Trading standards alerts Nov-Dec 2015

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Latest Trading Standard notices up to 16.12.15

11/12/2015 Publication scams

Several Warwickshire businesses have recently complained after receiving demands for payment for advertising from people running bogus publications. These ‘businesses’ attempt to trick local companies in to paying for advertising in ‘safety’ magazines with little or no circulation, making the publication worthless. When the company refuses to pay, they often threaten them with bailiffs, bankruptcy and other legal action.

Don’t be tricked. Never engage these callers in conversation. Always put the phone.

11/12/2015 Bogus Warwickshire County Council callers

arwickshire residents are again receiving scam phone calls from people falsely claiming to be calling from Warwickshire County Council and asking the householder about a past traffic accident.

These calls are being made from foreign call centres. The callers are looking for ‘leads’, people who have  had an accident in the past. The calls are made at random, but if the caller finds someone who has actually had an accident, they will try to sell on their details to a ‘no-win no-fee’ claims management business.

11/12/2015 Young cyber-criminal campaign

The National Crime Agency has launched a campaign to discourage young people from becoming involved in cyber crime, after analysis of investigations involving the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit over the last year found the average age of suspects to be 17.

10/12/2015 ‘Free’ mattresses door to door Whitnash and Leamington Spa

Warwickshire Trading Standards is alerting consumers to ‘sellers’ of mattresses door to door in the Whitnash and Leamington Spa areas.

The callers are claiming that the mattresses are being given away ‘free’ because they were used in show homes of new build properties in the area.

However, the callers then ask for £250 for  the building site staff ‘Christmas bonus’ and offer to drive interested residents to local cash points.

Warwickshire Trading Standards advises consumers not to buy from the door. You can never tell a good trader from a bad one on the doorstep.

Further, mattresses sold in the UK have to meet stringent fire safety tests. Cheap mattresses that do not meet these stringent tests are sometimes imported in to the UK  and sold door to door. Consumers are advised to only buy mattresses and other upholstered furniture from reputable local traders.

10/12/2015 Virgin Media ‘blocked’ and other bogus emails

Warwickshire Trading Standards is reminding consumers to beware of bogus emails that falsely purport to come from Virgin Media and other broadband/television/phone providers.

The emails, which are usually sent to ‘the customer’ or ‘the recipient’ (as they often don’t know your name), may state that your account will be blocked or terminated if you don’t click on a link in the email to enter your account details.

Always delete these sorts of emails and never  follow a link in an email, even if you think the email is genuine. If you need to visit your on-line account, always type in the account address yourself in to the web browser.

Links in bogus emails will take you to bogus websites where your user name, password and account information will be stolen!

08/12/2015 Bogus HMRC email

Beware of emails sent by fraudsters falsely purporting to come from H.M. Revenue and Customs. The emails claim that the recipient is eligible to receive a tax refund of £348-65. They are asked to complete a form containing their bank details and return it so that the ‘refund’ can be paid directly in to their account.

NEVER reveal your personal or financial information under these circumstances. Stolen bank information is used to commit fraud and identity theft.

08/12/2015 Facebook ‘confirm ID’ scam

Beware of fraudsters requests for Facebook users to ‘confirm their ID’ by emailing or posting a picture of their driving licence, passport or similar document, copies of which are then used for identity fraud and theft

03/12/2015 Trading Standards business news Winter 2015

Trading Standards business news Winter 2015 In this issue: Festive food safety; Top tips for exporters and illicit alcohol

03/12/2015 Mandate fraud warning to Warwickshire businesses

Warwickshire businesses are warned to beware of mandate fraud. Mandate Fraud is also known as Creditor Fraud, Payment Diversion Fraud and Supplier Account Takeover Fraud.

This fraud involves the changing of account details for supplier or customer accounts in order to gain control of an account and benefit from unauthorised payments. This could include changing of bank details in a direct debit, manipulation of credit card activity, or changing of an employee’s bank account details for their salary, particularly when a bonus is due.

Changing bank accounts is an unusual occurrence and therefore any request to update records should be treated with suspicion. Changes should be authorised at a senior level.

Fraudsters rely on the Payee (Company) name not being checked by the Banks. In most cases, only the Sort Code and Account Number are checked by the receiving bank.

Additionally, company details, including signatures on published accounts, are copied from the internet.

All companies and organisations are urged to ensure that they have robust authorisation and monitoring procedures in place for the creation and changing of bank details and monitoring of payments.

This also applies when providing account details in order to set up new payments or amend them.

03/12/2015 Hoverboard safety warning

More than 17,000 self-balancing scooters – or ‘hoverboards’– have been examined at national entry points since 15 October due to safety concerns. Of these, over 15,000 (or 88%) have been assessed as unsafe and have been detained at the border. Officers at UK ports and borders have seen a huge spike in the number of these items arriving in recent weeks, destined to end up as gifts under the tree this Christmas.            Advice to consumers and businesses:

  • Never leave the device charging unattended – especially overnight: a faulty cut-off switch (designed to stop the battery from continuing to charge once fully charged) or a plug without a fuse, as seen in many products detained so far, could lead to the device overheating, exploding or catching fire.
  • Check the device: things to look out for include the shape of the plug – the first unsafe products identified often had a clover-shaped plug. Also check the device for markings or traceable information, such as the name and contact details of the manufacturer and / or importer.
  • If buying online, look closely at the website before you hit the ‘buy’ button:
  • Try searching for reviews of the product or the seller – do these seem genuine?
  • Are there lots of spelling or grammar mistakes on the site? This can be a clue that a business is not professionally run.
  • See if you can find out where the company’s head office is based – and whether that fits with how the website presents itself.
  • Do they have a landline number you can call if there are any problems? Bear in mind that if the company is based abroad, it can be more difficult to get a complaint dealt with or return a faulty product.
  • Read the small print – notice if anything seems odd, repetitive or in incorrect English.
  • Is there an ‘s’ at the end of the ‘http’ part of the web address, or is there a padlock symbol in the task bar? This means the website is using an encrypted system that keeps your details more secure.
  • Don’t be dazzled by a bargain: Are the prices incredibly low? If they look too good to be true, they probably are – particularly if some of your other checks have put doubts in your mind.
  • Be aware that criminals exploit high demand: When items like self-balancing scooters start to sell out at well-known retailers, the void is quickly filled by crooks churning out poor quality imitations that can put people in danger. Don’t ‘panic buy’ from the first website you find – do your usual common-sense checks.
  • Report it: National Trading Standards needs your help to clamp down on unsafe products from abroad. If you believe that any online or face-to-face seller is selling potentially dangerous goods, or something you’ve bought has made you suspicious, report it to Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.
Buying online for onward sale online? If you do this you are assuming the legal responsibilities of a business to ensure that what you’re selling complies with product safety and intellectual property legislation.

