Cookham Discussion Board

A VERY GOOD 48 HOURS

NO BURGLARIES

AND

NO CARS BROKEN INTO

FIRST:  From Rob Abell, head of the Trading Standards Team for RBWM:

Hi Jeff – Something for the Alert, please:

We have been receiving lots of reports of door-to-door fish sellers, who use a variety of clever tactics to persuade and confuse residents, into buying large quantities of fish, which turns out to be mis-described and overpriced.

Some customers end up paying over £500 for frozen haddock, described as fresh Sea Bass, Turbot and Lemon Sole.

It is a cleverly constructed scam.  They look the part, in chef trousers and refrigerated van, say the right things and have perfected their art.

We are gathering information (‘intel’) on any fish sellers, as part of a national project being undertaken, to catch and stop them.

We particularly want phone numbers, descriptions of the sellers, van registration numbers, business names used, advertising flyers and anything else useful to identify them.

They often show a flyer which they then take it back (so you don’t keep their number to complain later), so please keep it or if you don’t, photograph it please.

If you are able to photograph them without putting yourself at risk, or capture footage from CCTV, or video doorbells, then please do so.

You should notify your local NHW co-ordinator, who can collate intel or pass it directly to us: trading.standards@rbwm.gov.uk

Here is an example of a recent successful prosecution: https://www.nationaltradingstandards.uk/news/coldcalling-fish-seller-ordered-to-repay-victims/

With everyone being at home, it provides the perfect market place for door to door scammers.

Kind regards

Rob Abell
Fair Trading Officer
Trading Standards & Licensing Team | Community | Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
Trading.standards@rbwm.gov.uk

NEXT:  PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO JOIN IN WITH THE RBWM TOWN FORUM MEETINGS – THEY ARE FOR YOU !  THE MAIDENHEAD FORUM COVERS ALL THE AREAS OF MAIDENHEAD, INCLUDING THE RURAL AREAS AND BISHAM, KNOWL HILL, HURLEY, LITTLEWICK GREEN, THE WALTHAMS & THE COOKHAMS.

Town Forum meetings

If you’d like to have your say in future town forum meetings, where issues affecting Windsor are discussed, we want to hear from you.

You can suggest discussion topics for the maidenhead Town Forum

https://rbwm.moderngov.co.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=157

as well as attend the virtual meeting and contribute to discussions. Agendas are published a week in advance so you can see what councillors will be discussing and get involved if there is something you are interested in.

Suggestions for discussion will be added to a future agenda if appropriate.

The next meeting of the Maidenhead Town Forum is on Monday 1 February 6.15 p.m..

To find out more about how to get involved, email mark.beeley@rbwm.gov.uk for Maidenhead Town Forum. You can watch the meetings live on our YouTube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZNp1KmF3YnabN6enzlyelQ

NEXT:  AN UPDATE RE CALL BLOCKER PHONES

Hi Jeff,

A correction on call blocker phones - there are different types available.

Ours, stops ALL calls.  It requests the caller announce their name before putting the call through.

This is a much better and safer option.

We have not had a single scam call get through in the last 3 years!

Cheers,

Simon

Thanks Simon.

NEXT: T FROM ONE OF OUR SOS GROUPS SET UP LAST MARCH IN COOKHAM – IF YOU ARE A GROUP IN ANOTHER AREA AND ARE STILL ACTIVE AND WANT TO PUBLICISE THE SERVICES YOU PROVIDE – JUST LET ME KNOW.

Hi Jeffrey,
Thank you for your continued update messages.

Can I just let you know that ‘Cookham SOS’ – like many SOS groups set up last March, is still active and your concerned correspondent about her elderly neighbour, can still get in touch with any of the SOS groups (and I think even the Rotary clubs are still helping out) and although our day centre is physically closed, we are still in touch with all our members and their families.
They know that they can ring any time.

We are even happy to help residents who are not members, so if there is a query or referral from another agency, we might still be able to help.

Miriam

Miriam Blazey
Manager Elizabeth House
Monday to Friday 9-4.30pm
01628 313232 / 07884 265 544
www.elizabethhousecookham.org

CRIME

I have attached reference numbers to each crime report. If you live in the vicinity of any of the crimes mentioned and have CCTV or a video doorbell, can you please check the footage. If you have any that might be of interest to the police, can you please make contact with us, quoting reference number given.

I have added a new email address below.  The first email address is directly to your local Neighbourhood Team.  The second is to our investigation team.  Please use it to send any intelligence / video doorbell / CCTV footage you may have, which is relevant to any of the crimes lists below - quoting the reference number.

Alternatively you can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or email - www.crimestoppers-uk.org


MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
SR.windsor&maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
NO CRIME TO REPORT.

RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.

MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
SR.windsor&maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
BISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
21/1  Thursday 9.30 p.m.  Farm, Pondwood Lane, White Waltham.  Hare coursing in a field.  6 quad bikes driving around.  Ref. No:  43210028180

PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.

MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
SR.windsor&maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk
BOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.

OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
21/1  Thursday 11.15 p.m.  Down Place, Water Oakley.  Hare coursing.  3 Quad bike and torches seen in a field.  Ref. No:  43210028289
21/1  Thursday 5 p.m.  Bargeman Road.  The owner returned to find a house window smashed.  Ref. No:  43210028037


MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:

FIRST: from Charmian

Hi Jeff,

I have just had another scam – this time from BT.

It says that they are having trouble obtaining payment for my last bill from my bank.

Would I please click on the link to re-enter current bank details, or they will turn off my service !!!

I binned it !

Charmian.

Lindy received the same text message.

Exactly – PAUSE – THINK – BREATH AND BIN IT !

NEXT: A reasonable thought from Tony.

Hi Jeff,

Doesn’t the responsibility to protect elderly people from scammers, who don’t have digital communications, must surely lie with the banks and building societies ?

They do send those customers warning letters and should do this even more regularly.

Perhaps the families of those vulnerable, elderly people should be encouraged to set up Financial Powers of Attorney with a family member.

Tony

Many thanks Tony.  This is a very complicated issue.  Many of our victims do not have close family, which makes them even more vulnerable and possibly isolated.  Some have family that live a long way away and cannot interact with them on a daily basis.  Some of the victims, because the scammers are so good at what they do, become willing participants with the scams and it is sometimes impossible to convince them that it is a scam.

I recently had a problem transferring a large sum of cash from my account.  The small card reader supplied by my bank to authorise these transactions online, apparently only work with a specific bank card and it had been supplied with my previous bank card, which had since been renewed – I didn’t know this.  I therefore went to my bank and asked them to do it in branch, as it was urgent.
Before they would authorise the transfer, I had to go through the ‘Bank Protocol’ with them.  It was time consuming, invasive, thorough and comprehensive and should easily catch fraud.  Unfortunately, the victims really believe the scam and have been supplied with all the answers to all the questions the bank will ask.  The scammers are really good at what they do.  Those of us who would not fall victim and commit to it, just put the phone down, so the pool is whittled down, to the most vulnerable.

Re Powers of Attorney, elderly people are often fiercely independent and don’t like – even close family, but particularly distant relatives – taking over control of their affairs !

Unfortunately, most of the serious victims, have been self-selected by their particular vulnerability and isolation.  The rest of us fall victim, because we have such busy lives, we forget the stop, pause and think for a few minutes before responding.