Category: Policing

 

Dear Watch Member,

Between January to September 2020, Action Fraud have received 21.349 reports regarding fake PayPal phishing emails, resulting in a total reported loss to victims of £7,891,077.

Online marketplace sellers have received a fake email that appears to be from PayPal, stating that the fraudster has made a payment for an item. A follow up email requests the shipping tracking order reference, prompting the seller to dispatch the item. The fraudster relies on the seller not verifying that the payment has been received in their PayPal account, before shipping the item leaving the seller at a loss.

The reporting to Action Fraud does not suggest that PayPal are implicated or complicit in any fraud, either directly or indirectly. The use of a popular, trusted brand may be exploited by fraudsters to commit fraud.

What you need to do:

Verify the payment: If you’re selling goods on an online marketplace, such as eBay, don’t post the item to the buyer until you have verified, using the official app or website, that the payment is in your account.

Report suspicious emails: If you’ve received an email you’re not quite sure about, you can report it by forwarding it to: [email protected].

For more information about how to protect yourself online, visit: www.cyberaware.gov.uk and www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien

Dear Watch Member,

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent Tier 2 restrictions mean Hallowe’en will be very different this year.

Despite this, there may be some people still wanting to “Trick or Treat”. There may also be a minority of people who use the occasion to cause anti-social behaviour or, worse than that, commit criminal offences such as burglary.

Burglars are known to knock on doors / ring doorbells to ascertain if anyone is home. If they don’t get a response, they will assume the house is empty – especially if the house is in darkness and there are no other signs of occupancy – and make attempts to access the property.

Therefore, it’s important to respond to any activity or sound you hear outside your home, and report any suspicious activity to either the non-emergency 101 or emergency 999 number.

Please find attached a ‘Welcome Trick or Treaters’, and ‘No Trick or Treaters’ poster you may wish to display in a window.

For burglary prevention advice, please click here.

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Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page.

• Hallowe’en No Trick or Treat Poster (54 KB)
• Hallowe’en Yes Trick or Treat Poster (57 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

* Close and lock all your doors and windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes.

* Double-lock any door.

* Make sure that any valuables are out of sight.

* Keep handbags away from the letterbox or cat flap and hide all keys including car keys, as a thief could hook keys or valuables through even a small opening.

* Never leave car documents or ID in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways.  In the evening, shut the curtains and leave lights on.

* If you’re out all day, then it’s advisable to use a timer device to automatically turn lights and a radio on at night.

* Set your burglar alarm.

* Make sure the side gate is locked.

* Lock your shed or garage.

* Lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor.

HAVE A SAFE WINTER

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Steve Hammett
PCSO

Dear Watch Member,

A new hotline has been launched to stop fraudsters illegally targeting Covid stimulus schemes.

In an initiative between government and the independent charity Crimestoppers, the public can call a new Covid Fraud Hotline (0800 587 5030) anonymously and free of charge to report suspected fraudulent activity.

Please view the attached file for further information.

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Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file, which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file, please visit this help page.

Covid Hotline Information (347 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

As we are approaching the festive period an old scam has re-emerged, relating to a hoax email about parcel deliveries. The scam is being circulated on social media accounts like Facebook.

Please do not share or pass on the email, just delete it.

The following action fraud link, provides more detail of the hoax scam:

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/news/hoax-email-from-pds-parcel-delivery-service.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

The summary details the amount of reports made by residents of Harrow to Action Fraud, how much money has been reported lost and the top fraud categories by both volume of reports and amount of money lost.

The data is taken from Action Fraud victim reports, which in itself comes with a couple of caveats;

Firstly, the reports includes those made by companies based in the Borough and they will generally lose more money than individual residents.

Secondly, victims self-report to Action Fraud and the reports aren’t screened for accuracy, so the exact figures reported should be taken with a pinch of salt.

It gives you an indication of what residents in your Borough are reporting and shows what type of frauds & scams are prevalent.

After the figures, the Summary details some of the top scams; describing what they are and how best to defend yourself against them.I have also attached the latest version of our Little book of big scams

(all our leaflets and videos can be found here www.met.police.uk/littlemedia )

Download Associated Documents
Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page.

• Harrow August 2020 (476 KB)
• Little Book of Big Scams (2770 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
David Jones
Watch Liaison Officer
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

Over the last seven days, a daytime burglary has occurred in each of the below roads;

Antoneys Close; Barrow Point Avenue; Bridge Street; Paines Lane; and Potter Street Hill.

Entry to the properties have either been gained by forcing open a front door or rear window.

Jewellery has primarily been stolen.

A burglary also occurred in Cuckoo Hill during the early hours of the morning, when the suspects accessed a garage and stole a vehicle.

This vehicle was recovered hours later, a short distance from where it was stolen. Two suspects have been arrested and charged for burglary and related offences. They are not believed to be responsible for any of the other burglaries in the area.

A house alarm can deter or mitigate a burglary, as can other home security measures which you can find here.

As always, your vigilance is greatly appreciated and if you witness any suspicious activity please call the non-emergency 101 number or in an emergency call 999.

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

In a national drive to raise public awareness of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking I kindly invite you to view the attached Can You See Me? document.

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• Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (1877 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 8721 2775

Dear Watch Member,

If you own a high-value vehicle, it may attract the attention of criminals who take advantage of a vulnerability in keyless entry / start systems using a digital technique called the Relay Attack, which is explained in the attached document.

To deny criminals please follow the below crime prevention advice:

– Car keys should always be kept in a safe and secure location, out of sight and away from windows or letterboxes, as vehicles are sometimes stolen after thieves manage to steal keys placed close to letterboxes or insecure windows and doors, thus enabling them to drive the vehicles away without having to physically break into them.

If your vehicle has a keyless entry system, ensure you place the key in a metal box or a Faraday pouch.

– Don’t leave keys visible in public places, e.g. on tables or in bags. Don’t leave them in pockets in cloakrooms or changing rooms, as they could be taken and used to identify and steal your car from a nearby car park.

– Never hand vehicle keys over to a third party or leave the vehicle unattended at a valet parking or car wash business, or other parking places, where criminals can gain access to the vehicle and code a key electronically.

– Affix a steering wheel lock or other immobiliser to your vehicle.

– Also consider, where possible, fixing a dropdown bollard to your driveway.

If you have any information regarding criminal activity please contact the non-emergency 101 number, complete an online submission form via www.met.police.uk or anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Download Associated Documents
Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page.

• Keyless Car Theft Prevention Advice (81 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]

Dear Watch Member,

Please see the attached PDF for the latest developments regarding the stabbing incident that recently occurred in Montesole Park, Pinner.

Download Associated Documents
Documents accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page.

• Teenagers Charged with Pinner Stabbing (222 KB)

If you need to reply regarding this message, tap on this email address: [email protected]

Regards,
Lee O’Brien
Pinner Safer Neighbourhood Team
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 020 8721 2775