Inheritance Fraud

Inheritance fraud usually occurs when you are told that someone very rich has died and you are in line to receive a huge inheritance. A fraudster who claims to be a Business Relations Manager from an overseas bank or legal official contacts you through email or a letter stating that a person sharing your family name has died and left behind a vast amount of money. The fraudster suggests that as you share the same family name as the deceased, you can be the beneficiary of the estate and rather than handing any ‘Inheritance Tax’ over to the government you can split the inheritance with the fraudster.

The fraudster will emphasise the need for secrecy and warn you not to tell anyone else about the deal. To hurry you into making a hasty decision, they will also stress the need to act quickly.

If you respond to the fraudster, they will ask you to pay various fees – for example: taxes, legal fees, banking fees etc. – so they can release your non-existent inheritance. Each time you make a payment, the fraudsters will come up with a reason why the inheritance cannot be paid out unless you make another payment. If you ask, they will also give you reasons why the fees cannot be taken from your inheritance and have to be paid up front.

If you become reluctant to pay a fee or suggest you cannot afford it, the fraudsters will put pressure on you by reminding you how close you are to receiving a sum of money much greater than the fees you’ve already handed over, and of how much you’ve already paid out. The fraudsters may also ask for your bank details so they can pay the inheritance directly into your bank account. If you hand over your bank details, the fraudsters can use them to empty your account.

You could be a victim of inheritance fraud if:
 

• You’ve received an email or letter informing you that someone you may be related to has died without leaving a will and you may be in line to inherit.
• You’ve paid fees to ‘research specialists’ who offer to sell you an estate report that includes information on the inheritance and how you can claim it.

What should you do if you’re a victim of inheritance fraud?
 

• End all further contact with the fraudsters. Don’t send them any more money. Don’t give them your bank details.
• If you have already given the fraudsters your bank account details, alert your bank immediately.
• If you receive any threats from the fraudsters once you have stopped co-operating with them, alert the police immediately.
• Be aware that you’re now likely to be a target for other frauds. Fraudsters often share details about people they have successfully targeted or approached, using different identities to commit further frauds. People who have already fallen victim to fraudsters are particularly vulnerable to the fraud recovery fraud. This is when fraudsters contact people who’ve already lost money through fraud and claim to be law enforcement officers or lawyers. They’ll advise the victim that they can help them recover their lost money – but request a fee. 

Protect yourself against inheritance fraud

• Although there are legitimate companies who make a living by tracking down heirs, they do not do it in this way. If you are asked for a fee for a report, it is very likely to be bogus.
• Letters/documents provided by the fraudsters are generally badly written. Look out for spelling mistakes and poor grammar.
• Beware if you are asked to contact a webmail address such as @Yahoo or @Hotmail. As a rule, legitimate law firms do not use them.
• As in most cases of fraud, if the promise seems too good to be true, it most probably is.
• If you have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk

Email scam

Fraudsters are sending phishing texts and e-mail messages to members of the public, claiming to be from Apple. The messages typically state that the recipient’s iCloud or iTunes account is out of date and that they need to follow a link to avoid account suspension. Once the link has been followed, victims are prompted for personal information, such as their bank account details.

Protect Yourself:
 

• Don’t open web links contained in unsolicited texts or e-mails.
• Never provide your personal information to a third party from an unsolicited communication.
• If you have provided personal information and you are concerned that your identity may be compromised consider Cifas Protection Registration which can be found here: https://www.cifas.org.uk/protective_registration_form.
• If you receive what you believe to be a phishing message purporting to be from Apple, report it to reportphishing@apple.com

If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Red Kites

Thames Valley Police is appealing for information after two birds of prey were found injured in Oakley Wood, near Crowmarsh Gifford.

On 29 March an injured Red Kite was found, and another was found on 5 April, both in Oakley Wood.  The Red Kites are being cared for by TiggyWinkles, and X-rays have shown that both birds contain shotgun pellets.

Enquiries have revealed that on 22 March a dead Red Kite was found in Oakley  Wood but the cause of death is not known.

The Red Kite is afforded the highest degree of legal protection under the Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

It is an offence to take, injure or kill a Red Kite or to take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young. It is also an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb the birds close to their nest during the breeding season. Violation of the law can attract fines up to £5,000 per offence and/or a prison sentence of up to six months

Enquiries are ongoing, and officers would like to hear from anyone with information about the shooting of Red Kites in Oakley Wood.

PC Robert Searle, Wildlife Officer, said:

“Fortunately incidents of this nature are very rare in the Thames Valley and a thorough investigation is underway.

