May I take this opportunity to wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Please – Keep safe – and well !
FIRST:– THE CASE FOR A VIDEO DOORBELL:
Hi Jeff,
Thought the following might be of use / interest ?
We live on Maidenhead Road in Windsor. Over the last 3 weeks, we've had 3 separate instances of someone walking on to our drive, committing an offence (vehicle interference / theft) and then leaving. Here are the details:
09/12/2020, 07:43, Male, trying car doors. Reported to TVP, subsequently arrested and prosecuted.
17/12/2020, 05:41, Male, trying car doors. Reported to TVP.
22/12/2020, 03:39, Male, steals cycling shoes off doorstep, Reported to TVP.
I mention it in case you want to include in the newsletter. Let me know if you need any more info.
Thanks.
Jon
Thanks Jon, this is really useful. If you don’t have CCTV / a Video Doorbell – how would you know if or not you have been targeted ? We receive a lot of footage of people walking along roads / up and down driveways, trying car door handles. If the cars are locked – they simply walk on. Video doorbells record all these incidents and according to the settings used, will send an alarm to you – even if asleep, that someone has walked onto your property – that is brilliant !
What if you have not been a victim of crime, because your car was locked
If you have video footage of someone walking onto your property – we need it. Even a poor quality image, could identify a known offender, by their clothing, stature, size, walk. Even if no offence takes place, it would also identify the route the person took – which again could identify an offender.
ALSO – as you can see from the crimes I list, the time frame is often ‘overnight’. Video footage could tie this right down to a particular hour / half an hour. We can then adjust our resources accordingly. If we know an offender is out there, in particular chosen roads, between 1.30 a.m. / 2 a.m., we can really target additional patrols and taskings, rather than having our response teams driving around the whole of RBWM for 8 hours, in the hope of seeing something.
SO – even if there is no evidence that someone has been on your property or tried your car door handle, look at the footage – particularly if you see from one of the Alerts, that crimes have been occurring near you !!
PLEASE – HELP US TO HELP YOU !
OUR AIM IS TO REDUCE CRIME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS
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.orgMAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk21/12 Monday 2.25 p.m. / 3.15 p.m. Lewis Court, Moorbridge Road. Parcel delivered to front door stolen. Ref. No: 43200435798
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
21/12 Monday 3.20 p.m. Rutland Road. Green Landrover Defender index OV ** GSU, stolen from the driveway. Ref. No: 43200434402
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
20/12 – 21/12 Sunday / Monday/ Oakley Green Road, Oakley Green. Owner working on a plot of land had tools stolen. Ref. No43200434470
22/12 Tuesday 0.45 a.m. Horseguards Drive. The owner has video doorbell footage of a man walking onto the drive opening and searching one car. Taking sunglasses and trying the car door handle of another car, which was locked and then walking away. Ref. No: 43200435859
MEMBERS’ COMMENTS:
FIRST:- SEXTORTION CLAIMS
Dear Jeff
I have had some Porn Scam emails recently. In my case the password is an old Yahoo one.
Happy Christmas to everyone out there and thanks for all your hard work during 2020.
Liz
Thanks Liz. Liz refers to an ‘old password’. In the email from the scammers demanding money for visiting porn sites and saying they have video proof, which they will send to everyone in your contact list, they quote a password in the first line, as an attempt to show the email is genuine and they mean what they say. What we have found, is that the password quoted is in fact genuine, but is an old one.
IF YOU GET ONE OF THESE - BIN IT – DO NOT RESPOND.
NEXT: SCAM FROM SUPPOSEDLY THE DVLA
Hi Jeff,
The scams are getting worse, I know my vehicle tax was paid, so this is a scam, but the layout is getting better more worrying.
I have deleted this without clicking any link or replying
Regards
Richard
The email purports to come from the DVLA. It says the payment for tax failed and the car is presently therefore untaxed. Click on the link and enter you bank details, to re-send the payment
BIN IT – DON’T DO IT – DON’T LET IT BE YOU !
NEXT: THE – ‘HOME INSULATION SCAMS ARE STILL OUT THERE !!
Hi Jeff
I just thought I'd drop you a note about a scam call I received yesterday. it was a Home Insulation scam.
The caller was a very well spoken & pleasant-sounding man, who first tried to establish that I was the homeowner (& failed). He then explained that his company were in the area, doing surveys. He then that it was at the government’s behest, because the government had classified insulation products such as fibreglass & rockwool, as "degradable substances", as they compress over time and the government was recommending that they be topped up, every 4 to 5 years.
He finished with the question "If that makes sense ?" He was obviously expecting a positive response, to indicate that I was hooked.
I just replied - "It sounds like a scam to me." Without another word, he hung up.
I think we both have a pretty good idea of where this was going, if I had agreed with him.
I can imagine it might be easy to get caught by this if you don't have your wits about you!
Kind regards
John
Thanks John. The advice is – as soon as the conversation goes this way – JUST PUT THE PHONE DOWN !!!!
NEXT: A BT SCAM
Good afternoon Jeff,
Yet another scam that could be very worrying for vulnerable people. It was a recorded message supposedly from British Telecom that my land line and internet services would be cut off soon, due to a payment failing to go through. Press 1 and enter your bank details again to rectify.
the call has been ignored and the number blocked !
Many thanks
Amy
Exactly Amy – JUST BIN IT – DON’T DO IT – DON’T LET IT BE YOU
NEXT A REALLY STRANGE SCAM EMAIL !
Hi Jeff,
I hope you are well. I have just received this scam email.
I do not know this person, the email looks dodgy and there is a tell tail link at the bottom to click on.
May be worth circulating.
Kind Regards Brian
Thanks Brian. The email comes from a woman purportedly called Hannah, who supposedly, used to work with Brian. If you hover over the email return address – it bears no relation to the ‘apparent’ sender. It goes into detail – like a Christmas Round Robin – how her marriage failed, on and on !!! She would love to hear from him as to how his life has been – please respond !!!
BIN IT - DON’T DO IT – DON’T LET IT BE YOU