03/12/2015 Farmers warned of targeted fraud attacks

 

Farmers are being warned to be extremely wary of any suspicious calls, texts or emails as fraudsters specifically target the agricultural sector when EU grant payments begin to arrive in bank accounts month.
30/11/2015 Your Christmas shopping rights

A useful guide to your Christmas shopping rights launched by Which?

30/11/2015 Why do I get unwanted phone calls? This video shows you why

 

The data cycle showing how one person’s personal data can be used, passed on and re-used in ways that people may not expect. The video also gives advice about what to do to reduce nuisance calls.

30/11/2015 Dangerous dolls seized

Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service was able to seize over 60 fake and dangerous Maleficent dolls before they reached the shop shelves in time for Christmas.

Scams on the roads and in Supermarkets

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Two scams to report in November:

On the roads:

Could I please make you aware of a scam that is happening in the South Warwickshire area. We have had multiple incidents reported to us regarding males flagging down vehicles wanting money for petrol to get home. They have been seen out toward Tysoe and near Willington/Barcheston area.
On two occasions there have been Asian or Middle Eastern males in a dark blue or black vehicle with a registration of KF03 NZB. They have been asking for around £40 and on both occasions money has been given to them by members of the public. They offer rings in exchange for this money and have given the attached business card.
Please do not hand any money to them and call the police on 101.
In the supermarkets:

Between 1st January and 14th November 2015 there have been a total of 53 crimes where a distraction method has been used to carry out a theft or attempted theft offence at a supermarket. 

Since the start of the year the following number of offences have taken place:

·         Cheltenham -15 offences

·         Tewkesbury – 11 offences

·         Gloucester – 8 offences  

There have been 12 offences across Gloucestershire in November alone and the number may increase as we approach the busy Christmas shopping period.

It would seem that offenders are hanging around at supermarket cash point machines or the quick checkout tills trying to obtain the credit or debit card pin numbers used by shoppers. They then attempt to obtain the card itself by a form of distraction either at the supermarket or on the victim’s journey home. The most common distraction method used is to ask directions (often to the hospital) while the victim is putting bags into their car but others such as pointing out a fictitious problem with the victim’s car have been used.

It seems that the most likely people to be targeted for this new type of crime are older female shoppers who are on their own. 

Please be aware of anyone following you around the store, car park or hanging around near the tills and cash point machines at supermarkets. If you notice anyone acting in this manner please do not hesitate to bring it to the attention of a member of staff at the store. Also where possible go shopping with someone else and be cautious when using your pin number wherever you shop. If you discover your cards are missing report the loss to your bank and police straight away. If you witness anything suspicious at supermarkets please report it to the police by ringing 101

 

And at your doorstep:

Following the recent windy weather experienced across Warwickshire, Trading Standards Officers are warning residents to beware of rogue roofers going door to door offering to ‘repair’ damaged roofs. In many cases rogue roofers will exaggerate damage to a resident’s roof or claim there is damage when in reality there is none.

Rogue roofers will quote a low price but this will soon be inflated as they find more ‘work’ to do!

Do not buy goods or services on the doorstep.

SNT Police Newsletter Sept 2015

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Please click here to view SNTNewsletter_Sept2015 the September Police SNT Newsletter.

As at 13 November this is the last one received by Napton NHW.

Trading Standards alerts Oct/Nov 2015

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Trading Standards Reports Oct-Nov 2015

30/10/2015 Urban fraud myths

Urban Fraud Myths

Dating fraud: Over the last year 3,543 have reported dating fraud to Action Fraud losing on average £33k. Date safe Date Safe

Spoofing: Find out more about spoofing and how to protect yourself

Pin safety: Read the Joint Declaration by Police & UK Banks listing  warning signs of phone scam imposters

30/10/2015 Ministry of Justice scams

Warwickshire Trading Standards have recently received a large number of reports about criminal gangs phoning residents, falsely claiming to be calling from the Ministry of Justice. The callers usually claim to be calling to provide the consumer with some sort of grant, reward or compensation.

Beware, don’t provide any personal or financial information to people who phone you!

30/10/2015 Rogue Roofers Operating in Nuneaton Area

Nuneaton residents are warned to beware of rogue traders offering roofing work door to door in the local area. Warwickshire Trading Standards advises residents not to buy at the door. You can’t tell a good trader from a bad one on the doorstep. Keep your door closed! Rogue traders often claim to be based locally but instead use false addresses and 0800 or local phone numbers linked to untraceable mobile phones. Their quotes may begin low but soon rocket and the work is typically done to a very poor standard! Rogue traders dress smartly and can appear very plausible. They often use professional cards and flyers and may even have their own websites. Rogue traders often offer to replace loose roof tiles, or pressure wash or ‘treat’ a roof with special (often red coloured) ‘heat insulating paint’.

Loose Roof Tiles: Rogue traders often falsely claim that an owner’s property has loose roof tiles as it is difficult to for a householder to verify if this is true or not. Once on the roof, rogue traders can then ‘find’ other jobs to do and may even damage roofs on purpose, just so they can charge to repair them.

Jet Spraying Roofs: Rogue traders may offer to jet spray a roof to clean it and remove moss. However, roofing experts warn that roof tiles should not be subject to high-pressure washing. To do so can potentially damage or break the tiles and remove any aesthetic granular tile finish.

