Category: Crimewatch

Action Fraud – Alerts

The following alerts have been received from Action Fraud –

On-line Auction Fraud

On-line auction websites are being used by fraudsters to advertise vehicles for sale which do not exist.

The fraudster advertises on an auction website and gets their victim to agree to purchase a vehicle, making sure that all correspondence is done via email.  The victim then receive emails which claim to be from genuine payment merchants or auction websites which state that the  money they have paid for the vehicle will be held in an ‘escrow account’.

The email indicates the money will be released to the seller, once the person has confirmed that they’re happy with the purchase. The email says that this will provide the person with ‘buyer protection’. In reality these emails are fraudulent, they don’t come from the named companies and the bank accounts are controlled by fraudsters.

Protect yourself:

–    Always stay within the terms and conditions of the auction websites.
–    Remember that PayPal do not include vehicles under their buyer protection.
–    Meet the seller ‘face to face’ and view the vehicle before parting with any money.
–    Be vigilant of emails that purport to be from genuine companies and check the ‘domain’ name of the email address for any inconsistencies.
–    Check feedback online by searching the associated phone numbers or email addresses of the seller.
–    If the vehicle is below market value consider whether this is an opportunity which is too good to be true!

Also

Online auction websites are being used by fraudsters to advertise agricultural machinery for sale which do not exist.

The fraudster advertises on an auction website and gets their victim to agree to purchase farming machinery, making sure that all correspondence is done via email.

The victim then receive emails which claim to be from genuine payment merchants or auction websites which state that the money they have paid for the machinery will be held in an ‘escrow account’.

The email indicates the money will be released to the seller, once the person has confirmed that they’re happy with the purchase. The email says that this will provide the person with ‘buyer protection’. In reality these emails are fraudulent, they don’t come from the named companies and the bank accounts are controlled by fraudsters.

Protect yourself:

  • Always stay within the terms and conditions of the auction websites.
  • Remember that PayPal do not include vehicles under their buyer protection.
  • Meet the seller ‘face to face’ and view the vehicle before parting with any money.
  • Be vigilant of emails that purport to be from genuine companies and check the ‘domain’ name of the email address for any inconsistencies.
  • Check feedback online by searching the associated phone numbers or email addresses of the seller.
  • If the vehicle is below market value consider whether this is an opportunity which is too good to be true!

Apple iTunes

Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) have been made aware that there are currently a number of emails being sent out that appear to be coming from Apple iTunes, detailing a recent purchase.

The email states that if customers did not purchase the item they should click on the link provided to obtain a refund. Once redirected to a web page they are asked to fill out their card and other personal details. This is a spam email with links to a malicious web page that is being used to harvest personal details, possibly in order to access victim’s bank accounts.

Protect yourself:

• Double check where the email has come from before clicking on the link
• Check your iTunes account for recent activity
• Consider contacting iTunes separately to double check your account activity
• Remember iTunes will not request your personal details via email or through attached links
• If you have filled in one of the forms, do not use online banking until you have had your computer checked out by an expert.  Also consider contacting your bank to make them aware of the situation – money held in your account may be at risk.

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Dorset Police – Urgent message

At 5pm on Monday the 20th April an elderly female living in Pimperne was visited by a male who stated that he had done some fencing work for her and she owed him some money. The male has talked his way inside her home and then went from room to room before leaving empty handed.

The male was described as being white, large build with short dark hair and a sunburned face. He had a large number of tattoos on his arms and was wearing a green jacket with a red emblem on the front and back.

If anybody has any information about the above incident then please contact Dorset Police on 101 quoting crime number 16871

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Dorset Police – Important Information

We have been made aware by Wiltshire Police of a couple of scams farms in their force area are suffering.
One scam is the caller says they are from the rural crime team and goes on to ask for details of machinery at the farm and if it is data tagged. This may be a precursor to thefts of farm machinery.
The other scam is of a similar nature but could be under the guise of farm safety around machinery and goes on to ask for donations.
Please do not disclose any details over the phone.

And

Overnight, there have been breaks to outbuildings, vehicles and garages within the East Orchard area although they may have occurred in a wider area.

Officers have two males detained on suspicion of theft and a vehicle seized. They are currently helping us with our enquiries.

We are requesting that local residents check premises and vehicles to ensure they have not been victims. If you believe you have anything missing, please contact Dorset police on 101 with  information.

Many Thanks,
North Dorset Safer Neighbourhood Teams

 

Action Fraud – Beware: Cloned National Savings & Investments website is offering “investments”

Fraudsters have set up a bogus website claiming to be the official site of National Savings & Investments (NS&I) and are contacting members of the public, cold calling them and offering them the chance to invest in 65+ Bonds (also known as Pensioner Bonds).

Members of the public who are searching for the official website (for example on search engines) may be directed to the fake one which then asks them to supply contact information.

