News

HMRC / Companies House Scam Emails

Dear Watch Member,

We have been alerted to a current scam email purporting to be from Companies House. It instructs you to check the information submitted by your company and says that if you ignore this instruction you may be subject of legal action. The Companies House website says they are aware of similar scam emails. It advises recipients not to disclose personal information or open attachments contained in emails claiming to be from them. If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from Companies House, please report it to: [email protected].

If you’ve recently submitted a tax return, don’t be caught out by bogus HMRC contacts claiming you’re owed a rebate.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) receive many reports of scam emails and text messages at this time of year.  Be aware that fraudsters can falsify the ‘from’ text or email address to make it look like a legitimate HMRC source. Be particularly wary of emails urging urgent action.

If you’re not 100% sure that a message has come from HMRC, don’t respond or click on any links or attachments.

Genuine emails from HMRC will never notify you of a tax rebate or offer you a repayment, nor would they provide a link to a login page or a form asking for information – instead they will ask you to log on to your online account as normal to check for information.

Remember that you should always log into your online account via your browser, never via an emailed link.

Forward suspicious emails to [email protected] or visit www.gov.uk and search “HMRC scams” for more details.

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]

Update on Pinnora Mews

I know that some of our residents have been asking questions about the delays to Pinnora Mews Development, formally known as Waxwell Lane Car Park.

The leader of the Council Paul Osborn, has provided us with the following update as incorrect information was starting to circulate.

“I have investigated this internally and the comments being made with regards defective drainage are not factual and are based on local rumours.    There has been no identified issue with the drainage on the site, in fact during the project the original specification was changed and the Council put in additional funds into the project to provide an adaptable drainage system for the development and the church behind the development.  The Thames Water adoption hasn’t taken place as yet as we are finalising the legal documents between the church and the Council.   The drainage has been designed to an adoptable standard and is sufficient capacity for the site and the church therefore, once the paperwork is agreed between the 2 parties we do not anticipate any issues with Thames Water sign off.

The delay is due to following the practical completion on the site at the end of November, a defect was identified on the balcony areas of the new houses. The Council took legal advice on the sales programme and was advised to ‘pause’ the sales programme until the main contractor Claritas had identified the cause of the leak, advised their intended remediation plan and that this plan was then independently varied and approved by F & G (the Council’s agent) for the project.

Following an urgent meeting on site before Christmas the main contractor was instructed by the Councils project team to carry out investigation and dye tests on one of the of worst effected properties.  This happened in the first 2 weeks of January.    The Council met with the Managing Director of Claritas on Friday last week and we are expecting their remediation plan next week.”

New methods of paying for parking in Harrow borough.

Information on the changes to the methods of paying for on-street and car park parking from Harrow Council:

Cashlite Parking

The council is encouraging people to use cashless transactions to pay for its services.

Car parking is one of the areas affected, with suspension of traditional pay and display from late January.  One-hour-free parking will be introduced across all council car parking spaces at the same time.

The easiest way to register your parking session and get your free hour will be with the PayByPhone app – available from all app stores.

PayByPhone also offers text, call and online services. You can set up an account to use these at paybyphone.co.uk or by calling 0208 039 1101.

See more information including how-to guides at the PayByPhone website or YouTube channel 

When parking in the majority of our spaces the option to pay with cash will still be available.

This can be done via the network of PayPoint convenience stores. Details of the nearest one can be found on signage in car parks and near our on-street bays.

PayPoints offer ticketless parking, with no need to return to the car. You will need to quote your vehicle registration and the PayByPhone location number shown on nearby signage.

Where we’re not yet able to provide this facility within a five-minute walk, a pay and display machine accepting contactless card payments will be available instead.

Prior Approval Application for a telecom Mast and Equipment Boxes in Albury Drive Refused.

The Pinner Association, and a great many local residents, wrote objection letters regarding the “Prior Approval” planning application for the installation of a new 20 metre high telecom mast and associated equipment cabinets on a site in Albury Drive, on an Designated Open Space in the Pinnerwood Conservation Area.

We can now report that both this applications have been refused by Harrow Council’s Planning Officers, on the grounds of “The proposed telecommunications pole, by reason of its siting, excessive height and prominent location would be visually obtrusive in the streetscene, to the detriment of the character and appearance of the Pinnerwood Park Conservation Area and the Designated Open Space,” and “The proposed telecoms cabinets, by reason of quantity, height and siting would be visually obtrusive in the streetscene and designated Open Space and result in visual clutter which would detract from the amenity value of the Designated Open Space for local residents, to the detriment of the character and appearance of the Pinnerwood Park Conservation Area, the designated Open Space and residential amenities of local residents,”.

Harrow Council Civic Centre to close at end of January 2023.

From the end of January 2023 Harrow Civic Centre will close.

With 99% of “customer interactions” now online or over the phone, everyday in-person transactions from the end of January will move to Greenhill Library, off College Road. Staff there will offer residents help to do things digitally, including setting up cashless payments for rent, fines, Council Tax and more.

Complex and urgent in-person enquiries for housing and social care will move to a new customer reception, on Gayton Road in the town centre. Offices next door will become the new home of Citizens Advice Harrow.

From Spring 2023, registering of births, deaths and marriages will move to ‘The Pavilion’ – offices next door to Greenhill Library. Civil marriage and citizenship ceremonies will also be performed at The Pavilion.

The Mayors Parlour will relocate to Harrow Arts Centre and Council and committee meetings have already been relocated to new venues.

Most Council staff, including those who manage the thousands of digital interactions from residents, now use an office building at the Council’s depot on Forward Drive as their base.

For further information go to:  https://www.harrow.gov.uk/council/closing-harrow-civic-centre 

Current Scams in Circulation

Dear Watch Member,

Here is a brief summary of some scams in circulation. Please help to raise awareness of them by alerting friends and family.

Mobile phone offers: You receive a call from someone claiming to be from your mobile phone provider offering a big discount on a new phone. They then use your account details to purchase a new phone. The phone is delivered to you but the fraudster then calls you to say the wrong phone was sent. They arrange to collect it, but they then keep it for themselves.

WhatsApp messages: You receive a WhatsApp message claiming to be from your son or daughter. They say their phone is damaged and they urgently need money transferred to a bank account to arrange a replacement.

PayPal Request Money emails: You receive an email which uses PayPal’s Request Money feature. The wording is designed to look like a payment has already been made – this is to pressure you into clicking on the payment link. If you receive a PayPal email about a payment you were not expecting, treat it as suspicious and do not click on the “Pay Now” link in the email.

Be wary when selling goods online: Criminals target people selling phones or other valuables via online selling platforms. They contact you and arrange to buy the item from you via Bank Transfer. You receive an email claiming to be from a bank confirming that funds have been received but won’t be released until you provide proof of postage. You then post the item but the payment never arrives.
Alternatively, the fraudster offers to collect the item. When they arrive, they pay you using a convincing banking app. The app can mimic apps from several banks and seems to show the funds being transferred to your account.
We urge you not to release an item you are selling until you have independently confirmed that the money is in your account.
If you believe you are a victim of a scam, contact your bank immediately, and then report it online to www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.
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