‘Insulating Paint’: Rogue traders may offer to paint your roof with (often red coloured) ‘special insulating paint’. There is no evidence that the products they would use would have any insulating qualities. Further, to allow them to carry out this ‘work’ may damage your roof.

Consumers requiring further advice or information, or to report a rogue trader should phone Warwickshire Trading Standards on 03454 040506 (via Citizens Advice Consumer Service).

27/10/2015 Loyalty grants

Consumers are warned to beware of criminal gangs cold calling consumers to offer them loyalty grants for working ‘a long time.’  The bogus callers often ask for bank details or advance fees from the consumer to claim the non existent grant.

NEVER reveal personal or financial information to callers.

27/10/2015 Broadband ‘cut off’ scam

A Warwickshire resident reported receiving a telephone call from someone claiming to be from BT. The caller claimed that BT had not received the consumer’s direct debit information and would be cut off. The caller knew the consumer’s address and asked for the name of the consumer’s bank and other bank details. The consumer revealed the name of their bank and the caller said they would contact them direct. A few minutes later the consumer’s phone rang again. This time the caller claimed to be from the consumer’s bank requesting credit and debit card details and PIN numbers etc. The consumer did not reveal any bank account numbers or PINS. These phone calls were bogus and the criminals behind them hoped to obtain enough bank information to steal money and possibly commit identity fraud.

NEVER reveal any personal or financial/banking information to anyone phoning you, however plausible they may sound. Genuine callers will always be happy for you to phone back on a publicly listed phone number. Always wait several minutes before phoning back or use another phone. Some fraudsters keep phone lines open!

27/10/2015 Paying Your Bills? Get £8000 scam

Warwickshire residents are receiving unexpected phone calls from representatives of a ‘Government’ group to advise them that, as they were paying their bills, they had been added to a random draw and would now be receiving an £8000 award! This advanced fee fraud scam usually leads to the caller asking for money up front before the £8000 ‘grant’ is paid out. In reality, the Government group, random draw and grant is a bogus story concocted by criminal gangs.
22/10/2015: Bogus Trading Standards Officers warning!

Warwickshire residents who have been the victim of rogue traders and cowboy builders in the past are warned to beware of visits from bogus Warwickshire Trading Standards Officers.

A householder living on the Coventry/Warwickshire border who had previously been the victim of rogue roofers was approached on her doorstep by a man who falsely claimed to be a Trading Standards Officer. The man showed the householder a false ID badge with a photo on it.

The caller stated that the the rogue traders who had carried out the ‘roofing’ work were now in court being prosecuted. He then said that the householder would be awarded compensation but before this could happen, he needed to make a report/survey which would involve the hiring of equipment costing £5000. The resident was asked to pay this ‘cost’.

The resident did not pay any money.

After the visit, the householder received a phone call from another person again falsely claiming to be a Warwickshire Trading Standards Officer. The bogus caller claimed that the resident was holding up the case by not paying the £5000 and became aggressive! The resident put the phone down.

Warwickshire Trading Standards Service are highly unlikely to visit a consumer’s home unless they have already been asked to by the consumer or a trusted friend or relative.

Warwickshire Trading Standards will NEVER ask a consumer for money.

Consumers should always ask for identification and if in any doubt, phone Warwickshire Trading Standards on a publicly listed telephone number to verify an individual’s identity.

If in doubt, keep your door closed and call the Police

This is the third report of a bogus Trading Standards Officer this year.

14/10/2015 Trading Standards Business Newsletter

By Simon Cripwell on Oct 14, 2015 02:18 pm

Trading Standards Business Newsletter

09/10/2015 When is a charity not a charity?

Warwickshire Trading Standards has recently received a number of complaints and enquiries about charity donations. Residents have reported being approached on their doorstep, often in the evening, by people selling lottery and prize draw weekly or monthly ticket subscriptions, supporting a range of charities. Residents are asked to sign up and provide their bank details. These approaches are sometimes made over the phone as well. Residents may think they are signing up directly with a charity, but often they are actually signing up with a lottery and prize draw gambling business who claim to support the charity or charities in question and give an unspecified percentage of their profits away to good causes. The businesses may be licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission but they are not charities and will not have a charity number or be listed on the Charity Commission website (use their search facility to look up charities).

If you want to be sure you are giving directly to a charity, ask ‘are you a charity?’ and ‘can I see your charity number?’

It is a criminal offence to falsely claim to be a charity. If in doubt do not sign up. 

Warwickshire Trading Standards does not in any case advise consumers to give any personal or financial information to unexpected doorstep or telephone callers.

08/10/2015 Businesses offered help to understand the biggest shake up of consumer law in a generation

Warwickshire businesses are being offered help and advice by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards to understand and comply with the biggest change to consumer law in the UK for a generation.

08/10/2015 Another Free Serving of ‘Phish and Chips’ – cyber-crime and data-security seminar for business

Small businesses in Warwickshire, and especially in Nuneaton and North Warwickshire are urged to book now for a second helping of ‘‘Phish and Chips’’, an expert led free cyber-crime and data-security advice and education seminar.

15/09/2015 Puppy buyers who get it wrong face £1000 bill!

Consumers who unwittingly purchase puppies illegally smuggled from abroad could face an unexpected bill for more than £1000 for quarantine fees, warn Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards

11/09/2015 Bogus ‘accident’ phone calls not from Warwickshire County Council

Warwickshire Trading Standards is warning residents to beware of unexpected phone calls from people falsely claiming to represent Warwickshire County Council. The bogus callers claim they are investigating an accident in which the resident was involved.

Several Warwickshire residents have already contacted Trading Standards to complain.

These phone calls are NOT being made by Warwickshire County Council or their representatives.

The bogus callers may claim they are calling from fictitious departments such as ‘Warwickshire County Council Investigations Department’.

Trading Standards understand that these phone calls are probably being made by unscrupulous ‘no-win no fee’ claims management businesses or people connected to them. The calls are made at random, hence most recipients have not been involved in any sort of accident.

On finding someone who has had an accident, the bogus caller would then either offer to represent them in a compensation claim (for which they would receive a hefty percentage of any compensation paid), or sell the resident’s details on to a claims management company.

