FIRST : From Rob Abell at Trading Standards:
We have had a call in from a Dedworth resident this morning, about a prize draw scam, which came via her friend on Facebook. This was a friend she trusts and is genuine - the friend said "I won lots of money from this Comic Relief Fund and saw your name on the winners list too - have you got your winnings yet ?" So our complainant, has entered into messenger chat with her friend. The prize money, apparently comes from the Comic Relief Community Fund, and it gives an address of 89 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP.
She thought she had won £100,000 and has been corresponding, with someone who calls himself, Anthony Williams-Smith. Luckily, she was slightly wary and though to contact Trading Standards, to ask if it was legitimate.
On discussing the matter with her, it became apparent a FedEx courier was being arranged to come to her house tonight, to deliver the £100,000 in cash when, she hands him £500 in gift vouchers (5 x £100 Steam Vouchers). She had asked whether she could pay him £500 in cash out of the £100,000 cash he was delivering, but they said that is not allowed.
It was of course, highly suspicious, as it involved a courier. She has not entered a competition, and it should not require £500 to be paid by her to claim the winnings - particularly - in an untraceable gift voucher payment.
The real Comic Relief, would want good publicity, so would send a recognised Comic Relief celebrity, or at least an official from Head Office member of staff round with an oversized cheque, and there would not be gift vouchers involved, or an innocent intermediary, from FedEx.
The complainant has this afternoon been round to her trusted friend’s house to see why this scam had originated from her and the friend has said that her Facebook account had been hacked, so although the messages looked like they were coming from her, they weren't, and she did not have a big win herself either.
It has likely, gone out to everyone in the friends list of the hacked account, so they are now making efforts to contact them and warn them. Everyone involved in that list, must now change, and change passwords.
I have further advised them all to report this to 101 or Action Fraud. Please warn everyone, via your usual channels. This person did the right thing, by stopping to think about it and check with someone.
Further advice is here:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/check-if-something-might-be-a-scam/ Kind regards
Rob
Fair Trading Officer
Trading Standards & Licensing Team
Looking for addresses, I came across this link to Community Groups & Charities in the area - some of it may be out of date, but I thought it might be useful, to store as a favourite:
http://rbwm.communitydatabase.co.uk/haymill/data/files/WAM%20Young%20People%20Vol%20Opps_Ideas.pdf CRIME
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk27/9 - 28/9 Friday 8 p.m. / Saturday 4.10 p.m. Cordwallis Road. Vacant property broken into and searched.
27/9 Friday 3 p.m. King Street. Two men came into the shop and through distraction methods, confused the shop assistant. After they had left, she noticed her mobile phone had been stolen from the counter.
26/9 - 27/9 Thursday 11.15 a.m. / Friday 11.30 a.m. Cherwell Close. Catalytic converter stolen from under a Toyota Prius.
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestnhpt@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
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
27/9 Friday 3.30 p.m. Beechfield Place. Burglary. Entry via Alley - Kendall Place into rear garden, then forced rear door. Footprints throughout the house. Bedroom searched - jewellery and bank cards stolen.
28/9 Saturday 5 p.m. / 8.15 p.m. Pinebeams. Moped damaged.
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
27/9 Friday 8.50 a.m. Springfield park. Burglary. A witness reported her neighbour’s door open and footprints on the door., she also found a set of discarded keys. Entry through front door, by reaching up through the letterbox and opening the lock. Internal doors then forced. Untidy search. Car keys taken and an attempt to start the car. Fortunately the battery was flat, so the thief discarded the keys. Not yet known if anything stolen.
30/6 Monday 1.30 a.m. Hotel Car Park, Manor Lane X 3. 1. Car rear windscreen smashed. Owner not known. 2. Car found with door, glovebox and arm rest open and searched. Not known if anything stolen. 3. Car rear windscreen smashed - briefcase and contents stolen.
COMMENTS:
Hi
We keep getting calls with a recorded message from HMRC, on our home phone and on my mobile, to advise that there is a warrant out for my arrest, due to underpayment of taxes. Press 1 to sort it. Me: Click - go away!
Becoming a nuisance now, as I received three calls on my mobile today, I will block and report the number.
Worries are that some people may press 1. These people never give up!
Kind regards
Maria
Thanks Maria - this is a really widespread current scam. These are going by the thousand, right across the country, by text and email.
Please don’t be fooled, just delete it !
NEXT: This next one has come in cross border, but it could happen here !
Subject: Possible tel. scam from Berkshire
I have an elderly friend who lives in Greatworth, Nr Brackley, who told me that yesterday, she received a tel. call from someone who lived in Taplow, Maidenhead, saying she was collecting money for children in a Children’s Home. She asked my friend to put a £10 note in an envelope and send it to her address.
I advised my friend not to send anything, but she was hard to convince, as it was for children in a home.
JH
This is how these scams work, they draw you in emotionally. NO genuine charity, will ask you to do this.
NEXT:
Hi
At 2:30 pm on Wednesday I received a telephone call. The caller knew my name and said that he was calling, about the loft insulation we had installed a few years ago.
He claimed to be a surveyor, responsible for my area, He gave me the name of his company and went on to say that his call, was following identification of damp and mildew problems, within some installations. When questioned at length, it was apparent that he didn’t know when, or by whom, our loft insulation had been upgraded, or under which scheme.
He told me the inspection would only take 20 minutes and they had vans attending in our area, on Thursday and today (Friday). He added that several householders in my road, had already agreed to inspections.
I told him that without a written request in advance, proof of credentials and proper notice, I would not be providing access. I offered my email address, but nothing more has been heard from him.
I suspect a scam, possibly to gain access and sell goods or services that are not required.
Regards
Martin
Many thanks Martin. Usually these scammers discover that there is a problem and more work needs to be done. These come under the category - ‘Bogus Builder’. These scammers, target vulnerable people. They befriend them, then empty their bank accounts, for needless work they do, or possibly don’t even do, but always to a very poor standard, often requiring thousands of pounds worth of additional work, that needs to be done, to put what they have done, right.
If you get one of these unsolicited calls, from anyone offering to come to your home to provide services - JUST PUT THE PHONE DOWN - IT NEVER ENDS WELL !
