Archive for category: News

BANK ACCOUNT FRAUD

 Regular reports of bank account fraud are being received both locally and nationally.

The first sign that Bank Account Fraud has occurred is usually when transactions you have not made, show up on your bank statements.

Do not let criminals steal your identity, this may be done by taking personal documents thrown out with your rubbish, or contacting you by phone or email and posing as a legitimate organisation.

How do you protect yourself?

·         Always shred any paperwork with your name, address , personal or financial details before throwing it out

·         Beware of unsolicited emails or phone calls form callers claiming to be your bank or building society; most banks will not           contact you this way

·         Always hang up, wait 5 minutes and then ring back on a designated number on your bank statement or bank card to check;         always check you have a dialling tone and where possible phone back on a different phone

·         Check your bank statements regularly for unrecognised transactions

·         If you move house make sure your post is redirected by Royal Mail

·         Notify your bank immediately if you see any unusual activity on your bank account – you can call straight through to most major banks by dialling 159 as the fastest route

HMRC

A further short reminder as we approach the deadline for self-assessment returns. This is the key time to be aware of messages, or even phone calls, claiming to be from HMRC.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR 

·         Scammers may text or email people to tell them they are due a Tax Rebate from HMRC; this may also include a link that asks for personal details which can be used for further scams

·         Scammers are also using phone calls to gain people’s details

·         Automated phone calls may be used to say people owe tax, and arrest warrants may be issued by HMRC unless they pay the       outstanding tax

·         Fake web pages have also been used which can copy the genuine HMRC website

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

Before you give out any personal details first consider:

·         Were you expecting to be contacted? Check it is HMRC really contacting you

·         Are you being pressured?  If the request is for an urgent money transfer or for personal details be very wary

·         Are you being threatened with arrest? HMRC will never call you and threaten arrest

·         Is it sounding too good to be true?  Are you really expecting a Tax rebate?

·         Is the website or email address genuine? Always double check these details if you are unsure. Some more refined scams may use official details and logos so be aware

·         Check your personal tax account online to see if there are any genuine messages

·         If you think it is a scam, report it to HMRC as soon as possible for further investigations

Please feel free to share this information with any relatives, friends or neighbours you think may be vulnerable.

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 okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
• Protect: If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

For further information visit:

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/

 

Please view attachment.

Volunteers required to help run active schemes to monitor the speed of vehicles at safe and specified locations.

For further information see attached poster.

Contact:

PCSO | Droitwich East Safer Neighbourhood Team | West Mercia Police

Droitwich Police Station
Mobile: 07870 519 449  Direct Dial: 101 Ext. 7744439

Team email: 

 

 

Criminals are clever these days and protecting your life on the internet is just as important as locking your front and back doors. Setting up 2SV can help protect your online accounts, even if your password is stolen.

What is 2-Step Verification (2SV)?

2-step verification (often shortened to 2SV) provides a way of ‘double checking’ that you really are the person you are claiming to be when you’re using online services, such as banking, email or social media. It is available on most of the major online services. 2-step verification (2SV) is also known as two-factor authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication (MFA).

When setting up 2SV, the service will ask you to provide a ‘second step’, which is something that you (and only you) can access. This could be a code that’s sent to you by text message, or that’s created by an app.

Why should you use 2SV?

Passwords can be stolen by cyber criminals, potentially giving them access to your online accounts. However, accounts that have been set up to use 2SV will require an extra check, so even if a criminal knows your password, they won’t be able to access your accounts.

The NCSC (National Cyber Crime Centre) recommends that you set up 2SV on your ‘important’ accounts; these will typically be the ‘high value’ accounts that protect things that you really care about and would cause the most harm to you if the passwords to access these accounts were stolen. You should also use it for your email, as criminals with access to your inbox can use it to reset passwords on your other accounts.

Some online services will already have 2SV switched on. However most don’t, so you will need to switch it on yourself to give extra protection to your other online accounts, such as email, social media and cloud storage. If available, the option to switch on 2SV is usually found in the security settings of your account (where it may also be called ‘two-factor authentication’).

The Cyber Aware pages on the NCSC website contain up-to-date links to the instructions on how to set up 2SV across popular online services such as Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Outlook.

What if 2SV isn’t available?

While many major services do offer it, there are still some that do not. If 2SV is not available on one of your important accounts, like email, you should ensure that it has a strong unique password. You may even want to consider changing services to one that does offer 2-step verification.

For more information and advice, visit our website.

WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
PUBLIC NOTICE
Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (As Amended)
(Footpath BP-543, Bishampton and CL-526, Church Lench) (Temporary Closure Order) 2022
Order made: to close Footpath BP-543 Bishampton and CL-526 Church Lench for its entire length.
The Order is being made to allow for the construction of ground mounted solar farm.
Exemptions: to permit access to any land or premises having a frontage to the highway affected where there is no other form of access; and to allow the necessary works to be undertaken.
Alternative route: Bishampton footpaths BP-519, BP-523, BP-516 and BP-517; Church Lench footpath CL-525; C2022 and vice versa.
The proposed Order will continue in force for a period not exceeding 6 months or until the works which it is proposed to be carried out have been completed, whichever is the earlier.
However, it is anticipated that the Order will only be operative for 6 months commencing on 1 August 2022.

Map attached.