Trading Standards advice:

  • Never provide any personal or financial information to cold callers
  • Always put the phone down and report bogus callers to Warwickshire Trading Standards on 03454 040506
  • For more advice visit Warwickshire Trading Standards

10/09/2015 Bogus VISA and pension callers

Consumers are warned to beware of bogus callers.

One consumer reported receiving a cold call from someone who claimed to be from VISA, stating that the consumer had not signed their bank cards. The consumer was then asked for their bank details and card numbers.

Another reported receiving a bogus cold call from the ‘Pensions Office’. The caller asked the consumer to confirm their pension payment details.

  • NEVER provide personal or financial information to a cold caller, whoever they may claim to represent.
  • ALWAYS put the phone down

10/09/2014 Bogus ‘safety’ checks

A Warwickshire resident reported receiving an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to be doing home safety checks in partnership with the Police and Fire Service. The caller asked the householder a series of personal questions including their age, marital status, if they lived on their own and whether they owned or rented the property.

Rogue high pressure sales people will falsely claim to be working with the Police or Fire Service in order to make them sound credible before attempting to sell the consumer often high priced and unnecessary products. The caller may also have been gathering personal information they can sell on to other cold callers.

  • NEVER provide personal or financial information to a cold caller, whoever they may claim to represent.
  • ALWAYS put the phone down

 

10/09/2015 Nuneaton bogus council worker

Warwickshire Trading Standards are warning Nuneaton area residents to beware of rogue traders/bogus callers. A Nuneaton resident reported finding a man in their garden. He claimed a neighbour had reported rats and wanted to pour a green liquid down their drain. He then went on to say he worked for the ‘Council’ before offering to carry out some re-pointing work on the home-owners property.

  • NEVER employ an unexpected caller to carry out work on your home.
  • NEVER allow an unexpected caller access to your home.

09/09/2015 New iPhone scams warning

Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone this week and Warwickshire Trading Standards is urging consumers to be on the lookout for criminals trying to exploit the hype by flooding popular social media platforms with misleading adverts and bogus offers.

Beware of:

  • iphone ‘flash sales’ which are really prize draws
  • paying to access ‘iphone for £1 exclusive offers’ which in reality land the consumer with an unwanted subscription set up using a continuous payment authorities (CPAs) to take money from people’s accounts without their informed consent.

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is!

27/08/2015 Electric blanket safety tests – phone lines now open!

By Simon Cripwell on Aug 27, 2015 04:50 pm

Find out more about our annual electric blanket safety tests
25/08/2015 Telephone Preference Service scam

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the official central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls. It is a FREE service.

However, some fraudsters are cold calling Warwickshire residents claiming to represent the TPS and asking for bank card details. The fraudsters claim that the consumer’s card details on the TPS website have expired and need updating. But, the TPS is a free service and they do not take or hold credit or debit card information or ask for payment.

NEVER reveal personal or financial information to cold callers.
25/08/2015 ‘Free’ burglar alarm warning

Warwickshire residents are warned to beware of cold calls from traders offering to survey their property to install a ‘free’ burglar alarm. ‘Free’ security alarms may come with expensive ‘monitoring’ contracts that can cost consumers hundreds or thousands of pounds a year. In some cases the alarms may not even be suitable for the consumer’s property or personal needs.

Trading Standards advises consumers to seek advice from Warwickshire Police in the first instance
25/08/2015 Prize gift hid expensive subscription!

A Warwickshire consumer reported receiving an email to say that she had won a gift of skincare products. The consumer was asked to pay for postage and packing by debit card to receive the ‘prize’. However, further payments totalling almost £200 were then taken from her account.

Trading Standards advise consumers to be very wary if they asked to pay postage and packing to receive a free trial or a ‘prize’.

Never reveal personal or financial information to businesses you don’t know or trust.

Consumers who have experienced this problem should contact Warwickshire Trading Standards for help and advice on 0345 404 0506.

25/08/2015 Bogus ‘Talk Talk’ cold call warning

Residents from across the County have reported receiving bogus phone calls from people claiming to be calling from Talk Talk.

One resident reported that a fraudulent caller told him he had a scam on his computer and a problem with his router. The caller quoted the resident’s Talk Talk account number and told him that £2000 would be placed in to his account. However, before this was to happen, the resident was asked to send £200 by money transfer to an address in Thailand!

Another resident received a similar phone call and gave the bogus Talk Talk fraudster access to her computer. She was then asked to set up an account with a money transfer service on-line, revealing her bank details to the fraudster!

Similar scam calls have also been made by fraudsters claiming to represent Apple and Microsoft!

Never reveal your personal or financial information to cold callers.

24/08/2015 Beware scam websites selling high end TVs

Warwickshire consumers are warned to beware of bogus websites selling high-end televisions. The fraudsters set up professional looking websites offering televisions for sale. They give false addresses and ask for bank transfers as the only acceptable form of payment.

Trading Standards are aware of consumers who have lost almost £500 after TVs they purchased never arrived.

All the bogus websites Trading Standards were aware of in relation to these incidents have already been shut down.

Buyers Advice

  • beware of traders offering goods that are considerably cheaper than those offered by other on-line traders.
  • beware of traders that will only accept bank transfers as acceptable forms of payment. If possible always use an escrow service such as PayPal (thus protecting your card details) and remember, if you pay by credit card for goods worth more than £100 and they don’t arrive, you can claim your money back from the credit card company under the Section 75 rules.
  • always Google the name of a trader you have never heard of before your buy, other customers may already have reviewed them.
  • businesses should give an address on their website. Why not look at the property on Google street view? Does the address look like a genuine business premise or is it a residential property? Perhaps it doesn’t exist at all?
  • bogus on-line traders may claim they have been operating their websites for years. However, you can find out when a .co.uk website was registered by searching it on Nominet

24/08/2015 Council tax refund scam

A Leamington Spa resident reported  receiving an unexpected phone call from someone who claimed that if he paid £69.99 they would get him a refund on his Council Tax of £3,000!

Beware of cold calls and never reveal your personal or financial information!

