News

Dear Watch Member,

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) is warning the public to be vigilant of scam calls that appear to be coming from numbers similar to their own. Commonly, the first seven digits (07*****) match the victim’s own number. The calls impersonate well-known government organisations, or law enforcement agencies, and will ask the recipient of the call to “press 1” in order to speak with an advisor, or police officer, about unpaid fines or police warrants.

In May 2021, Action Fraud received 2,110 scam call reports where the caller’s number matched the first seven digits of the victim’s own phone number. Of these, 1,426 (68%) referred to HMRC or National Insurance.

Victims have also reported receiving these types of calls, and messaging, via widely-used messaging apps, such as WhatsApp.

• Government and law enforcement agencies will not notify you about unpaid fines or outstanding police warrants by calling or texting you. Do not respond to any calls or texts you receive about these.
• Always take a moment to stop and think before parting with money or your personal information, it could prevent you from falling victim to fraud. Remember, it’s okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
• If you receive a suspicious text message, you can report it by forwarding the message to 7726. It’s free of charge.
• Suspicious telephone/mobile calls can be reported to Action Fraud via their website: www.actionfraud.police.uk/report-phishing.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 8721 2775

Dear Watch Member,

Trading Standards is warning about telephone fraudsters mis-selling insurance for appliances. They claim to be from an insurance company and tell you that the warranty, for example on your fridge, has run out. They say they can renew it for you over the phone. Payment is taken and you may be sent paperwork. However it is a fraud. If your fridge breaks down, there will be no replacement or repair. Next year they will contact you again; what you thought was payment for 3 years was only for one year.

We advise that you don’t buy goods or services over the phone from a cold caller. With no chance to do your own checks, you don’t know if the call is genuine or if the price is a good one. In some cases, it would be cheaper to buy a new item than to buy the warranty.

To help protect yourself from these and similar calls:

For mobile phones, let callers who aren’t in your address book go straight to voicemail.

For landlines, contact your provider and ask for free caller display – if you can see who’s calling and it’s a number you don’t recognise, you will be on your guard immediately.

Contact your phone provider and ask if they offer free call blocking services. BT, Sky and Talk Talk are among providers who offer this service.

Keep your phone on answerphone during the day. Scammers won’t leave you a message. If you’re at home and hear someone genuine leaving a message, you can pick up the phone.

You can buy landline phones with built-in call blockers. Callers must say their name before you speak with them or not. You can also buy call blocking boxes that fit to an existing phone. They range in price, so think about what you need. These are available at all good retailers and online.

For advice on how to protect yourself from different types of fraud, go to www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

A huge increase in cyber-fraud across the world means that we all need to learn how to spot and avoid different types of fraud and cybercrime.

An emerging tactic used by fraudsters is the ‘spoofing’ (cloning) of telephone numbers. A decade ago, anyone receiving a suspicious call could look up the number that was calling them to check its legitimacy. No longer is this sufficient advice.

Fraudsters can now clone numbers used by legitimate organisations, your local bank, HMRC, or even a local police station, to make it look like that organisation’s genuine number is calling you. The fraudster claims to be from that organisation and tries to convince you to do what they say. This means you cannot rely on your Caller ID display to tell you who is calling you.

Protect yourself:

Beware of unexpected phone callers, whomever they claim to be. If in doubt, never divulge personal details over the phone to someone who has called you. The more you say to a fraudster, the more information they gain about you. Don’t be afraid to hang up. Contact friends or family for advice.

Don’t trust your caller ID display. To verify a call, contact the genuine organisation using a number that you have independently researched. Before doing so, ensure the call has ended and the line has cleared, wait five minutes (Some scammers can simulate the sounds of lines clearing to dupe you into dialling while the line is still live), or make the call via a separate phone line where possible.

Institutions such as HMRC, police and banks will never call you to tell you that you / your money is under investigation; nor would they ever ask you to transfer or hand-over money / assets for such a purpose.

Report all scams online to www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040, giving as much information as possible.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]