Hi Resident

If you find this information helpful please “rate” this message at the bottom (very quick and simple).

Did you know?

- 1 in 5 people fall victim to scams every year

- Nearly 50% of all adults have been targeted by a scam

Technology is enabling fraudsters to carry out attacks quicker and employ more complex behaviours to remain undetected.

Here is some advice to help prevent being a victim of fraud.

Text Scam

·  Never reply to, click on any links, or open attachments in a text you are unsure of.

·  Forward any suspicious text messages to 7726

Email Scam

·  Never reply to, click on any links, or open attachments in an email you are unsure of.

·  Your bank will never email you asking for your PIN or password.

·  Contact your bank immediately if you think you've fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.

·  Forward scam emails onto the Suspicious Email Reporting Service report@phishing.gov.uk

Postal/Mail Scams

·  Never respond by sending money or personal details to unsolicited mail.

·  If you respond to one postal scam you may be bombarded by others as your name may be circulated to other scammers.

·  If you are unsure about a piece of mail, ask a friend for their opinion or contact Consumer Direct on 0845 404 0506.

·  Consider registering with Mail Preference Service either online or by calling 0845 703 4599.

Telephone Scam:

·  Your bank or the police will never ask for your PIN number, bank card, passwords or ask you to withdraw money, or purchase items on their behalf.

·  Contact your bank immediately if you think you've fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.

·  Never give personal details over the phone.

·  Consider registering your number with Telephone Preference Service (TPS Online) or 0845 070 0707.

·  If you think something is wrong, hang up the phone

Distraction Burglary and Bogus Callers: 

Offenders knock on the door pretending to be someone else. They may then:

·  distract you to get in and steal items, sometimes with an accomplice

·  pretend to have lost a pet

·  claim they need to use your home phone

·  claim they're from the council, a utility supplier (water or gas, for example) or even police

Remember:

·  If you’re not sure, don’t answer the door. It's best to not open the door to anyone you don't recognise

·  Keep front and back doors locked

·  Use the door viewer or nearby window when answering the door

·  Fit a door chain or bar – use it and keep it on when talking to callers at the door

·  Only let callers in if they have an appointment - check their credentials - a genuine person won’t mind. You can phone the company they represent or check online, but never used contact details they give you

·  If someone is persistent, ask them to call at another time and get a friend or family member to be with you

·  Never disclose your PIN or let anyone persuade you to hand over your bank card, financial information or withdraw cash

·  If you have a password with a company make sure the caller uses it

·  Call 999 if you feel threatened or in danger. Call the police non-emergency number 101 if you’re not in immediate danger but want to report an incident

Rogue Traders: ​​​​​​​

Rogue traders are people who call at your door pretending to be qualified tradespeople and offering to do work on your home.  They may suggest urgent repairs need carrying out at your home. They may pressurise you to make quick decisions to have work done, pay in advance for materials or do poor work at highly inflated prices.

Remember:

·  Never agree to have work done by somebody who is just passing or take their word that it needs to be done at all

·  Don’t feel pressured. Don’t agree to hand over money at the door. Take time to think about it and talk to someone you trust

·  Find reputable companies via the Trading Standards website: https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/

·  Obtain 3 written quotes before choosing a trader.

·  Don’t pay any money upfront, particular in cash. Only pay for work once it has been completed and you are satisfied with the job.

·  Consider setting up a No Cold Calling Zone https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/tradingstandards/consumeradvice/community-support

159 Bank Fraud Service:

If you think someone is trying to trick you into handing over money or personal details... Stop, hang up and call 159 to speak directly to your bank.

159 is a secure number that connects you directly to your bank if you think you are being scammed. It works the same way as 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS.

If you need any further advice around fraud then please visit Advice | Take Five to Stop Fraud (takefive-stopfraud.org.uk)