Trading Standards alerts July/August 2015

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14/08/2015 Beware of stop unwanted phone call offers

Warwickshire consumers are warned to beware of unexpected phone calls from fraudsters offering to stop unwanted phone calls! The callers ask for a payment of £2 a month and request bank details. Some of the Warwickshire residents who received these calls were already on the Telephone Preference Service

Never reveal personal or financial information to unexpected callers, whoever they claim to be or represent.
14/08/2015 ‘Fakes’ hotline is now ‘Anonymous’ hotline

Trading Standards automated ‘Fakes’ hotline is now the ‘Anonymous’ hotline and its telephone number has changed from an 0845 number to 0300 303 2636.

You can phone to provide information about the sale of illegal goods, scams or supplying age restricted products.

Otherwise, please use their on-line form

14/08/2015 Fraudsters using Crimestopper telephone number

Crimestoppers discovered that a group of scammers are falsely using their 0800 555 111 number on telephone displays in a bid to make calls seem genuine.

The scammers are calling people, saying they are “Crimestoppers at the Home Office” then asking for personal details.

Crimestoppers are not calling people.
Crimestoppers do not and cannot call people from 0800 555 111.
Crimestoppers would never ask for personal details like this.

Never give out your personal information.

13/08/2015 Come and meet our illegal tobacco sniffer dogs

Illegal tobacco sniffer dogs will be demonstrating their skills at locations across Warwickshire in the coming week (commencing Monday 17th August) with the support of Public Health Warwickshire and Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards.

In the past few months, these sniffer dogs have assisted Trading Standards Officers to locate and seize thousands of illegal cigarettes being sold across Warwickshire.

Come and meet the illegal tobacco sniffer dog team at the following locations:

  • Monday 17th August 9 am to 3 pm Stratford Town Waterside
  • Tuesday 18th August 9 am to 3 pm Warwick Market Square
  • Wednesday 19th August 9 am to 3 pm Nuneaton Town Centre (Harefield Road)
  • Thursday 20th August 9 am to 3 pm Rugby Town Centre (Clock Tower)
  • Friday 21st August 9 am to 3 pm Leamington Town Hall (outside)

 

31/07/2015 Warwickshire Trading Standards is now on Facebook

By Simon Cripwell on Jul 31, 2015 11:29 am
Warwickshire Trading Standards is now on Facebook

28/07/2015 Holidaymakers – beware bogus holiday etickets and flight boarding pass emails

Computer viruses are often hidden by fraudsters and hackers in emails which are then sent to unsuspecting computer uses. The emails themselves are often designed to trick the recipient in to opening them.

In Scams Awareness Month 2015, Warwickshire Trading Standards is sending out this warning.

When a bogus attachment is opened, a virus can be released, potentially stealing personal and financial information and generally causing havoc! This can end up being very costly to the computer user.

These bogus emails masquerade as ones you might expect to receive, including:

  • Holiday etickets and flight boarding passes
  • Etickets for events and days out
  • Invoices for goods or services
  • Emails simply entitled ‘copy’ as requested’
  • Insurance paperwork or similar documents
  • Notifications from banks or shops, for example statements
  • Advertisements
  • ‘Funny’ emails

Many of these bogus emails will be caught by your email providers spam email filter, but there is always a chance that some will get through.

Follow this advice

  • Only open email attachments that you are expecting and that come from a trusted source.
  • Make sure you are using Internet security software that scans your emails for viruses. Keep your software up to date.
  • Use a spam filter. This will catch some fraudulent emails.
  • Always delete suspect emails without opening them or their attachments
  • Do not click on web links or download files sent through emails or instant messages by someone you don’t know.

Never open an attachment in an unusual or unexpected email! It may contain a virus!

27/07/2015 Alarm sounds on rogue home security companies

Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service and its Midlands based Trading Standards partners are working with the home security industry to stamp out rogue traders

27/07/2015 Ipad ransomware virus warning

A Warwickshire consumer contacted Trading Standards after being targeted by an iPad scam which is circulating widely.

Whilst browsing the Internet the consumer’s iPad froze and an iOS error message was displayed with a phone number to ring. The consumer rang the number, only to be told that he needed to pay $50 to have his device unfrozen.

This is a scam in which fraudsters use viruses (ransomware) to attack computer devices, lock them (or give the impression they are locked) and then demand a payment, (or ransom) to unlock them.

The lock screen may look like the message has been sent by the Police or foreign law enforcement agency such as the FBI. This is untrue.

NEVER pay!

There is plenty of advice on the Internet about how to remove and protect against ransomware You may need to reset your device and run anti-virus software. Seek professional advice from a trustworthy source.

27/07/2015 Bogus ‘grant’ phone calls

Residents are warned to beware of cold calls from people claiming to be phoning from the ‘British Government Grants & Treasury Department’ (no such Government department exists). The callers claim that the consumer has been awarded an £8000 grant. To receive the grant, the callers ask the consumer to pay a refundable deposit of £110 via a money transfer service! The same callers may also ask for bank account details or use different names, all associated with the UK Government.

This is an Advanced Fee Fraud whereby fraudsters ask their potential victims to make advance or upfront payments for goods, services and/or financial gains that do not materialise.

24/07/2015 Local Government Treasury warning

A consumer reported receiving an unexpected phone call from someone who claimed that they had been hand-picked to receive an £8000.00 reward from the ‘Local Government Treasury’. All the consumer was required to do to receive the ‘award’ was to visit their Post Office, withdraw £110 and send it off in an envelope!

This is an Advanced Fee Fraud whereby fraudsters ask their potential victims to make advance or upfront payments for goods, services and/or financial gains that do not materialise.

24/07/2015 Rogue gardeners operating in Shipston!

Warwickshire Trading Standards has received reports of rogue landscape gardeners operating in the Shipston on Stour area. The rogue traders are going door to door and targeting elderly and vulnerable people. They are reported to to be driving white transit vans. Two incidents were reported in the Shipston area. Work had been carried out to a very poor standard.

Never buy goods or services from unexpected doorstep sellers/traders. Always seek quotes from local reputable traders and go on recommendation wherever possible.

