Neighbourhood Newsletter – September Edition.
See attached Newsletter.
Notice of Conclusion of Audit.
Please view attached document for details.
Public Rights Of Way.
Please view attached poster.
WEEKLY FRAUD UPDATE FROM WEST MERCIA POLICE – ECONOMIC CRIME UNIT – 15/08/2023
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Emergency Road Closure 10.08.23
Please view attached notice re emergency road closures.
Newsletter July 23
Please see attached document.
Weekly Fraud update from West Mercia Police – Economic Crime Unit – 27/06/2023
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We reported an outbreak of Courier Fraud scams in this region earlier in the year and now, once again, we are raising your awareness following a spate of reports of Courier Frauds focused in the Herefordshire area. Courier Fraud occurs when a fraudster contacts victim by telephone usually claiming to be a police officer, bank official or other law enforcement official. The caller may also be able to confirm some easily obtainable basic details about the victim such as their full name and address. The caller will try and build up trust with the potential victim before proceeding. Their aim is to get the victim to reveal their PIN, credit or debit card and /or bank details, and more than often will target the elderly as potential victims. How does it work? · The scammer calls you claiming to be from your bank or as a police officer and will tell you either a fraudulent payment on your account needs dealing with, or sometimes that a person has been arrested using your details and cards · You may be asked to call the bank back to convince you the call is genuine using the number on the reverse of your card. However, the Scammer has still kept the line open so you are still touch with the Scammer · If you do try to call your Bank back, always wait at least 5 minutes for the line to clear or use another phone · They will either ask you for your card PIN number or tell you to key it into the phone – you should never be asked for your PIN or pass it over on the phone · The Caller then tells you they will send a Courier to pick up your card – they may often provide a “password” to give to the Courier to make it sound even more genuine Once they have your card and your PIN they then have access to your money. Other versions of this scam include: · Asking you to withdraw a large sum of cash which the police will mark and return to the banking system in an effort to identify a corrupt banking person – once you hand over the cash to the courier – it is gone · Scammers have also realised now that when a more vulnerable person goes into the Bank to withdraw large sums of cash the Bank staff become suspicious so the Scammer may tell the victim to withdraw the cash in Euros from a Foreign Exchange outlet · A person claiming to be a police officer and is investigating sales of counterfeit goods then asks you to buy an expensive item such as a watch or jewellery from a specific retailer. You are then asked to hand it over to the Courier to deliver to the “Police” and again that is the last you see or hear of it. · A further common variation is to tell you your bank account has been compromised and you need to transfer all your money into a “Safe Account”. Once again you have delivered your cash directly to the Scammer. Protect yourself
Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours. —————————— Take Five To Stop Fraud STOP: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe. CHALLENGE: Could it be fake? It’s OK to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. PROTECT: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud ALWAYS REMEMBER: · Avoid disclosing security details · Emails, Phone Calls and Texts may not be authentic · Always make direct contact with any organisation by using a genuine phone number · Stop and Challenge any unexpected requests · Protect others by reporting Fraud and Scams —————————— If you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk. Scam Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take early action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. |
South Worcestershire Rural Beat – Summer 23 Update
Please view the attached Newsletter.
Neighbourhood Matters
Almost 21 million reports have been made to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS), resulting in the removal of over 235,000 malicious websites.
SERS was launched by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the City of London Police in April 2020 to enable the public to forward suspicious emails to an automated system that scans them for malicious links. Since its launch, almost 21 million reports have been made to the service.
Mobile phone providers also offer a service that allows customers to report suspicious text messages, by forwarding them to the number 7726. The service is free of charge and enables providers to takedown malicious websites and block malicious texts from being sent across their network.
As of 31 May 2023, 54,000 text message scams have been removed as a result of suspicious texts forwarded to the 7726 service.
Commander Nik Adams, from City of London Police, said:
“Every year, thousands of people in the UK are scammed by a fraudulent email or text message. Phishing scams, whether it’s a text message claiming you have missed a delivery and are required to pay a redelivery fee, or an email claiming to be from your bank are a common security challenges that both individuals and businesses across the UK face on a daily basis.
“If you receive an email or text message that you think might be a scam, don’t respond to it or click any links in the message or email. Instead, contact the organisation directly using contact information from the company’s official website, and not the links or numbers provided in the message itself.
“If you think you have been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. By reporting phishing scams or suspected fraud, you are directly helping us in our work to identify and stop these criminals and helping us protect others from these scams. If you are in Scotland, I ask that you report the fraud directly to Police Scotland by calling 101.”
How to protect yourself from scam emails and texts
Received an email or text that seems suspicious? Report it. Your reports enable us to remove the emails and websites criminals use to commit fraud and cyber crime.
1: Forward suspicious emails to . Send emails to this address that feel suspicious, even if you’re not certain they’re a scam – we can check.
2: Forward suspicious text messages to 7726 (it’s free of charge). Your provider can find out where the text came from and block or ban the sender.
3 – If you’ve lost money or provided personal information as a result of a phishing scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk
Please note: Sometimes a forwarded email may not reach us because it is already recognised by spam detection services. You can also take a screenshot of the email and send it to
Community Infrastructure Levy
Please see attached report.