Car selling scam

If you are selling your car via a classified advertisement or auction site, be aware of the following fraud scam:

Fraudsters may contact you through your advert, normally by text message and provide you with a link to a fraudulent website.

• The website may look professional and similar to the "original" website that you advertised on.
• It will explain that there is a ‘potential purchaser’ for your car.
• It will ask you to pay a small “arrangement” fee to ensure the purchase takes place by using an e-money method; which could be via UKASH or PAYSAFE vouchers, for example.
• It will instruct you to purchase the vouchers and may even provide you with a link to a list of the shops in your area that sell them. 
• You are then asked to input the unique codes from the e-money product that you have just purchased.
• Once inputted your money is gone!

Protect

However urgently you wish to sell your car, do not be misled because of a need to sell it!

• Do not pay an advanced fee for the sale of your vehicle.
• Meet face to face for an agreed sale and only accept cash

I've won the lottery

A lottery scam takes place when criminals pretend that you have won a prize, often a lottery.  The people most likely to fall victim to this tend to be over the age of 60 (although younger people do fall victim too) – but we know that it is often close family members of victims who spot the tell-tale signs of the fraud. 
 
Criminals will normally get in touch by letter or email and will try to engage you into dialogue with them.  Once they have convinced you that they are “genuine”, they will ask for a fee to be paid to release your winnings.  This fee could be to pay taxes or duty, or for a solicitor, banker or judge to authorise the transaction.  NO GENUINE LOTTERY WILL EVER ASK FOR ANY SORT OF FEE TO BE PAID.

Often this first fee will be small, but once they know you are willing to pay it they will ask for more and more money, with ever-changing excuses as to why they need it.  Victims can end up losing tens of thousands of pounds over the course of months or even years.
 
Many of you reading will be surprised that this type of crime takes place.  After all, why would anyone fall prey to scam like this when they never entered any such lottery in the first place?  Why would they have to pay money when they are supposed to have won millions of pounds?  The sad truth is that these criminals are incredibly persuasive and prey on people who are very trusting.  Therefore, even if you know that you would not get defrauded like this, please spread this message widely to friends, family and to people within your community.  
 
Prevention:

• If you have not entered a lottery or a prize draw, you have not won it.
• Delete any emails which detail you winning money or being in a position to make a fortune
• Spread the message amongst people you come into contact with, especially older people in your family, and look out for any unusual behaviour, for instance someone paying money via money service bureaux, like Western Union or MoneyGram, or buying Ukash vouchers.

Commercial premises

Thames Valley Police is asking local businesses in the South and Vale Local Police Area (LPA) to raise their awareness after a series of burglaries in which safes were targeted.

There have been three night-time burglaries in recent weeks which officers believe may be part of a series by the same offenders targeting commercial premises.

The first was in Uffington at about 1.15am on Thursday 16 October. Offenders gained entry by forcing the doors of the Post Office in Broad Street. Once inside, they conducted an untidy search and stole cigarettes and tobacco.

In the second, thieves targeted the Timpson store in the Marcham Road, Abingdon branch of Tesco. Between 6.50pm and 11.25pm on 17 October, offenders forced open the security door at the entrance of the store and then forced the till and the safe. They stole cash, an IPhone and two watches from the safe.

In the most recent offence, thieves forced open the back door of Sweet Fuels Ltd in Challow, near Wantage and stole a safe from the front office overnight between 20 and 21 October.

Inspector Mark Harling, Deputy LPA Commander for South and Vale, said: “We are linking these offences to a number of other offences that have occurred at Shrivenham, Rowstock and Chilton and believe that these are part of a broader series of offences that have been occurring in other parts of the Thames Valley and in other force areas including Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Hampshire.

“The criminals seem to be targeting commercial premises in remote areas, including industrial units and fast food outlets. The investigation into these offences is ongoing with a number of detectives working on the enquiry and liaising with surrounding police forces. Additional patrols have been allocated to the area and will continue until the offenders are identified.