23/07/2015 Rogue spray cleaners

Warwickshire residents are warned to beware of rogue traders offering roof and driveway spray cleaning services door to door. Rogue traders work is over-priced and of poor quality.

Consumers should think twice before agreeing to their roofs being spray washed. Using high pressure jets on roofs can lift tiles and cause damage.

Rogue traders offering to spray wash driveways often claim that the solution they use ‘seals’ the driveway, preventing weed growth. In reality, they often ‘treat’ the driveway with milk or sand, neither of which will prevent weed growth.

23/07/2015 UK Government grants department scam

Warwickshire residents are warned to beware of unexpected phone calls from people claiming to be calling to award them £8000 in UK Government grants. The callers phone number suggests that they may be phoning from Mozambique!

This is an advanced fee fraud where those targeted will be asked to make up front payments in order to receive their non-existent grant.

Never provide then with information and always put the phone down.

23/07/2015 Boiler service warning Nuneaton

People in Nuneaton have reported receiving  unexpected phone calls from a ‘boiler servicing company’. The caller claims that they know the resident’s boiler needs servicing but just needs to take their Visa card number again, as they weren’t sure it has been ‘written down correctly’!

Never reveals personal or financial information to any cold caller. Chances are, if you are asked, you’re giving your card numbers to a fraudster!

21/07/2015 Investment scam victims targeted again!

Fraudsters are targeting investment scam victims with further scams. A Warwickshire consumer who invested in land following an approach by a company which later folded (and its Director banned), was recently approached again by another company offering to buy his land.

The business claimed to be acting on behalf of a Chinese investment company. All the consumer needed to do was to make an up-front ‘Surety Bond’ payment of £14,000!

Scam victims are often added to ‘suckers’ lists and targeted again and again!

Advice on investment scams

Fraudsters cold call or email consumers and use high pressure sales techniques and sophisticated brochures/materials to get them to buy in to unregulated high risk investments.

The fraudsters take a large cut of any money ‘invested’ and as the investment usually fails to deliver the promised returns, investors are left with little or nothing.

Beware of offers to invest in the following:

  • Land banks
  • Overseas property
  • Forestry schemes
  • Fine wines
  • Art
  • Rare earth metals
  • Storage facilities
  • Carbon credits
  • Shares in companies you have never heard of (boiler room scams)

 

17/07/2015 Government grant scam

A Warwickshire resident reported that he had received an unexpected phone call from someone to tell him he had been awarded an £8000 Government grant! All the consumer had to do was to verify his details by completing a form and sending £100!

Advanced fee frauds work by getting consumers to send money in order to receive goods or services of a higher value. In reality, the goods or services don’t exist and the fraudsters simply disappear!

Beware of advanced fee frauds. 

17/07/2015 Bogus court officials in accident compensation claim warning

Consumers making legitimate accident compensation claims are warned to beware of cold calls from bogus court officials.

A Warwickshire consumer reported that following an accident, he had made a compensation claim with a legitimate firm of solicitors. He later had a phone call from someone calling themselves an official of a county court who claimed that they would be able to deliver a cheque to his home in return for a £250 Ukash payment. Fraudsters often ask for Ukash payments as they are difficult to trace.

The consumer spotted the scam and reported the matter to Trading Standards.

It is unclear how data about the customer’s information ‘leaked out’.

17/07/2015 Internet loan scams strike Warwickshire

People using the Internet to obtain a loan are warned to beware of bogus companies offering loans in return for large up front payments.

A Warwickshire resident was searching for a loan on-line and was asked by a bogus loan company to make several upfront payments totalling £615 in order to obtain a loan of £2000. The consumer made these payments via bank transfer and Western Union. The bogus loan company then said they could not provide the loan and disappeared.

In a similar case, another Warwickshire consumer was asked to pay £99 to receive their loan. They paid this sum but were then asked to pay a further £169 via MoneyGram. The consumer went to the Post office to obtain the MoneyGram but were advised that they may have been a victim of a scam and the additional money was not paid.

16/07/2015 Scam call blocker services

Warwickshire consumers are warned to beware of cold calls from people offering unwanted phone call blocking services and asking for bank details. These scammers often take money and do nothing or simply register the consumer with the Telephone Preference Service, a free to register service.

14/07/2015 Scam victims warned of visits from bogus Trading Standards Officers

Warwickshire Trading Standards understands that the accomplices of doorstep rogue traders are returning to their victim’s homes claiming to be from the Police or Trading Standards Service.

The rogue traders claim that they are ‘investigating’ the work carried out. The victims are asked to pay a fee which it is promised, will be returned when the investigation is complete!

A case has already been reported in Leamington Spa and is being investigated by the Police

The bogus Trading Standards Officer in this case was wearing a suit with a badge which read ‘Trading Standards’ attached to a red lanyard (neck cord).

Trading Standards and the Police do not charge victims to carry out investigations.

Remember – Lock, Stop, Chain, Check 

Lock: secure all your other outer doors as the person at the door may intend to distract you while an accomplice gets in through a back door
Stop: think about whether you’re expecting anyone
Chain: put the door chain on or look through the window or spyhole to see who’s there
Check: ask for an identity card and examine it carefully – you can always tell the caller to come back another time when someone will be with you. Always check a caller’s identity by phoning a publicly listed telephone number, not any number they may give you.

Finally, remember that you can dial 999 if you’re suspicious or the caller won’t leave. Call the police non-emergency number 101 if you’re not in immediate danger but want to report an incident.

14/07/2015 Serving up another helping of ‘Phish and Chips’

‘Phish and Chips’ were on the menu at a recent free cyber-crime data-security advice and education event held for Warwickshire businesses. Find out more and check out our great cyber crime advice for businesses and consumers

 

 

03/07/2015 Bogus Dyson engineers warning

Warwickshire consumers have reported receiving phone calls from people falsely claiming to represent Dyson and offering to service their appliances. According to Dyson, these bogus engineers may quote as little as £15 for the service, but this cost may then be inflated to over £100. Poor workmanship carried out by these engineers can also invalidate your guarantee. They regularly use fake parts that don’t function properly and can cause damage that won’t be covered by your guarantee. There are even examples where the visitor has sabotaged Dyson vacuums in order to sell new machines.

