Hi everyone

Consumer scam alerts - Norfolk County Council   This website gives information on numerous scams that are currently circulating and on rogue traders.  

I am attaching a Press Release from Public Protection Partnership regarding Operation Tabitha.

A local resident has posted that her Mum was robbed by an organised gang in Tesco car park at Newbury retail park. They scratched her car and got someone to point out the damage, and when she was leaning over to look, they stole her wallet.  They had followed her around the shop to acquire her pin number and have stolen £500 from her.  She is an elderly lady in her mid 70s, so may have been targeted for this.  Her card was last attempted in Newbury Town Centre.

This has happened before but possibly not for a year or so. They watch them at the till and follow them to their car and once they have put their bag inside say there is damage to the vehicle. The driver then gets out to look and they steal purse or bag.  Also if the card or cards are not protected in an RFID sleeve they can scan it and obtain the details. This was happening a lot in crowded places. If this happens, make sure you either lock the vehicle or take bag/purse with you before checking for damage. Ideally lock it in the vehicle.  Also they are doing this with nails by a tyre.  So many crimes at the moment so please be on your guard.

I have also been informed by a local resident that a SIM card was stolen out of a mobile, but the phone was not taken.  Please do not take more credit/debit/loyalty cards out with you than you need just in case they are stolen.

Fraudsters on Facebook are sharing links to fake websites promising access to sold-out Lidl mystery boxes.

When victims try to pay for their bargain box, their payment details are stolen and used to set up recurring payments, allowing criminals to take money from their bank accounts. Earlier this year, supermarket Lidl launched limited edition mystery boxes, filled with unknown products from the ‘middle of Lidl’ – its middle aisle that features a rotating range of home, garden and leisure items. The mystery boxes were said to contain products worth £100 for just £20. Lidl sold the boxes from a website created for the promotion: www.lidlmysterybox.co.uk.

Scammers are exploiting the hype around this offer by advertising fake mystery boxes on social media, claiming mystery boxes are available again and sharing a dodgy link. The link takes you to a fake Lidl-branded website designed to look like you’re ordering mystery boxes – but your card details are then used to set up continuous payments.  The websites claim to have very limited numbers of boxes left, encouraging people to make orders quickly.

Victims have told Which? they thought they were ordering the real thing from a genuine website, but became suspicious when they didn’t receive any order confirmation. The promised mystery boxes never arrived, and some time later they realised money was being taken from their bank accounts.  One victim told Which she spotted that £99 left her account within minutes of submitting her card details to the scam, and the same company collected another payment of £88 from her two weeks later. 

Top tips to spot these kinds of scams

How to Avoid

Contact your bank immediately if you think you may have made a payment to a scammer or if you are worried that a fraudulent transaction has been made from your account.

Scam WhatsApp and Facebook messages have been reported which offer the chance to win a selection of Cadburys festive chocolate. The messages ask you to click a link and take part in a short quiz to be in with a chance of winning one of 2,000 'Christmas Chocolate Magic Baskets'.

The link leads to a scam website using Cadbury branding, where you are told you have won a prize and asked to enter personal details. You are also told to share the competition link with at least 20 contacts on WhatsApp before you receive your prize.

A similar scam was reported last Easter, with a basket of Cadbury eggs being offered as a prize. Cadburys has confirmed that this is not a genuine competition being run by them.

Take Five is often shown on Bank/Building Societies warning about scams

https://www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/

Take Five is a national campaign offering straight-forward, impartial advice that helps prevent email, phone-based and online fraud - particularly where criminals impersonate trusted organisations.  Scam warning: Criminals may purport to be from Take Five, using our official branding on websites, social media posts, literature, on the phone or by text. Take Five doesn’t provide endorsement or approval for any products/services and would never call or text anyone.

Criminals are impersonating Santander. They are sending emails to their customers asking them to update their contact details, via a link.

The link takes you to a fake Santander website. Here you’ll enter your Personal ID and Security number. You will believe you are logging on to the Santander website. In the background, the criminal is taking your details. And then using them to log on themselves. They change the details on your real account. And a One Time Passcode (OTP) is sent to you to authorise it.  Keep yourself and your account safe by following some simple steps from Santander: 

Common types of scams and fraud

There are lots of different types of scams and fraud. See below the Santander list of helpful links below to find out more about each type.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy and Safe Christmas and all the best for the New Year.   Thank you for helping to keep your community safe. 

Angela Money BEM

Area Representative - West Berkshire Neighbourhood Watch