Victims are then receiving a follow up e-mail and/or phone call from the fraudsters who are requesting evidence of identity documents and bank account details either over the phone or by sending the victims fake forms to fill out. A common name that appears on the emails sent by the fraudsters is ‘Kevin Archer’.

Avoid being a victim of fraud:

  • Do not pass personal or banking information to companies that cold call you.
  • Please note that the only domain name (website address) that is legitimate is www.nsandi.com
  • National Savings & Investments (NS&I) do not make sales calls to potential customers (cold calls) so do not enter into discussion with cold callers claiming to be NS&I.
  • The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau is committed to tackling all types of fraud and the Cyber Prevention and Disruption Team aims to do this by disrupting and taking down fake and fraudulent websites.

If you have been a victim of fraud or suspect a company of fraud please contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via the online reporting tool at www.actionfraud.police.uk

Action Fraud Alert – Ticket Fraudsters Operating Using Social Media

Be aware that fraudsters are actively using social media to source pictures of event tickets that people have posted on their accounts.

People who take pictures of their tickets before they actually attend an event, and post them on social media website, are actively being sought by fraudsters. The fraudsters are then using these pictures to make counterfeit copies.

Fans may not be aware of how much information there actually is on a ticket; this usually includes their name and the barcode used to gain entry to the venue.

Fraudsters copy the barcode from the tickets and make dozens of counterfeit copies which are then sold to other victims through so called “safe” ticket resale platforms. If you buy one of these tickets you will be refused entry into a venue.

To prevent this from happening it is essential that fans do not post pictures of tickets before events anywhere on the internet.

Protect yourself against ticket fraud:

  • Always check with the event organiser for official ticket outlet details.
  • Pay for tickets by credit card – the card issuer is jointly liable for a failure for goods or services to be provided, as long as the price of a single ticket is more than £100.
  • If you are unsure about a website, contact the event organiser or venue and ask if the website is an official seller of tickets for the event you wish to purchase tickets for.
  • Be cautions of making advance payments via bank transfer, money transfer or e-money vouchers.
  • Do not post pictures of purchased tickets onto social media sites.

Dorset Police – Shed and Property Break-in’s Fontmell Magna

We are sending this message to advise you of three crimes in the Fontmell Magna area of North Dorset.

There have been two attempts to steal equipment from sheds and outbuildings, the first being in West Street, sometime between Friday 20th March and Saturday 28th March. A metal latch has been cut and bent. the property owners are unsure at this time if anything has been stolen. Crime number 013233
The second was in North Street and has occurred sometime between Saturday 28th and Monday 30th March. Very similar circumstances where the door has been jemmied open but again, nothing appears to be stolen. Crime number 013371

These are causing us great concerns due to the number of outbuilding breaks recently but we are sorry to have to report there has also been a break to a property in Lurmer Street, Fontmell Magna, Crime number 013585. The residents had been away from the property between 26th March, returning on 31st March to discover intruders had gained access to the house.
Dorset Police are requesting if anyone believes they have seen any suspicious activity in the area over the past few days, they contact us, quoting any of the crime numbers stated above.

We would like to reassure all our residents that officers are investigating these offences but if anyone would like any security advice or further reassurance, you can call us on 101 and we can arrange for police staff to attend at a mutually convenient time to discuss any concerns you may have.

Thank you,
North Dorset Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

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Action Fraud – Ticket Scams

Fraudsters regularly offer tickets for music festivals and popular sporting events scheduled for the summer. The tickets are generally offered for sale in the spring time and as the official tickets are sometimes not released until weeks before the event, potential victims don’t realise they have been deceived for some time after parting with their hard earned money. The internet is the most common place where this occurs; on platforms such as bogus websites, online auction sites and via social media.

Protect yourself:

  • Purchase tickets from an official agent, box office or reputable ticket exchange website.
  • Be cautions of making advance payments via bank transfer, money transfer or e-money vouchers.
  • Remember paying by credit card or via PayPal offers the consumer greater protection should you be a victim of fraud.
  • Conduct some simple online research on the seller or website if you are considering making a purchase. Negative feedback can appear very quickly if something is not quite right.
  • If the ticket price is below market value and the tickets are in high demand consider whether this is too good to be true.
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Dorset Police – Sheducation

The Shaftesbury Safer Neighbourhood team would like to advise you of our SHEDUCATION Roadshow which will be visiting various locations across North Dorset in the coming months.

The Shed is all about giving practical advice in regards to security options for your sheds and outbuildings as well as a chance to meet your local community support officers.

Dates and places for April so far:

Cann Common – Higher Barn Close – Wednesday 8th April – 15.00 – 16.00hrs

Tesco – Christy’s Lane – Thursday 9th April – 10.00 – 11.30hrs

Barton Hill – Ivy Cross – Thursday 9th April – 14.00 – 15.00hrs

We look forward to seeing you there.

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