More information on bogus engineers

01/07/2015 Scam TPS calls

Foreign call centre fraudsters are phoning unsuspecting Warwickshire residents claiming to be from the Telephone Preference Service and offering to stop unwanted phone calls for a fee. The Telephone Preference Service  is a free service. Never agree to pay to join the Telephone Preference Service or provide any personal or financial information to cold callers.

01/07/2015 Scams Awareness Month Launched

July is Scams Awareness Month 2015 and Warwickshire’s Consumer Empowerment Partnership, led by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards and Warwickshire CAB will be raising awareness of on-line, telephone, postal and doorstep scams.

 

Arrests made in Trading Standards copy cat websites investigation

Arrests have been made following a Trading Standards investigation in to copy-cat websites  Consumers are reminded to use the official gov.uk website to purchase government services – such as renewing driving licences, European Health Insurance Cards or passports – rather than search engines where the results often display ‘copycat’ sites that are designed to trick people into paying more for these services.

Solar scams!

Warwickshire Trading Standards has received a number of reports of scams associated with solar energy. A Nuneaton resident reported receiving an unexpected doorstep visit from someone claiming to be from the ‘Council’ offering solar panels. The caller asked for a £300 deposit! An Atherstone resident reported receiving an approach from someone claiming to be selling solar panel bonds and promising large returns (much higher than normal savings accounts). The caller falsely claimed to be a PLC. An up-front payment of more than £1000 was requested.

Be careful of cold-callers offering ‘investment opportunities’ in unregulated products such as solar generation. Large fees may be taken and returns not realised, leaving the investor out of pocket. Neither are unregulated investments covered by the Financial Services Authority compensation scheme if things go wrong! Always seek regulated financial advice.

Never provide personal or financial information to cold callers.

Internet small adds warning

Consumers purchasing goods and services from small adds websites are warned to watch out for fraudulent adverts. A Warwickshire consumer reported that he had purchased a second hand TV and laptop from one such website and had paid with Ukash vouchers. Over £200 was paid, but the goods never arrived! Treat Ukash as cash, NEVER send Ukash by email as you may become a victim of these scams and lose your money. When making a payment to an individual on-line, use a secure payment site such as PayPal – never transfer the money directly into their bank account.

Owed loan scam

An elderly Warwickshire resident reported receiving an unexpected phone call from someone who claimed he had missed a loan payment that was now overdue. The resident, who is in his 80’s, had never had a loan in his life! The cold caller refused to end the call so the resident put his phone down. The caller is likely to have been phoning from a foreign call centre. The caller (fraudster), operating from abroad makes cold calls in the hope of reaching someone who has a genuine loan. He then tries to convince the consumer that a payment is overdue before requesting bank details.

Never provide personal or financial information to cold callers.

July is Scams Awareness Month

July is Scams Awareness Month 2015 and Warwickshire’s Consumer Empowerment Partnership, led by Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards and Warwickshire CAB will be raising awareness of on-line, telephone, postal and doorstep scams. The national month of action begins by raising awareness of telephone scams.

Follow us on Twitter  and keep up to date on all the latest scams and awareness raising events.

If you would like to help promote Scams Awareness Month, we have a range of promotional materials available that Warwickshire groups/residents associations and councils etc. can request. Email simoncripwell@warwickshire.gov.uk

Take-away food safety concern

Peanut protein and banned colourings have been found in lamb dishes that were supposed to be ‘peanut free’, Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service has revealed. Officers visited 16 premises.

Sniffer dogs raid find hidden illegal tobacco

Warwickshire Trading Standards has been carrying out sniffer dog raids on Warwickshire shops suspected of selling illegal cigarettes. Over 41,000 cigarettes were found.

 

19/06/2015 Bogus cancer clothing collection Rugby

A Rugby resident reported placing clothes in a ‘Cancer Research’ bag posted through her door. The bag was collected by someone in a dirty white van, but she became suspicious and contacted Cancer Research who told her that they are not currently collecting in her area in that way.

If you want to be sure that your donations are going to a legitimate charity, consider donating directly to a local charity shop or clothing bank.

Never buy goods or services from cold callers.

 

 

 

Newsletter Summer 2015

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The Summer 2015 newsletter packed with useful information to Napton villagers will be dropping through everyone’s letter box.  It is also available in the Newsletter archives below.

Take the Rural Crime Survey by 24 June 2015

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The National Rural Crime Network are conducting the biggest survey to date which focuses on crime against businesses and homes in rural UK.  The survey closes on Wednesday 24 June so take part now – click here or use the link below

2015 National Rural Crime Survey

Parish Council Annual Assembly

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NHWDisplayVisitorsPCAGM2015Napton NHW had a great display of their activities at the Parish Council Annual Assembly on Saturday 30th May, thanks to Chris Gait and his team.  Chris also presented the NHW Annual Report shown below.

Review of activities

1) Warwickshire Trading Standards continue to issue weekly lists of scams and rogue trading.

2) Articles covering NHW and Trading Standards issues are published in the Napton Parish News.

3) One Crime Alert was issued during the year.

4) An NHW Newsletter was issued to residents in December 2014, together with a tax disc emergency  contact form.

5) In March 2015 UV pens were distributed to Napton residents to enable them to apply UV marking to their removable property.

6) Preparatory work on the NHW content of the new Napton Parish Council website has been completed.

7) Napton NHW representatives attend the quarterly meetings of the Southam/Feldon Community Forum and Stratford District NHW Association.

NHWDisplayBoardPCAGM2015

Police communication

During the year there have been few NHW communications from Southam Police Station, due mainly to staff shortages. But, there is some better news – the publication of monthly incident summaries recommenced on 21st May 2015.

Rural Watch messages advising details of crimes occurring at rural premises have continued through most of the year; these are issued by a Community Volunteer based at Leamington Police Station. Many local farmers and horse owners are members of this communication scheme.

There is also a Faith Watch scheme for Warwickshire churches and other religious buildings. The church warden of St Lawrence Church belongs to this scheme.