“It is believed that the offenders are visiting the attacked premises prior the offences occurring in order to plan the burglary and we would therefore ask business owners to be vigilant and report any suspicious incidents or visitors to the police. We believe that the offenders may have access to 4x4 style vehicles and on some of the offences two similar 4x4 vehicles have been seen travelling in convoy away from the burglaries.

There are a number of steps business owners can take to help to prevent these offences, including not keeping cash on the premises overnight, making sure their CCTV is working and of a good quality, and using Smartwater to security mark their property. Our local neighbourhood teams and crime reduction advisors are available to visit businesses and give crime reduction advice and tips on how to improve security.

Anyone who has any information about the burglary or wants to report suspicious activity should contact Thames Valley Police via the non-emergency number, 101.

More Bogus Callers

We have received reports recently of some people posing as planning or building control officers to gain access to people's properties under the pretence they're looking into enforcement issues etc.  When challenged, they’ve said they were from “planning” and left immediately.

Planning officers can often turn up to a site unannounced, especially planning enforcement officers.  However, they will always have photo ID on them, and are always happy to be asked for it and to explain the reason for their visit.  Their identity can also be verified by calling the planning office on01491 823740 or by contacting the Customer Service Manager Duncan Grainge on 01491 823711or email: duncan.grainge@southandvale.gov.uk 

We would like to ask residents to be extra vigilant about this kind of activity and to ask for ID from anyone who visits unannounced from any organisation. Please report suspicious activity to the Police via the 24 hour non-emergency telephone number 101 or call 999 for crime in progress.

Bucking the trend

NFU Mutual’s rural crime survey for 2013 has shown that rural crime is down by 19 per cent across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire collectively.

Thames Valley Police is one of the few forces across the Country to have seen a decrease with national figures showing a 5.2 per cent increase in rural crime.

Last year Thames Valley Police made concentrated efforts to tackle rural crime by conducting intensive operations to tackle criminals who target the rural economy, improve security in the rural areas and gain the trust and confidence of the farming communities.

Officers learnt more about how the farming community work and now understand the impact rural crime has on business and livelihoods. The policing activities and new skills implemented throughout the last year are now business as usual for the whole Force and Thames Valley Police will continue to drive crime down further.

NFU Mutual’s Top 10 UK counties by estimated cost of rural crime in 2013: 

Cambridgeshire (£2.7m)
Lincolnshire (£2.3m)
Essex (£2.1m)
Kent (£1.8m)
Lancashire (£1.8m)
Suffolk (£1.5m)
North Yorkshire (£1.5m)
Leicestershire (£1.3m)
Co. Antrim (£1.2m)
Somerset (£1.2m)

In Thames Valley, Berkshire Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire showed a combined loss in 2013 of £1.7m

Door to door salesmen

I just had a white male, 30's light brown hair wearing a red jacket knock on my door trying to sell cleaning products.

He had a laminated I.D. 

He started off saying he had been a bad boy in the past but now.......

I stopped him there.

The I.D. If you look is a simple message anyone could write and print off, it's not an official I.D.

The one I showed him was, a police I.D. I then pointed out the sticker on my door saying I don't buy or sell at the door. He walked off mumbling under his breath.

If you get a visit today or in the future don't enter into a conversation with them, tell them you don't want anything and close the door. They are trying to con you.

White van man

I have received reports of an Asian male driving around the area attempting to sell fish or meat door to door. He's driving a small white van with "DCSolutions" possibly written on the side. He was last seen in the Forest Row area but has been seen in various other places too.

He will knock on doors and ask the occupier to come to the van to look at his goods for sale.

My advice is don't 

Tell him politely no thanks and close the door.

He may well have what he claims to be fresh produce in the van and that's what he will show you. What you get is not what you've seen, it's normally rotten, basically it's a con.

It's not a new one it's been happening for years all over the country. Originally they came from the Grimsby / Hull area but now everyone is trying their luck. 

Never buy anything from someone calling door to door. Only buy from a known supplier and then only if it's been pre arranged.

It's now the time of year we all try to get our gardens back up to scratch using the various gardening tools and equipment available. Don't leave it on show, make sure it's marked with your postcode in permanent ink, and lock it away after use. 

If you don't chances are someone in a white van will help themselves to it.