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- Written by Super User
- Category: Neighbourhood Alert
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| Dear Resident, The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau are aware of an ongoing scam where consumers are being cold called by individuals impersonating employees of legitimate mobile network operators and suppliers. Victims are offered early handset upgrades, or new contracts, at significant discounts. Once customers have been convinced that the deals are genuine and agree to proceed, suspects then ask for their online mobile account credentials, including log-ins, address and bank account details. Suspects then place orders with genuine companies on behalf of victims, however select a different handset to that requested and have it shipped to the customer’s address. Upon receipt, suspects assure victims that this has been an error and instruct them to ‘return’ the handset to a different address not affiliated to the mobile company. These addresses are usually residential. Upon intercepting the ‘returned’ handsets, the suspects cease contact and victims find themselves stuck with no phone and liable for the entirety of a new contract taken out in their name. The NFIB have received over 300 reports since January 2020 with reported losses in excess of £86,000. What you need to do - Cold calls about mobile upgrades and contracts - If you’re unsure that the person calling you is an official representative of the company they claim to be from, hang up and do not reveal any personal information. Only contact your mobile network provider on a number you know to be correct. For example, 191 for Vodafone customers, 150 for EE customers, 333 for Three customers, 202 for O2 customers, 4455 for Tesco Mobile, 789 for Virgin Mobile and 150 for Sky Mobile. If you receive a device that you did not order or expect, contact the genuine sender immediately. The details for this will be within the parcel. NEVER post a device directly to a given address. All genuine Mobile Network Operators would send out a jiffy bag for you to return without you incurring additional cost. If you have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, report it to Actionfraud.police.uk, or by calling 0300 123 2040.
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- Written by Super User
- Category: Neighbourhood Alert
- Hits: 1929
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Phishing remains the most successful attack vector for cyber criminals targeting individuals and businesses. Cyber criminals love phishing. Unfortunately, this is not a harmless riverbank pursuit. When criminals go phishing, you are the fish and the bait is usually contained in a scam email or text message. The criminal’s goal is to convince you to click on the links within their scam email or text message, or to give away sensitive information (such as bank details). These messages may look like the real thing but are malicious. Once clicked, you may be sent to a dodgy website which could download viruses onto your computer, or steal your passwords. As of 30 April 2021, over 5.8 million emails were reported to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). The tool, which was launched by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the City of London Police last April, allows the public to forward suspicious emails to an automated system that scans it for malicious links. Since its launch, over 43,000 scams and 84,000 malicious websites have been removed. What are the most common phishing scams? The most commonly spoofed organisation reported in phishing emails was TV Licensing, with victims of these emails reporting losses totalling £5.3m. The majority of losses occurred as a result of victims following malicious links in the emails and inputting their personal information into what they thought was the legitimate TV Licensing website. Shortly after, they would receive a call from criminals impersonating bank staff who was able to convince them that their bank accounts were compromised and persuaded them to transfer all of their money to a new ‘safe’ account. Some of the other most commonly impersonated organisations included HMRC and DVLA. We also received more than 40,000 suspicious email reports relating to COVID-19. How you can protect yourself from phishing messages. Fake emails and text messages can sometimes be difficult to spot and criminals are constantly getting better at finding ways to make them seem more authentic. Email address spoofing, for example, is just one of the tactics criminals will use to try and make their fake emails look real. Here are some tips you should follow to protect yourself, and others, from scam emails and text messages: 1: Be cautious of messages asking for your personal information. Official organisations, such as your bank, should never ask you for personal or financial information via email or text message. If you receive a message and you want to check that it’s legitimate, you can call the organisation directly using a known number, such as the one on a bank statement or utility bill. 2: Report suspicious emails. If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, you should report it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) by forwarding the email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Your reports will help government and law enforcement agencies to remove malicious emails and websites. 3: Report suspicious text messages. If you receive a suspicious text message, you can report it by forwarding the message to 7726. It’s free of charge and enables your mobile network provider to investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious. 4: Report fraud. 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. For more information on how to protect yourself from fraud and cyber crime, please visit: actionfraud.police.uk/ |
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- Written by Super User
- Category: Neighbourhood Alert
- Hits: 2123
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 Cheshire Constabulary are looking to recruit external members, to its Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) Board.As a Board member, your role will be to hold us to account on the development and implementation of our DEI plan, to give us your views on what needs to change , if necessary, and use your voice to make a real impact on how we work and what we do here at Cheshire police.
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- Written by Super User
- Category: Neighbourhood Alert
- Hits: 1941
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| Dear resident, Following a year of travel bans, quarantine, uncertainty and missed holidays, many of us are desperate to get away for a break, whether it’s a holiday in the sun or a weekend by the sea in the UK. But cybercriminals are busy thinking about holidays and travel too ... not taking them but exploiting your desperation for a break, with fake websites, advertisements, emails, social media posts, texts and phone calls for holidays, flights, accommodation or pilgrimages that don’t exist. Avoid disappointment and financial losses when booking a trip: start by reading our expert tips on searching and booking holidays and travel safely and securely. Our latest leaflet is attached but if you'd like to read more then visit www.getsafeonline.org Many thanks the Get Safe Online team |
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- Written by Super User
- Category: Neighbourhood Alert
- Hits: 1706
Although it is INCORRECT that WhatsApp have suddenly made security worse for your WhatsApp account (they actually introduced the change in 2019 to make things *more* secure - see https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/05/19/whatsapp-group-settings-scam/ for an explanation) it is STILL WORTH FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW for those of you who didn't make these changes when they were first rolled out, and for newer users who will be unaware of said settings.
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 Worth checkingCrimewatch have advised your WhatsApp settings have changed. WhatsApp has changed its group settings to include “everyone” by default so people you don’t know can add you to a group without your knowing. These people may include scam messages, loan Sharks, etc. You can change its default settings as follows: 1. Go to WhatsApp: 2. Go into Settings 3. Go to Account 4. Go to Privacy 5. Go to Groups 6. Change from (Everyone) to (My Contacts) #staysafeonsocialmedia
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