SCAM WARNINGS
Record of alerts and scam notifications
Please also see 'LATEST MESSAGE' in menu
2.11.13 (Extracted from the Neath Ferret website www.neathferret.co.uk )
Chinese interested in Neath Ferret brand name?
A Chinese business registration company have asked us if we have authorised the use of the Neath Ferret name by a third party as they have a client wishing to use it.
Our reply is that our name is registered and exclusive to us and that we have NOT authorised its use in any other part of the world.
It turns out to be a scam in an attempt for us to buy Chinese domain names to stop others using the name 'neathferret'. Other businesses in the UK are therefore warned about this type of approach for domain name registrations, which is now big business.
13.6.13
The following scam notification has come from the SWP:
12.6.13
Please note the following advice which SWP has recently circulated.
Advice on avoiding on-line phishing scams
Phishing usually occurs when you receive an e-mail or through a pop-up message on a web site that claims to be from a legitimate business that you have a relationship with - your credit card company, bank, internet service provider, or an online service.
You're told that it's critical for you to update or validate your personal information in order to avoid dire consequences. If you take the bait, you'll be directed to a Web site that looks legitimate but isn't.
Once at the site, you'll be asked to provide personal information. Don't do it!
Common phishing scams include statements such as:
Verify your account.
Dear Valued Customer.
If you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed.
Click the link below to gain access to your account.
· Check how secure your password is.
This is a two stage attack. Step one- using phishing or other techniques an e mail account is compromised. Step two- completely automatically and often without leaving a trace in the sent items folder, the hacker goes through all of the contacts in the e mail account and sends each one an e mail containing something like
“Hello mate, you might be interested in this item that I saw on the web today” or “Hey, how did anyone get this picture of you doing that?!” with a link for you to click on to see what they are referring to. So what you get is an e mail from someone you recognise with a very tempting link in it – clicking on this link will then compromise both your information.
To protect yourself consider the following advice:
Never respond to the type of e-mail or pop-ups mentioned above;
Don't send personal or financial information in mails. E-mail is insecure.
When entering personal information on a Web site that you initiate a transaction with, make sure the http in the address bar changes to https and the padlock icon appears in your browser window, indicating that the site is secure
Check your credit card statements carefully and report any charges that look suspicious;
Consider adding a firewall to protect your computer.
Be very cautious when opening any e-mail attachments.
Don't download files you receive in the e-mail.
If you suspect that you may have been compromised, change your password(s) immediately; and remember the general password advice, keep them complex and change them regularly anyway!
Regards
Mary P
Mary P Williams
Crime Reduction Tactical Advisor / Ymgynghorydd Tactegol Gostwng Troseddau
Communities & Partnerships / Cymunedau a Phartneriaethau
Western BCU / BCU y Gorllewin
3.1.13
29.11.12
County Councillor Bob Jones warns of a scam that is just begining in the area. One of his constituents was called by a lady using a refined voice advising her that if she was over 60 she would be entitled to some money. The constituent wisely put the phone down as there was a risk she could be embroiled in a scam or transferred to a premium price line, both would have cost money. Be like this constituent if someone offers you something too good to be true, it probably is and the contact is best ended. If you are able to trace the call let us know and we will pass it to the relevant people.
11.10.12
Dear members and supporters,
It’s just over a month now until Get Safe Online Week, which will run from 22nd – 26th October. The Week is organised by Get Safe Online, an organisation which provides unbiased, factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety. You can read more about them at www.getsafeonline.org
Get Safe Online wants everyone to ‘Click &Tell’ - that is to check out the advice on their website, pick up a few online safety tips and pass them on to friends, family, colleagues, neighbours or even strangers who may benefit from the advice.
Almost everyone has fallen for some kind of online scam or fraud at some time, no matter how experienced they are at IT and using the internet. Yet lots of people don’t want to admit it because they feel a bit embarrassed. As part of Get Safe Online Week, we would like to encourage our members to share their experiences anonymously, and also share hints and tips about how people can stay safe. We hope to circulate these during the Week so that you can read about the experiences of other Neighbourhood and Home Watch members and see how they keep safe online.
If you would like to share your story, email us at enquiries@ourwatch.org.uk and title your email ‘Get Safe Online Week’. Your story will only be shared anonymously – your name or details will not be published anywhere or passed on without your permission.
If you don’t mind sharing your details with Get Safe Online, they are collecting case studies and you can submit yours at www.getsafeonline.org/share-your-story (please note that NHWN will not share your story with Get Safe Online – you can choose to submit to their website if you wish).
