Crime: 6 August 2014

I had a very strange enquiry from Ronald who lives in Maidenhead.
 
Hi jeff,
Whilst washing the family car yesterday, we became aware of a “drone” hovering close to us in Walker Road and focused directly on us – about house height above us.  It stayed for about 10 mins, then disappeared towards the golf course.
 
We found it most intrusive and provocatively offensive.  We don’t know who it belongs to, but wondered if it was legal and would I be breaking the law, if I attempt to ground it with water from my hose ?
 
This engendered a long string of emails – all really interesting.  Eventually I passed it over to Peter Webster our NHW CCTV Guru
 
His response:
 
This “device” or drone is a  - UAV or ACS.
 
This is going to become more of an issue to the public, but possibly, like it or not, we may have to get used to it if electronic suppliers and online businesses, have their way!  They are thinking about using these flying drones, as a delivery mechanism for their smaller items !
 
The Americans, have recently changed their laws so that you cannot fly them out of your own “line of sight” (so not autonomously, or using First Person Video (FPV) systems, to remotely view and control them in flight).  They are regulated in the UK, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (but only when used for commercial photography).
 
 
They currently fall within the scope of remote controlled hobbyist aircraft.
 
Both Ronald and Peter are hobbyist aircrafters and are therefore very interested in this subject !  Has anyone else out there seen these around ?  Does anyone know any more about their legality – when used with a camera ?
 
NHW LOGOS
 
I have had this in from Simon:
 
Hello Jeff,
 
There is a logo from the TAMPA police department on the newsletter, any idea why?
 
Simon
 
I do !
 
One of our members was on holiday in France recently and saw an unusual local NHW logo - the green eye.  They thought it was interesting to see a different approach and sent it to me.  I attached it at the bottom of a message a couple of weeks ago.  It did generate interest
 
Since then, people have been sending them to me from all around the world !
 
I thought of it, as a ‘subliminal message’ that we are not alone in what we do and try to achieve. It helps to remind us, that there are people all around the world, doing exactly what we do here.  A huge partnership !
 
NHW is the largest voluntary organisation in the UK.  Judging by these logos, we must clearly be the largest voluntary group, in the world and it binds us all together.
 
When I am on one of my world wide jaunts, I often go into local police stations, to introduce myself.  They are always thrilled to share their experiences and ask what we do here.  We are part of one huge world wide family and it is amazing, how all our concerns appear to be universal.
 
There are good people everywhere, doing their best, to help their neighbours and communities.
 
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
Your Neighbourhood Page on TVP's Website - Click Here
4/8  Monday 7 p.m.  Queen Street.  Bike – NOT SECURED / LOCKED TO ANYTHING - which had been propped against a wall down a side alley stolen.  A white & blue, gents Carrera bike.
 
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
 
MAIDENHEAD WEST
BISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
Your Neighbourhood Page on TVP's Website - Click Here
4/8  Monday 5.30 p.m. / 6.30 p.m.  Church Hill, White Waltham.  Burglary.  Entry by reaching through a transom window left open and unlatching a larger window, to climb in.  They climbed in carefully, not disturbing items on the kitchen worktop.  They then locked the family dog in the dining room. And carried out a search of the master bedroom.  They emptied the contents of a handbag out onto the bed and took the small change, ignoring bank cards etc. !  They then tipped out the contents of a jewellery box and removed the valuable gold items, ignoring costume jewellery.  The search was not thorough.  They then left.
5/8  Tuesday 4.40 p.m.  Henley Road.  Burglary.  Front door forced  Untidy search of the whole house.  Champagne bottles smashed on the floor causing damage.  Drawers searched and the keys to two cars found.  Two cars were then stolen  1.  A blue Hyundai 120 index LD ** FTA and 2.  A blue Skoda Fabia index BU ** HVX.  The Skoda has been found burnt out in Shurlock Row.
5/8  Tuesday 1 a.m.  Burchetts Green Lane, Burchetts Green.  Garage broken into.  Offenders smashed a patio door – the alarm sounded and they immediately made off.  IT DOES WORK !
4/8 Monday  4 p.m.  Sports Centre Bisham.  Four wooden sheds broken into.  Small tools stolen from one shed and larger items in the others ignored.  Stihl hedge trimmers X 4, Stihl leaf blowers X 3, Stihl strimmers X 2 stolen.
 
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
4/8  Monday 8.40 a.m.  School, Oaken Grove, Furze Platt.  Offenders have broken into the school via the fire doors.  They have thrown items around and then set off fire extinguishers all over two classrooms causing damage.
5/8  Tuesday 10 a.m. / 10.30 a.m.  Edinburgh Road.  Bike left UNLOCKED in a front garden stolen.  A silver / Aluminium & black, Saracen Roughtracks mountain bike.
 