 

Summary

Napton NHW continues to maintain a team of 20 enthusiastic street coordinators who cover a total of 382 households. Whilst most of Napton is covered by Neighbourhood Watch, there remain some properties on the ‘fringes’ of the village which do not have a local street coordinator. Due mainly to the lack of any effective Police communication our team of coordinators has not been able to provide much added value to our residents during the year. The improvements promised by the Police are eagerly awaited.

 

Trading Standards warnings May & June 2015

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05/06/2015 New edition of the Bogus Bugle scams awareness newsletter published

The latest edition of the Warwickshire Trading Standards Bogus Bugle has been published

05/06/2015 Halogen Heater Tests Spark Warning

Test carried out on portable halogen heaters by Central England Trading Standards Services, has prompted Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards and Warwickshire County Council’s Fire and Rescue Service to issue guidance on their purchase and safe use.

02/6/2015 Trading Standards Go Undercover to Inspect Warwickshire’s Car Dealers and Servicing Technicians

Concern is being expressed about the safety of used cars for sale in Warwickshire and the adequacy of car servicing following a large scale enforcement exercise carried out by Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service.

01/06/2015 Computer server scam warning

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau’s (NFIB) proactive intelligence team is warning people of a new investment scam whereby fraudsters are offering leases on computer servers.

Fraudsters are offering people the chance to invest in the leasing of computer servers from companies that also specialise in Bitcoin Mining.

Bitcoin is a digital-only currency traded from computer to computer and is usually used to pay for goods online. Bitcoin has no central authority and is not backed by governments or banks.

In this new type of methodology, people are cold called using high pressure tactics and persuaded to invest into a new form of alternate investment. Fraudsters claim this investment will be subject to huge growth because of the rise in demand from major international companies that require computer server space.

Guaranteed returns

Victims are promised to receive a guaranteed 5% monthly increase on any amount they invest as their returns are based on the capital generated from the major companies utilising the services.

In addition to the server leasing scam, scammers claim that the new start up companies they are investing in also specialise in Bitcoin mining with the servers that are owned. In reality, none of this is true.

Protect yourself against investment fraud

If you’re considering any type of investment, always remember: if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. High returns can only be achieved with high risk.
If you get a call out of the blue, be wary; if in doubt don’t be polite, just hang up.
Take the time to seek independent legal or financial advice before making a decision.
Always check the credentials of the company you’re dealing with. Check for known fraudulent organisations at the FCA.

Warning from Action Fraud

Never buy goods or services from cold callers.

29/05/2015 Insurance hard sell

Warwickshire residents are warned to beware of telephone cold calls from people using high pressure sales techniques to sell ‘insurance products’. These may be called ‘home protection related schemes’ and the callers may suggest that consumers can avoid selling their homes if they need to go in to a care home. The callers sometimes refer to the new Care Act and are reported to be both rude and abusive.

Never buy goods or services from cold callers.

29/05/2015 PPI Scam warning

Warwickshire Trading Standards has received a spate of complaints from consumers about phone calls from bogus solicitors and ‘recovery’ businesses claiming that the consumer is owed PPI compensation.

In all cases the consumer is asked to make an advanced payment to receive their compensation. Some consumers have been asked to pay a ‘holding fee’ of several hundred pounds, whilst others have been asked to provide Ukash vouchers for amounts between £80 and £180.

Fraudsters often ask for money in advance which they then disappear with, never providing the compensation refunds they promise!

Never pay up front for these services.

Bogus lottery scam

Warwickshire Trading Standards are warning Warwickshire residents to beware of letters that falsely claim to have been sent by the People’s Postcode Lottery, a genuine UK lottery.

These letters normally claim that the recipient has won a large amount of money (£825,000) in the international version of the lottery. The letter may also request a processing fee of £1400 in order to release the winning funds.

Remember:

You cannot win a lottery unless you have entered.

Legitimate lotteries don’t ask you to pay taxes, custom fees, insurance shipping or handling or any other fee before receiving your ‘winnings’.

You will often be asked to send money upfront to the perpetrators by money transfer.

Genuine People’s Postcode Lottery website

Bogus Fraud Squad callers

Warwickshire residents are warned to beware of bogus calls from people falsely claiming to be members of the Fraud Squad.

A resident reported that he had had a phone call from someone who appeared to be calling from a foreign call centre, claiming to be detective constable from the serious fraud squad. The fraudulent policeman gave the resident a bogus collar number and claimed that he had arrested two people who were in possession of blank debit cards in his name. The fraudster then asked the resident to phone his bank immediately to check that his own debit card was okay.

Had the resident done this, the fraudster would have pretended to phone off, but would have stayed on the line to then masquerade as the resident’s bank, in the hope of obtaining personal and financial information!

Bogus UK Age callers Rugby

Rugby residents are warned to beware of bogus callers falsely claiming to have links to Age UK  and asking questions about fascias and guttering. This might be an attempt by a rogue trader or high pressure sales company.

 

Police Visit 4 June & News May 2015

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Please note members of the Southam SNT will be at the Napton PO and Shop on Thursday 4th June between 4 and 4.30p.m. to meet and greet.  They will be able to offer advice and offer property marking including large items.

Recent local crime incident:

Inc 222 – 02/05/15 A farm building was broken into in Napton, a blue Alien V4 teenager quad bike was stolen, the handles have blue polka dots, also stolen was a disc cutter, a Stihl disc cutter and a waker plate.  If you have any information that would be of help please phone 101 quoting the incident number.

By Cyber Smart:

This phase of #Be Cyber Smart focuses on phishing, malware, passwords, antivirus and the importance of shredding documents containing personal details.

More details are available by visiting www.warwickshire.police.uk/becybersmart or www.westmercia.police.uk/becybersmart or see the below for a quick way of remembering some top tips:

S Shred documents containing personal details before throwing them away.
M Make sure passwords are nonsensical. Use letters, numbers and symbols.
A Always use legitimate and up-to-date antivirus software.
R Remain vigilant. Think before you input or email your personal details.
T Think Phishing. Could that email be from a fraudster trying to get hold of your personal details?

For further information about staying safe online go to www.getsafeonline.org