As part of the Week, Get Safe Online is also sending a tour bus to Cardiff, London, Leeds, Edinburgh and Belfast. To read more details about the Week and the tour bus schedule, see our news article: www.ourwatch.org.uk/news_and_events/news/get_safe_online_week_22_26_october_2012
You can also download a ‘Click & Tell’ leaflet from our website: www.ourwatch.org.uk/resource_centre/document_library/click_and_tell_leaflet
For more information, go to: http://clickandtell.getsafeonline.org
Yours faithfully,
Catherine Dunn, NHWN
Message sent by
Catherine Dunn (NHWN, Administrator, England & Wales)
29.8.12 - Phone Scam
There is a new take on an old phone scam currently hitting people. The old scam was to pretend to be the telephone company and phone someone saying that they are about to be cut-off if they don't pay a smallish amount by card over the phone immediately. If people don't believe them they are actually encouraged to hang-up and then try to make a call. When they hang-up and then pick the phone up again it is dead. How do they do this?
Well it's actually very simple - the scammer doesn't hang-up, they just put their phone on mute. The call was never torn down.
So, what's the 'new take' on this scam? Well, they are now hitting bank and credit card customers. The scammers now pretend to be from the bank and start asking for card details, etc. If you get suspicious (or even sometimes prompted by the scammer themselves) you are encouraged to hang up and call them back on the telephone number shown on the back of your card. They then provide you with an extension number or a name to ask for.
When you hang up they do not, similar to before. However, this time they play the sound of the dialling tone to you until you start 'dialling' the number. All they have to do is wait for you to finish dialling the number then play the ringing tone to you. All the while they haven't hung up and you haven't dialled your bank at all. The scammers then 'answer' the phone and pass you to the person you were speaking to before. You now think you're speaking to your bank.
What can you do about this? Call back on a different line. Call your bank back on your mobile, not the landline you first received the call on.
Student warning about scams
With a ‘A’ Levels results out and students securing university places please forward this advice to students looking for university accommodation.
Scams work by offering to let property in prime areas at below market rents and asking for deposits, or in some cases full
payment upfront in order to secure the property prior to visiting it.
Prospective tenants are convinced to part with either credit card details, cheques or cash before seeing the property, which then
turn out not to exist. Payments are then not returned and the student cannot get in contact with the supposed “landlord”.
There have also been occasions whereby fraudsters gain access to properties and take prospective tenants around, portraying the
property to be vacant and under their control. In other cases the fraudsters are purporting to rent out property that does not exist,
has already been rented out, or has been rented to multiple victims at the same time.
Crime Prevention Message ~ Shed Burglaries
British summer time is official here with the onset of the warm weather to come, remember to pay extra attention to shed and outer houses security.
Keep sheds locked and make sure your gardens are secure is the advice from the police. Stealing from gardens is the easy option for thieves during the summer time hours.
Tax Refund Scams
Warnings have been given about scam emails that look as if they have come from the Inland Revenue. The claim that a tax refund is due to you and ask you for your bank details to process the refund. It should be noted that the Inland Revenue do NOT advise of refunds by email. You are advised NOT to give your personal details in reponse to any email that claims to have come from the Inland Revenue.
Phone Scams
1. Caller advises he phoning from Microsoft technical support.
2. The caller advises that your PC is sending them information that your operating system has viruses and spyware on your PC
3. He then will ask you to go to your PC and go to a website so they can install software to check your pc.
4. At this stage they will scan your PC which could give them access to all your personal documents,passwords etc.
5. When they have done their scans they will know inform you that you need additional anti virus software which you can purchase from them.
DON'T GIVE THEM ANY FINANCIAL DETAILS OVER THE PHONE
NEWS EXTRA Our investigation team has traced the source of the above scam and have passed the information on to the Police.
Doorstep crime linked with distraction burglary is one of the most despised crimes dealt with by the police. The majority of victims are females over the age of 80 years, who live alone, and frequently the stolen property is of low resale value but high sentimental value. Many victims lose their life savings and the detrimental effect on their health is shocking. They will not go out and become isolated in their own homes. The average life expectancy of the victim of distraction burglary is 9 months.
Gloria Hunniford and the BBC are planning a programme to highlight this nasty crime and are looking to hear from victims and also wish to hear from those who have dealt with these criminals effectively.
This is an opportunity for Neighbourhood Watch and Home Watch members to highlight the work they are doing tackling crime in their area and making their community a safer place to live.
Warning about Bogus Callers
Please note E-mails are being circulated at present regarding tax rebates and are quite convincing.
Please do not open the attachment and delete the e-mail as bogus.
Always remember, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is!
Also
There has been an increase in a fraud type whereby the over-60s have been persuaded to part with their bank card and PIN number.
The victims are “cold-called” by someone pretending to be from their bank and informed that their bank card is no longer working, is out of date or has been subject of a suspicious transaction. Victims are informed that someone will be in touch and will arrange to exchange their inoperable card for a new one. On occasion, the PIN is obtained at this stage, either by the suspect asking the victim to tell them it, or by the suspect asking the victim to use their telephone keypad to input their PIN.
If you receive a call from someone stating that they work for your bank and want to tell you that your card is inoperable, never give any details. Politely ask them for their name and the department they work in, then end the call. Following this, contact your card issuer and tell them about the phone call.