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
Your Neighbourhood Page on TVP's Website - Click Here
3/8 – 4/8  Sunday 11 a.m. / Monday 10.45 a.m.  Lees Close X 3 Cars broken into.  1.  Car LEFT INSECURE – 2 pairs of sunglasses and a charger cable stolen.  2.  Car LEFT INSECURE – SAT NAV stolen.  3.  Car ENTERED BY UNKNOWN MEANS -  not initially reported as nothing stolen.
4/8  Monday 0.45 a.m.  Bannard Road X 2.  2 lads caught on CCTV looking to break into cars – no cars actually broken into and nothing stolen.  This is why we would like you to check your CCTV if I report a crime near you.  As in this case, the cars weren’t actually broken into, so the owners will know nothing and not believe they need to check their CCTV.
 
OLDFIELD & BRAY:
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
 
MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:
 
SOME GOOD NEWS RE INTERNET BANKING !
 
Hello Jeffrey
 
I daily check my bank account on line, to see expected payments going out.  Recently I saw one which I did not recognise.  I spoke to the bank and as a result, they were able to stop it.
 
It is very useful to have on line banking, to see prospective outgoings in advance.
 
The recipient company were not so helpful when I spoke to them before the bank.
Regards,
 
Derek
 
A very useful attribute of online banking – for those that resist it.
 
I HAVE JUST RECEIVED A SCAM EMAIL FROM Bill – It comes from the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation – GNPC
 
I am Mr. Alexander Kofi Mensah Mould – I need a reliable and reputable person to help me with a confidential transaction........It involves the transfer of a huge sum of money to a foreign account. 
It relates to a pipeline contract, which was hugely over budgeted – fraudulently.  They now want to hide the extra money abroad.....40% of $25m in cash for you plus, you can keep an additional 10% for your incidental expences......
 
Surely – no-one would fall for this ?????
 
BIN THEM
 
Thanks bill
 
NEXT FROM MIKE:
 
Another scam email.  This is one of the ‘pass it onto everyone you know’ – it talks about a new high cost area code.
 
Anything not addressed to you personally – someone who actually knows who you are – BIN IT.
 
Anything that says – pass this to everyone you know – BIN IT – it will be a scam.
 
I have had this in from Karen:
 
It is a one line email – it is not addressed at all and begins ‘Hello’, so not addressed personally:
 
‘Please can you let me have a payment date for the attached June Invoice’ ?
 
Kind Regards
Sue Mockridge
Accounts Administrator
 
There is a new style of scam email.  They seem to be getting much shorter and simpler in their approach – much less details to assist you to recognise, an obvious scam.  A single line means you may have to open the attachment, to see what it is all about !  Clever.
 
NEXT A PAYPAL SCAM EMAIL:
 
Hi Jeff,
I have just received, what I'm pretty sure is a phishing email from PayPal, telling me my account has been violated and I should click a link to sign in to verify my account.
 
It was addressed to ‘Dear Paypal Customer’. I had a look for scams on Google but couldn't find anything particular, so just deleted the email without clicking on link.
 
Jean
 
Thanks Jean,
 
If you have a PayPal account, they know who you are and what your name is – unless of course, it is not PayPal !
 
Anything not addressed to you by name by someone you don’t know – a business you don’t deal with, should just be binned.
 
YET ANOTHER NEW TYPE OF PHISHING SCAM:
Hi Jeff,
You haven't mentioned this type of approach in your frequent advice on scams and I would be grateful if you can advise whether this is genuine or suspect.
 
John.
 
It is a am email to a named person saying ‘Criminals are actively trading your data over the Internet’
 
It then goes on to offer a service.  They will tell you what pieces of information are out there about you.  The first 1,000 people – to click on the link – will get the service FREE !
 
It is easy enough to find out what in online about us – virtually everything !  The Electoral Roll is now a public Document.  The Land Registries will supply copies of land ownership for a small fee – again to anyone.  In the past this information was only available with your consent.  The DVLA will reveal who owns a car, if you supply an index – again in the past, this information was not available to the public.  As you saw from my message yesterday, you can now check if someone has an MOT on their car !  Phone numbers have always been available via Directory enquiries.  Internet companies now run software that ties all this information together, to profile you.  Along with data from supermarkets, credit cards, finance companies etc – cookies on the Internet following our every mouse click, we are all in the computers somewhere and profiled.  Marketing in order to sell us more stuff, is the name of the game.