FIRST: MORE FRAUDS REPORTED TO THE POLICE:-
A STANDARD COURIER FRAUD
On the morning of the 19th August, an elderly couple received a call supposedly from their bank. The caller said, a large amount of cash had been withdrawn from their account, but fortunately, they had been able to trace and recover most of it. Some remained outstanding.
The victim is not certain, how the conversation changed, but after being panicked, a man purporting to be a police officer with the Fraud Squad appeared on the line.
He explained that they had an investigation ongoing at that branch and believed a member of staff there was passing counterfeit noted and money laundering, using customer’s accounts.
He then added that they had a man in custody, using their name and address.
He then asked them to go to the bank and withdraw their savings. They were not to tell anyone at the branch, nor the local police that they were part of a police investigation. They were not to touch the notes, but ask for them to be placed in an envelope. The police would be fingerprinting them to find the offender. He then explained the possibility that the bank may use the ‘Banking Protocol’, as it would be an unusual withdrawal. If they were asked why they were withdrawing such a large amount, they were to say it was for some house renovations and building work.
They then went to the bank. The teller and the manager did invoke the n protocol, but the victims had been prepped and were convincing. They were allowed to withdraw their savings. When they got home, the man called them again and asked the to read out some of the serial numbers from the notes, but they were to put gloves on before touching them. They read out several and the man said, they were the fake notes he was interested in. He said the courier would be with them shortly and to show it was genuine, gave them a password. The courier arrived, gave the password - and they handed over the cash.
The man on the phone said, he would be sending real notes back and in addition, they may receive an additional £1,000 reward, for helping the police.
A lot of detail, but please share this story. Once you know how it works if you receive a call from your bank, after a few minutes, you will recognise the scam. Then just put the phone down.
PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE YOU - IT IS UNLIKELY, THE VICTIMS WILL BE REIMBURSED !
NEXT:- POSSIBLE COURIER SCAMS:
We have just received several reports, of people receiving suspicious packages of items they have not purchased, from delivery companies. This is generally a ‘Courier Scam’ as opposed to a ‘Courier Fraud’. In this scam, people will have had their identity stolen. Scammers then purchase expensive items online - usually several new mobile phones / other valuable electronic equipment. Online retailers, will generally only send such expensive items, to named person, at their home address - hence the identity theft. The scammer - because they have purchased the items, can track delivery online. They then pretend to be a courier company and make contact with the victim, to say an item is on the delivery van by mistake, but the van has left the depot and they cannot remove it. When it arrives the next day, could they please accept and sign for the package and then hand it to a courier they will send, to take it to the correct recipient.
If you get one of these calls from a courier company, say you will not be accepting or signing for it - as you didn’t purchase / order it. When the delivery company arrives, explain the situation and refuse to accept it. They will then take it back with them
IF YOU ACCEPT AND SIGN FOR IT - YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR THE COST OF WHATEVER IS IN THE PACKAGE !
We are preparing for our ‘Winter Burglary Campaign’ which starts when the clocks go back in October. Now, while the weather is good is the perfect time to look at your security and make any adjustments. Think about having a FREE HOME SECURITY SURVEYS - with one of your Neighbourhood PCs / PCSOs. They are all fully trained to offer advice. It may well be that your security is perfectly adequate for your needs and situation. Their aim, is never to make you a prisoner in your own home, but to look at you and your lifestyle and advise accordingly. That also takes into account cost ! There is no point in them making thousands of pounds worth of recommendations, with no reference to your resources. They will bring with them some immediate quick fixes in the form of Window shock alarms, which they can fit during the visit.
To request a Home Security Survey, please email us with your name address, postcode and contact details to:
homesecuritysurveyrequests@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk We have negotiated a brilliant supplemental project, with the Chairs of our two Neighbourhood Watch Associations - John Diack for Maidenhead and Valerie Pike for Windsor and Ascot. If the PC / PCSO, while carrying out the Home Security Survey, feels that additional security measures, such as a new spyhole, door bars - and door chains for UVPC doors, need to be fitted, we have purchased all those items and the Chairs have agreed to have them fitted by a local volunteer builder - AGAIN FREE OF CHARGE.
