Category: Community

Please follow the link below to see a copy of the latest Neighbourhood Policing Team Newsletter for May 2016 –

Neighbourhood Policing Team Newsletter May 2016

Officers are trying to locate a quad bike that was stolen from a property near Sturminster Newton and are appealing to the public for information.

The quad bike was taken from a property between Manston and Child Okeford overnight between Monday 25 April and Tuesday 26 April 2016.

It is described as a blue and black Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI 2007 model with a winch fitted to the front.

Police Constable Pat McLoughlin, of North Dorset police, said: “I am appealing to anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area to please contact me.

“I would also like to speak to anyone who may have been offered a quad bike matching the description in suspicious circumstance.”

No arrests have been made.

Witnesses and anyone with information should call Dorset Police in confidence on 101 quoting incident number 26:51. Alternatively, call the free and anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111 where mobile phone tariffs may apply.

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and Action Fraud have noticed a rise in the reporting of pets, and in particular puppies and kittens, being advertised for sale via popular online auction websites. The fraudsters will place an advert of the pet for sale, often claiming that the pet is currently held somewhere less accessible or overseas. Upon agreement of a sale, the suspect will usually request an advance payment by money transfer or bank transfer. However, the pet does not materialise and the fraudster will subsequently ask for further advanced payments for courier charges, shipping fees and additional transportation costs. Even if further payments are made, the pet will still not materialise as it is likely that the pet does not exist.

Protect Yourself:

Stay within auction guidelines. Be cautious if the seller initially requests payment via one method, but later claims that due to ‘issues with their account’ they will need to take the payment via an alternative method such as a bank transfer. Consider conducting research on other information provided by the seller, for example a mobile phone number or email address used by the seller could alert you to any negative information associated with the number/email address online. Request details of the courier company being used and consider researching it. Agree a suitable time to meet face to face to agree the purchase and to collect the pet. If the seller is reluctant to meet then it could be an indication that the pet does not exist. A genuine seller should be keen to ensure that the pet is going to a caring and loving new home. If the seller does not express any interest in you and the pet’s new home, be wary. If you think the purchase price is too good to be true then it probably is, especially if the pet is advertised as a pure-breed. Do not be afraid to request copies of the pet’s inoculation history, breed paperwork and certification prior to agreeing a sale. If the seller is reluctant or unable to provide this information it could be an indication that either the pet does not exist or the pet has been illegally bred e.g. it originates from a ‘puppy farm’. A ‘puppy farm’ is a commercial dog breeding enterprise where the sole aim is to maximise profit for the least investment. Commercial dog breeders must be registered with their local authority and undergo regular inspections to ensure that the puppies are bred responsibly and are in turn fit and healthy. Illegally farmed puppies will often be kept in inadequate conditions and are more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses associated with irresponsible breeding. When thinking of buying a pet, consider buying them in person from rescue centres or from reputable breeders If you have been affected by this, or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk

Within the past 24 hours a number of businesses throughout the UK have received extortion demands from a group calling themselves ‘Lizard Squad’.

Method of Attack:
The group have sent emails demanding payment of 5 Bitcoins, to be paid by a certain time and date. The email states that this demand will increase by 5 Bitcoins for each day that it goes unpaid.

If their demand is not met, they have threatened to launch a Denial of Service attack against the businesses’ websites and networks, taking them offline until payment is made.

The demand states that once their actions have started, they cannot be undone.

What to do if you’ve received  one of these demands:

• Report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or by using the online reporting tool
• Do not pay the demand
• Retain the original emails (with headers)
• Maintain a timeline of the attack, recording all times, type and content of the contact

If you are experiencing a DDoS right now you should:

• Report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 immediately.
• Call your Internet Service Provider (ISP) (or hosting provider if you do not host your own Web server), tell them you are under attack and ask for help.
• Keep a timeline of events and save server logs, web logs, email logs, any packet capture, network graphs, reports etc.

Get Safe Online top tips for protecting your business from a DDoS:

• Consider the likelihood and risks to your organisation of a DDoS attack, and put appropriate threat reduction/mitigation measures in place.
• If you consider that protection is necessary, speak to a DDoS prevention specialist.
• Whether you are at risk of a DDoS attack or not, you should have the hosting facilities in place to handle large, unexpected volumes of website hits.

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and Action Fraud have noticed a rise in the reporting of victims being recruited via Facebook to sell items for suspects on eBay – often stating that it is a quick way of making money.

The items are said to be bankrupt stock, purchased via auctions, and need to be sold on quickly. The majority of the items reported have been Apple Mac Book Pro/Electrical Items.

The victim places the items on eBay and once the items are sold, the victim will get paid and transfer the funds to the suspect/recruiter.

Once the suspect/recruiter gets the funds, the purchasers are claiming that they have received empty cereal boxes or often no goods at all, leaving the victim being reported as the actual suspect, and leaving them out of pocket as their account will be debited.

