ALERTS
15 Feb 2011
With thanks to a NHW Scheme coordinator who drew this report to my attention.
Whilst carrying out a cash withdrawal at an external ATM the victim was approached by two men who stood either side of him. Moments before the cash was about to emerge from the machine one of the thieves, who was standing on a hidden £10 note, flicks the note beneath the user then taps him on the shoulder to say he had dropped the cash. As the victim bent to pick up the note the second man grabbed the £350 from the machine and walked away. Meanwhile a third member of the gang started chatting with a woman waiting to use the machine to prevent her seeing what was happening. The victim, a 57-year-old man was not immediately aware of the theft and thought that the cash machine was faulty.
Crime Prevention Advice i
When you are using an ATM there is a tendency to focus purely on the machine as you carry out your transaction. Be aware of your surroundings. If anybody is standing so close to you that they can see your hands don't enter your pin number. Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable discontinue the transaction and walk away.
“Always cover your hand when you enter your pin number.
“If someone tries to gain your attention in any way as you are carrying out a transaction ignore them. Concentrate on the machine and retrieving your bank card and cash safely as a priority. If they are genuine they will still be there when your bank card and money is safely in your pocket., wallet or purse “
David J Budd
Crime Prevention Officer
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Wiltshire Council PR 3772 26/11/2010 [For Immediate Release]
Warning over electricity top up scam
Wiltshire Council is warning local people to be on their guard for a scam which targets pre-payment electricity metered homes. The scam involves teams of criminals who knock at doors and offer a top up for half price. In fact the cards they use are illegal cloned cards, and as soon as the electricity supplier finds out the homeowner gets charged again. Some reported incidents have involved threatening behaviour.
Sue Wilkin from trading standards advises “some of the victims of this scam are the most vulnerable in our society. Anyone who suspects a suspicious caller should notify their electricity supplier first and then report the incident to consumer direct on 08454 040506. If the incident is serious call the police immediately. There have been over 114,000 cases reported nationally so far, and some arrests have been made but clearly this is a serious organised crime with many criminals involved. Areas affected include Bristol, Southampton and Reading. It is only a matter of time before Wiltshire is targeted so we urge anyone with a pre-pay meter to be vigilant."
ENDS
This has been passed on via another Force area through our own Fraud
Department In Wiltshire Constabulary, and it is a very convincing SCAM.
We have been asked to disseminate the information as widely and as
quickly as we can through Neighbourhood Watch, School Safe and others.
This one is pretty slick since they provide YOU with all the
information, except the one piece they want. Note, the callers do not
ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is
worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone
Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself..
One of our employees was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was
called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person
calling says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and
Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been
flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify.
This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank) did
you purchase an Anti-Telemarketing Device for £497.99 from a Marketing
company based in London ?" When you say "No", the caller continues
with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a
company we have been watching and the charges range from £297 to £497,
just under the £500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your
next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is
that correct?" You say "yes". The caller continues - "I will be
starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should
call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) and
ask for Security.. You will need to refer to this Control Number. The
caller then gives you a 6 digit number. "Do you need me to read it
again?"
Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works the caller then says,
"I need to verify you are in possession of your card." He'll ask you to
"turn your card over and look for some numbers." There are 7 numbers;
the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security
numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the
numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove you have
the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers to him. After
you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say, "That is correct, I just
needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that
you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you
say, "No," the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to
call back if you do", and hangs up You actually say very little, and
they never ask for or tell you the Card number .
But after we were called on Wednesday, we called back within 20 minutes
to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security
Department told us it was a scam and in the last 15 minutes a new
purchase of £497.99 was charged to our card. Long story - short - we
made a real fraud report and closed the VISA account. VISA is reissuing
us a new number. What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on
the back of the card. Don't give it to them . Instead, tell them
you'll call VISA or MasterCard directly for verification of their
conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for
anything on the card as they already know the information since they
issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you
think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your
statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then
it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud
report.
What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from
a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the
VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish I hung up! We filed a
police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking
several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we
know that this scam is happening .
Passed on by the Gliding Club ... Please circulate to as many people as possible.
Red Peugeot 306 - R863 TCR tow bar fitted. Seen on numerous occasions around the county, occupants are believed to be involved in crime.
Please contact PC Lee Coleshill on 0845 045 4545 with any information.
BOGUS EMAIL***
It has been reported that a number of persons have recently received information by way of email warning them of various MO’s for car jacking’s, kidnapping and other serious offences which were alleged to have occurred within The MET area and Hampshire, with one such attempted kidnapping said to have occurred in Fleet Services, Hampshire.
The content of these emails is very concerning and would appear to be persons attempting to scaremonger the public for reasons unknown. The originator of these emails can not be traced but it is requested on these emails that you forward onto other persons, be that police or members of the public, specifically females. The emails will claim to originate from Brian Molloy, a DC within the FIU at Strathclyde Police. Although DC MOLLOY is a serving officer, within an intelligence role these emails are NOT FROM HIM. It would appear the intention is for people to harass him unintentionally by contacting him in relation to this, and he has previously been the victim of this type of misuse of his name in 2005.
There is nothing to suggest that there is a series of these type of offences within our area or neighbouring forces and this has not been sent out by any police force.
If you receive an email similar to this, check its authenticity. Only forward on or action emails from known sources .pnn.police.uk / .gov.uk etc.
Wiltshire Council PR 3784 30/11/2010 [For Immediate Release]
Mega Monday
With the UK's busiest online shopping day 'Mega Monday' (December 6) fast approaching, the National Fraud Authority (NFA) and Wiltshire Council, are ringing out the bells about the growing threat of online fraudsters.
With over half the UK adult population now shopping online forecasters predict pre-Christmas web sales will peak at £23.2m between 12-1pm on 'Mega Monday' but such activity also raises the risk of buyers losing money to criminals.
Shoppers should be aware that behind some flashy websites, canny criminals are looking to cash-in on the December online spree. Anonymous fraudsters can set up legitimate looking websites to sell either counterfeit goods or no goods at all. There has been a 15 per cent increase in reports of online shopping fraud since July.
Particular care is needed when buying popular gifts online such as Smart phones, digital cameras, designer goods and branded boots.
Sue Wilkin from Wiltshire Council's trading standards advises “Consumers need to take basic steps to protect themselves this Christmas. Use secure websites that you trust. Do research before you buy, look for adverse feedback and check whether it includes a proper land based address. Ensure the website contain details of your cooling off rights under distance selling regulations. Check the phone number is legitimate and is UK. Always look for the “Https” to ensure it is a secure site and look for the padlock. If the price looks too good to be true then it probably is. Remember popular technology items are rarely discounted."
Advice is available from Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 08454 040506 .
For further advice and to report fraud, log onto www.actionfraud.org.uk or call 0300 123 2040 0300 123 2040 , Textphone 0300 123 2050 0300 123 2050 . Visit www.getsafeonline.org.uk for other tips on staying safe online.
ENDS