered would also help you in the day-to-day activities of Neighbourhood Watch in your community.

Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance

You can ride an electric bike if you’re 14 or over, as long as it meets certain requirements.

These electric bikes are known as ‘electrically assisted pedal cycles’ (EAPCs). You do not need a licence to ride one and it does not need to be registered, taxed or insured.

What counts as an EAPC

An EAPC must have pedals that can be used to propel it.

It must show either:

• the power output
• the manufacturer of the motor

It must also show either:

• the battery’s voltage
• the maximum speed of the bike

Its electric motor:

• must have a maximum power output of 250 watts
• should not be able to propel the bike when it’s travelling more than 15.5mph

An EAPC can have more than 2 wheels (for example, a tricycle).

Where you can ride

If a bike meets the EAPC requirements it’s classed as a normal pedal bike. This means you can ride it on cycle paths and anywhere else pedal bikes are allowed.

Other kinds of electric bike

Any electric bike that does not meet the EAPC rules is classed as a motorcycle or moped and needs to be registered and taxed. You’ll need a driving licence to ride one and you must wear a crash helmet.

Getting vehicle approval for your electric bike

An electric bike must be type approved if either:

• it can be propelled without pedalling (a ‘twist and go’ EAPC)
• it does not meet the EAPC rules

This should have been done by the manufacturer or importer before you bought it. If it’s been type approved, it will have a plate showing its type approval number.

Source: GOV.UK - electric bike rules

E-bikes vs e-scooters: These two types of vehicles are not the same, and in debates about regulation the Bicycle Association believes it is important that they be considered separately. In terms of their product safety, stability, and heath benefit for the user, they are very significantly different.

Another previous post on e-scooters here.

How fraudsters are intercepting deliveries

 

Scam watch: a case of ‘mistaken’ delivery

An unnamed parcel from an online retailer was delivered to Phil’s home address, containing a games console that he’d never ordered. Shortly after, a man in a high-vis jacket, featuring a courier logo, knocked at the door.

He asked if Phil had just received something that wasn’t his, saying that there’d been a mistake. Because Phil had admitted that he hadn’t ordered it, he reluctantly handed the parcel over. He then contacted the retailer, only to be told that a store account had been opened in his name and had been used to make the order.

So, what exactly is this scam, how does it work and how can you avoid falling victim?

A case of identity fraud

Source: Which? (07-01-2022)

NatWest ‘new device registered’ text

 

Scam alert: fake NatWest ‘new device registered’ texts

NatWest customers are being targeted by fake text messages stating that ‘a new device has been registered’, aiming to send recipients through to a website that has nothing to do with the bank.

At first glance, the text is quite convincing – NatWest is named as the sender and the message doesn’t contain any glaring mistakes. Here’s an example and NatWest’s top five tips when you receive a text message asking you to follow a link.

Five protection tips

Source: Which? (12-01-2022)

Bogus traders targetting the elderly incident - Crook Log Ward

On Monday 10^th January at approx.1.30pm a silver 4x4 type car with a trailer stopped in Fairlawn Avenue.  There were four male occupants.  Two of the men got out of the car and knocked on the front door of an elderly couple in their 90's.  The men proceeded to try to persuade the elderly homeowners to part with £350 for work which they hadn't done, cutting down some trees.  The owner said that he didn't have any money and hadn't asked them to call. The men then said that they would halve the cost.  In a panic the owners rang their neighbour, who came straight out and told the men leave.  One of the men was white, aged 40/50 years old, approx. 5' 6"and spoke with a very soft Irish accent.  This incident has been reported to the police.

Rogue Traders are generally those who cold call, i.e. knock without invitation and exploit the vulnerable by convincing them to pay for shoddy or incomplete repair work, charging extortinate fees for their services, or threatening residents who do not comply.

The trading standards team works to protect consumers from scams and rogue traders operating within Bexley.

Unfortunately, there are some traders who want to cheat you out of your money by knocking on your door unannounced and convince you that work needs doing to your home when it doesn't. They may say they are working in your area and have noticed that your drive, roof or something else needs urgent attention, that they have got some materials left over from another job or that they can carry out repairs straight away.

Although the Trading Standards Team works closely with the Police and other agencies to stop rogue traders, many of the reports we receive from the public come too late for us to locate the traders and recover money paid. The best way to tackle the problem is to turn them away at the door and say no to cold callers.

The Crime Prevention website also give advice on Bogus Callers (Distraction burglary) that you may find useful.

Call the police 999 if you feel at risk or are concerned for a neighbour.