“The two birds were lucky to survive and I would like to thank Tiggywinkles for caring for the birds so well.

“I’m appealing to anyone who might have information that could assist us with our investigation.”

If you have any information about the incidents please call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101 quoting URN ‘372 06/04/16’.

If you do not want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers (opens new window) anonymously on 0800 555 111. No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Email fraudsters

Fraudsters are targeting members of the public who are expecting to make a payment for property repairs. The fraudsters, via email, will purport to be a tradesman who has recently completed work at the property and use a similar email address to that of the genuine tradesman. They will ask for funds to be transferred via bank transfer and once payment is made the victims of the fraud soon realise they have been deceived when the genuine tradesman requests payment for their services.

Protect Yourself:

• Always check the email address is exactly the same as previous correspondence with the genuine contact. 
• For any request of payment via email verify the validity of the request with a phone call to the person who carried out the work.
• Check the email for spelling and grammar as these signs can indicate that the email is not genuine.
• Payments via bank transfer offer no financial protection; consider using alternative methods such as a credit card or PayPal which offer some protection and avenue for recompense.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online at:  http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone on: 0300 123 2040.

Local burglaries

Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following burglaries in Benson, Roke Marsh, Cholsey and Wallingford.

Overnight between Saturday (6/2) and Sunday (7/2) two properties in Roke Marsh Roke, were burgled.

Offender(s) stole a 44” LG flat screen TV and two handbags.

At around 4.20am on Sunday (7/2), a property in The Cedars, Benson was burgled.  A male offender wearing a dark hooded top was disturbed and made off.

Entry was gained to the above properties via insecure doors.

Between 6.30am and 6.35pm, on Monday (8/2) a property in Station Road, Cholsey was burgled.

A safe, two Ipads, a DVD player and jewellery was stolen.

Between 8.30am and 6.20pm on (8/2) a property in Wantage Road, Wallingford was burgled.

Jewellery and cash was stolen.

Offender(s) jemmied front doors to gain entry.

Online Fraudsters

Fraudsters have set up a high specification website template advertising various electrical goods and domestic appliances. These goods are below market value and do not exist. The fraudsters will request your card details via the website; however the purchaser will then receive an email stating the payment failed and they must pay via bank transfer.

The fraudsters entice the purchaser and reassure them it is a legitimate purchase by using the widely recognised Trusted Shop Trustmark. The fraudsters are using the Trustmark fraudulently and have not been certified by Trusted Shops and therefore the purchaser is not covered by the Trusted Shop money-back guarantee. 

Protect yourself:

• Check the authenticity of the websites before making any purchases. Conduct a ‘whois’ search on the website which will identify when the website has been created, be wary of newly formed domains. You can conduct this search using the following website - https://who.is/.
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• Carry out online research in relation to the website, company name and the business address provided to identify any poor feedback or possible irregularities.
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• Check the Trusted Shops Facebook page where warnings about websites using their Trustmark are published. If you are in doubt about the legitimacy of a Trustmark then you can contact Trusted Shops on 0203 364 5906 or by email service@trustedshops.co.uk. They will confirm whether they have certified that website.
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• Payments made via bank transfer are not protected should you not received the item. Therefore always try to make the payment via PayPal or a credit card where you have some payment cover should you not receive your product.
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• If the item advertised seems too good to be true, then it probably is. 

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.

Council Tax Fraud

Fraudsters have been phoning victims telling them that they have been placed in the wrong council tax bracket for a number of years and are entitled to a rebate. They normally say that this rebate should be worth about £7,000. Once the victim is convinced, the fraudster tells them that in order to receive the rebate they will need to pay an administration fee in advance. The payment they ask for varies between £60–£350. The victim provides the details and makes the payment, but then is no longer able to make contact with the person they spoke to on the phone. When they phone their council about the rebate and the fact that they are in the wrong tax bracket, the council will confirm that they know nothing about it and that they have been contacted by fraudsters.

The fraudsters have mainly been targeting both male and female victims who are aged 60 and over and live in the Sussex area, but it is likely that the fraudsters will also start to target victims in other areas. 

Protect Yourself:

• Never respond to unsolicited phone calls.
• Your local council won’t ever phone out-of-the-blue to discuss a council tax rebate. If you receive a call of this nature, put the phone down straight away.
• No legitimate organisation will ask you to pay an advanced fee in order to receive money, so never give them your card details.
• If you think you have been a victim of fraud, hang up the phone and wait five minutes to clear the line as fraudsters sometimes keep the line open. Then call your bank or card issuer to report the fraud. Where it is possible use a different phone line to make the phone call.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.