Protect yourself:

• Consider conducting research on other information provided by the seller, for example: a mobile phone number or email address could alert you to negative information associated with the number/email address online.
• Be very cautious of unsolicited emails or approaches over social media promising opportunities to make easy money.
• When accepting offers, verify the company/entity details provided to you and check whether they have been registered in the UK.
• If you think the deal or offer is too good to be true then it probably is!

If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk

Fraudsters are still conning elderly and vulnerable people over the phone in Dorset, which has cost local people nearly £1,100,000 since it started in 2014.

Dorset Police launched the awareness campaign Hang Up On Fraudsters in 2015 to make residents aware that criminals were claiming to be police officers or bank workers and telling people their account had been defrauded. They told victims they should call them back to clarify their identity – but in reality they kept the lines open and conned unsuspecting locals out of over a million pounds.

A similar warning about phone scams is now being issued by police. Fraudsters are currently pretending to be from a bank, stating that the account holder is due new credit or debit cards but they need the PIN for the current cards so that they can be cancelled.

The caller states the new cards will be with the customer the following day. If a victim queries the caller, the victim is told that the local branch manager will ring to confirm the authenticity. A subsequent call is made to the account holder and they confirm the previous caller’s details.

The victim then receives a further call from the offenders, asking if they have received their new cards. They obviously haven’t, so the offender states that they will send a courier to deliver the new cards and collect the old ones.

Later that day, a person will turn up at the address, stating they are a courier. They give the victim the ‘new’ cards and collect the old ones. Shortly after this transaction, fraudulent activity is recorded on the account both on-line and at local ATMs.

This year, Dorset Police has received 27 reports of phone fraud between 01 January to 25 April 2016, compared to 407 reports for the same period last year.

The victims, who are on average 79-years-old, have lost a combined total of £43,812 this year, compared to £420,500 for the same period last year: a reduction of over 90 per cent. Nine phone fraud victims have lost money to criminals, compared to 35 in 2015.

Police have received reports of this type of phone fraud from residents living in the following areas of Dorset during 2016: Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Ferndown, Portland and Bridport.

Detective Sergeant Garry Knight, of Bournemouth Criminal Investigation Department (CID), said: “We are pleased that there are considerably fewer victims than last year, however; we want this crime to stop completely, so that unscrupulous fraudsters don’t get away with stealing money from elderly and vulnerable people.

“Telephone fraud has traditionally been a faceless crime, but criminals are now defrauding victims over the phone before collecting their cash cards in person. This poses all kinds of risks to the individual concerned, let alone the financial losses they will incur if they are conned.

“We want people to tell their friends, family members and neighbours that they should NEVER give out bank account details, including their Personal Identification Number (PIN), over the phone.

“Nobody, no matter which organisation they claim to be from, will ask you for bank details over the phone or on your doorstep. This includes the police, banks and retailers.

“If people start asking for personal details – make you hang up, dial 1471 and note the number, then call the police immediately on 101 to report it.”

More information about telephone fraud is available at http://www.dorset.police.uk/Default.aspx?page=8318. A recording of a real telephone fraud call is available on Dorset Police’s YouTube account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lDvlZvwZj8

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has recently received an influx of reports that fraudsters are targeting the public, via social media, in relation to football tickets.

Fraudsters are posting pictures or statuses online telling members of the public to contact them via Direct Message for football tickets. This then leads to a mobile messaging conversation. During the conversation, bank details are provided by the suspect so that the tickets can be purchased.

After the victim has paid for the ticket the fraudster blocks them to stop further conversation, leaving victims without the tickets and out of pocket.

Protect yourself:

• Check the security of the website and validity of the post
• Avoid taking the conversation offline to private messages
• When purchasing any products over the internet always try to make the payment via PayPal or a credit card where you have some sort of payment cover

If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Fraudsters are targeting members of the public who are expecting to make a payment for property repairs. The fraudsters, via email, will purport to be a tradesman who has recently completed work at the property and use a similar email address to that of the genuine tradesman. They will ask for funds to be transferred via bank transfer and once payment is made the victims of the fraud soon realise they have been deceived when the genuine tradesman requests payment for their services.

Protect Yourself:

• Always check the email address is exactly the same as previous correspondence with the genuine contact.
• For any request of payment via email verify the validity of the request with a phone call to the person who carried out the work.
• Check the email for spelling and grammar as these signs can indicate that the email is not genuine.
• Payments via bank transfer offer no financial protection; consider using alternative methods such as a credit card or PayPal which offer some protection and avenue for recompense.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online at:  http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone on: 0300 123 2040.

Keep your vehicle safe.

In recent weeks the Blandford area has suffered several breaks to motor vehicle whilst parked unattended. Please make sure you do not leave any valuable in your vehicle or leave any items visible through the windows. Vehicle should be left secure and windows fully closed.

Further crime prevention advice can be found at  http://www.dorset.police.uk/default.aspx?page=6272

Blandford NPT

Please follow the link below to see the April 2016 edition of the Dorset Police Neighbourhood Policing Team Newsletter –

Neighbourhood Policing Team Newsletter April 2016