FIRST: The very nasty and worrying HMRC Scam is back !
Hi Jeff,
I had a phone call yesterday, from my mother-in-law, who lives in Ascot.
She had just had a nasty scam call that had really shaken her, once she realised what they were attempting to do.
The caller informed her that they were calling from HMRC, or an agency acting for them, as she owed £750 in unpaid taxes.
She was told and that the Police were involved and that a warrant had been issued for her immediate arrest, if she did not pay this money
The scammers then asked her if she had internet banking, as they could take payment straight away, to settle the debt and quash the warrant. She told them that she doesn’t do internet banking and the scammers then said she needed to go to the Post Office, as they would accept payment by way off of Amazon Vouchers !!
When they said that, she realised what was going on, but had unfortunately given her address in the initial part of the call, to confirm her details.
I have explained to her it was a scam and that she shouldn’t worry, but in future, only say hello when she picks up the phone and never to give any personal details to anyone she doesn’t know over the phone !
Duncan
Exactly Duncan. This is a national scam across the whole country and tens of thousands get this call from various scam call centres. It has been going for years - usually at the end of the financial year in February / March. It is generally a once only call. If they get a 1% response, that is one person in a hundred pays something, the scam can make a great deal of money, so it goes on.
As Duncan says - when your phone rings, the only thing you say is hello, until the caller identifies themselves. They have not personally dialled your number. That has been done by a computer randomly, 10 numbers at a time. The first person to pick up the phone, cancels the other nine - hence silent calls. The computer registers who has answered and schedules the other nine, for a later call. If you do not know the person on the other end of the call, just put the phone down. If it is important - they will write to you.
You will know it is a scam in the same way with emails if it contains these three elements:
An problem
A very short time limit
A threat
The aim is always to panic you into responding. Breathe, put the phone down and think !
RE SCAMS: Helen has just received another of those thousands of emails - You have driven on road in a charging area - somewhere in the UK - and failed to pay the charge - so there is a fine to pay of £25 ! Click on the link, to make the payment. It all looks very official - IT IS A SCAM
BIN IT - DON’T DO IT - DON’T LET IT BE YOU
NEXT:- I received a complaint about a parking issue in Windsor from Ian. We the police, have had no responsibility for general parking issues for many years as it was de-regulated. Double yellow lines, disabled bays and residents parking bays, are the responsibility of the Borough. Our only involvement is cars causing an obstruction, or parked dangerously - such as parked too close to a road junction.
The most common occurrence for us to be involved, is when ‘parked cars are causing an obstruction’. For us to act, we require a report from a member of the public - who has actually been obstructed. A Police Officer / PCSO out on patrol, cannot report an obstruction - it must be a member of the public. For example, a car is parked on the pavement and someone with a pram / electric wheelchair, cannot pass on that pavement, but has to walk / manoeuvre around that car, into the road.
I have received this response from RBWM:
Hi Jeff,
Thank you for raising this with us, I have passed this information on to our parking department so they can conduct some targeted patrols of the area.
Should anyone wish to request parking enforcement they can do so online at:
https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/transport-and-streets/parking/request-parking-enforcement Many thanks
Kind regards
Wayne Eveleigh
Senior Community Warden
Communities, Enforcement and Partnership Service
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead,
Town Hall St Ives Road, MAIDENHEAD, SL6 1RF
01628 683800
www.rbwm.gov.uk 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.uk NO CRIME TO REPORT.
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
30/9 - 1/10 Wednesday 4 p.m. / Thursday 1 p.m. Lea Road. Grey Land Rover Defender index EJ ** DZB stolen from outside a house. The car was picked up on ANPR travelling via Charvil, Sonning and ending up - where it was lost in Reading. Ref. No: 43200309623
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukSR.windsor&
maidenhead@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM,
COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
1/10 Thursday 12.30 p.m. / 2 p.m. Car Park, Terry’s Lane, Cookham. Car passenger window smashed - HANDBAG AND PURSE hidden behind the driver’s seat stolen. Glove box searched. Ref. No: 43200309129
1/10 Thursday 10.40 p.m. High Street, Hurley. Van break. Locks broken. Tools stolen. Ref. No: 43200309500
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
30/9 Wednesday 6 a.m. Furze Platt Road. The owner of a car found its rear windscreen smashed. Ref. No: 43200307926
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:
30/9 Wednesday 1 p.m. / 10.15 p.m. Church Lane, Bray. Car rear windscreen smashed - LAPTOP and clothes stolen. Ref. No: 43200308252