When carrying out the survey, the PC / PCSO will attend wearing a mask and gloves and will ask you to wear the same. When the volunteer builder comes to your home, he will also be masked and gloved up and accompanied by a NHW member - after having made an appointment. Please remember - no-one comes into your home unless you know them, or they have made an appointment.
The service ….. does not end there. To prevent burglaries, we are heavily promoting video doorbells. These are really a step forward from traditional CCTV systems. Once fitted and connected to your wifi, they record continually, not only when someone presses the doorbell. You can therefore monitor what is happening at any time at your house - from anywhere in the world - perhaps while on holiday and away from the property - via your mobile phone. It can send an alarm to you at any time, day or night, if it records movement around your house. As you know I often ask people to check their footage, if a crime has occurred nearby. An opportunist thief may have stepped onto your drive and tried your car door handle, but finding it locked walked away. Because no crime has occurred, you may not know you have actually been targeted.
Additional cameras, both inside and around the property, can be added to the system.
Our Burglary Team have been really impressed by the quality of the footage sent to them. Many people may be discouraged, thinking their IT skills are not up to fitting one and connecting it to their wifi. NHW has a solution. They are working with us to make sure everyone is safe and to prevent crime. You may remember I asked if anyone would come forward and volu8nteer to assist people who were willing to purchase a video doorbell, but not confident enough to fit it. I am pleased to announce - we have three volunteers who have said they will do that !
The same rules will apply, they will come masked and gloved up and ask you to do the same. They will also attend with a Member of NHW, after having made an appointment. I have heard from John and Valerie that several people have already been assisted and this has made a huge difference to them. They feel reassured and much more secure.
Our grateful thanks to those three volunteers, they stepped forward and are doing a brilliant job - thankyou.
If you are thinking about purchasing a video doorbell - there are several on the market - please email the NHW enquiry email, at the bottom of this message.
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.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk19/8 Wednesday 9 p.m. / 10 p.m. Moorbridge Road. Someone has defecated on the windscreen of a car and pushed a soft toy up the exhaust. The owner moved the car to prevent more damage, but found the windscreen shot out with a slingshot and paint poured over the car. Ref. No: 43200259565
19/8 Wednesday 8.25 p.m. Morrbridge Road. CCTV shows 2 men approaching and entereing a loading bay. One went inside, the other stole a bike. Ref. No: 43200260525
19/8 Wednesday 4.10 p.m. Belmont Road. E-scooter stolen from outside a house. CCTV shows a man driving up on a moped, putting the e-scooter over the handlebars and driving away. Ref. No: 43200259406
19/8 Wednesday 9.20 p.m. Clock Tower, King Street. Locked up bike stolen from a bike rack. A dark green Raleigh Pioneer, ladies hybrid bike. Ref. No: 43200260340
20/8 Thursday 3 p.m. / 4 p.m. Train Station Car Park. Locked up bike stolen from bike raacck in bike shed. A blue bike. Ref. No: 43200260461
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:
19/8 - 20/8 Wednesday midnight / Thursday 6 a.m. Smewins Road, White Waltham. Attempted burglary. Evidence of an attempt to force a window. No entry gained and nothing stolen. Ref. No: 43200259686
20/8 - 21/8 Thursday 4 p.m. / Friday 7 a.m. Sleekstone Cottages, Grange Road, Cookham. Van break. The owner was driving when he found the rear door was open and tools stolen. Ref. No: 43200261085
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:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
20/8 Thursday 2 a.m. Priors Way, Braywick - vehicle interference X 5. One owner had really good video doorbell footage of a man walking up and down the road trying car door handles. They then received a video doorbell alert on their mobile phone that the man was on their driveway trying their car door handles. As the car was locked he walked away and could be seen trying neighbours cars. The police were called, attended immediately[PJ1] and carried out an area search. They found a car at the bottom of the road with its interior lights on and a man sitting in the passenger seat. He was arrested on suspicion of vehicle interference (he hadn’t forced entry to any cars), going equipped as he had a torch and possession of a class A drug. The doorbell video footage was brilliant ! Ref. No: 43200259632
