Local News and Events
£80k stolen by fraudsters posing as police
| Fraudsters posing as police officers and company officials have been contacting residents in Hertfordshire in recent weeks. Since the beginning of October fraudsters have managed to scam victims out of more than £80,000, by posing as police officers and asking them to hand over their bank cards or cash to couriers. · A Harpenden resident handed over £40,000 to a courier after a call from a ‘police officer’. · Another resident in Harpenden lost more £45,000 after receiving a call from someone claiming to be from John Lewis’ credit card team. · Two Hemel Hempstead residents lost £10,000 and £5,000 respectively after receiving calls from bogus police officers. · A Watford resident lost £4,700 after a ‘police officer’ called saying they needed to check serial numbers on bank notes. · Another Watford resident lost £1,870 after a call from a ‘police officer’ asking for banks cards to be handed over to a courier. · Residents from Kings Langley and St Albans were also contacted but reported no losses. Detective Inspector Katy Jackson, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “These kinds of scams usually involve the victim receiving a telephone call, either from a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer or bank official and informing them of fraudulent activity on their account. The victims are then instructed to withdraw cash, purchase high value items or place their bank cards and PINs in an envelope. These might then be collected by legitimate couriers or taxis which have been arranged by the fraudsters or by the fraudsters themselves pretending to be couriers. The bank cards are later used by the fraudsters to purchase high value items or withdraw cash. “Usually, the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their personal and bank details. However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent, which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds.” If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that your bank and the police would: · NEVER ask for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone, so do not disclose these to anyone, no matter who they claim to be. · NEVER ask you to withdraw money or purchase high value items and send it to them via a courier, taxi or by any other means. · NEVER ask you to send your bank cards, or any other personal property, to them via courier, taxi or by any other means. If you are not happy with a phone call and are suspicious of the conversation you have with the caller, then please end the call and dial 101 or report online herts.police.uk/report. In an emergency or if a crime is in progress call 999 immediately. Remember, scammers can hold the telephone line open and often advise you to call 999 to give you a false sense of security. · If you receive a suspicious call, avoid redialling any number they provide. · Always try to use a different device when making a follow up call. · Call a trusted friend/family member. If they answer and you recognise their voice, the line has been cleared. If you have concerns about your bank account, visit your local branch. How to protect yourself: Remember to follow the above advice. In addition to this, some phone companies offer call screening services that can be effective in blocking marketing cold calls and bogus callers. Contact your phone company and ask about call screening and caller display services. How can you help? · Please share this information with your older relatives and friends: this crime has a devastating effect on people and we need to raise awareness to prevent further people becoming victims. · Report any calls you believe are suspicious as we may be able to trace where the calls are originating from. Please remember, to wait at least five minutes before calling police or use a mobile or neighbour’s phone. · Report suspicious activity at cash points. If you see someone spending a long time at a cashpoint, using a number of different cards and have a hood up or their faces covered, contact police immediately. Often offenders will use cashpoints in the early hours. If you believe that you are a victim of fraud or cybercrime please contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to report. If a crime is in progress or someone’s life is in danger, call 999 immediately. |
Festive grant
| The 2024 winter celebration grant programme has been set up for local organisations and groups within the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise sector, as well as for parish and town councils in Hertfordshire, to contribute towards the cost of hosting community events and social celebrations through December 24 to the end of January 25, providing celebration opportunities this winter for all. This funding ( to a maximum of £500 per organisation) could cover venue and food/energy costs, including transport to and from community venues for those who are isolated or living with a disability , with the events helping to bring people together and reduce loneliness whilst combatting food poverty at the same time. The aim of these events is to support Hertfordshire residents with the cost of living by reaching out to communities across the county and reaching those in most need to have some food and to socialise together in a safe, welcoming environment. If you would like to apply, please complete the attached Winter celebration grant application form. Please return your application by Monday 18th November 2024 to tracy.webber@hertfordshire.gov.uk Unfortunately, we are unable to consider applications submitted after this date. Outcomes of applications will be announced on 20th November 2024. |
Help bring seasonal cheer to Hertsmere
| Children are being asked to help spread some seasonal cheer by entering our annual seasonal card competition. We are looking for a cheerful festive design to be used on its electronic greeting card. Designs can represent religious festivals or aspects of the season. Entries from youngsters aged 11 or below who live or go to school in the borough are invited and must be submitted before Friday 18 October. Winners will receive a certificate and a £50 gift voucher. Second and third place winners will receive a certificate and a £30 and £20 gift voucher respectively. A prizegiving ceremony with the Mayor will take place in our Civic Offices. Invitations have been sent to all the primary and junior schools in the borough to encourage participation in the competition. The winning design will be reproduced by a designer and also replicated on our website and social media channels. Entries should be sent to Corporate Communications, Seasonal card competition, Hertsmere Borough Council, Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, WD1 6WA. Please note each entry must include the full name and age of the participant, the school they attend and a contact number. Find out full details on how to enter here.  |
Warning after residents targeted by fraudsters posing as police
| Fraudsters posing as police officers have been contacting residents in Hertfordshire in recent weeks. Since the beginning of August fraudsters managed to scam victims out of more than £135,000, by posing as police officers and asking them to hand over their bank cards or cash to a courier. One resident from Bishop’s Stortford suffered a substantial loss of more than £110,000. These kinds of scams usually involve the victim receiving a telephone call, from a mobile or a landline number, with someone posing as a police officer or bank official and informing them of fraudulent activity on their bank account. The victims are then instructed to put their bank cards and/or money into an envelope and give it to a courier or taxi, which is sent to their home by the offenders. In some cases the victim may be asked to buy goods or vouchers. If bank cards are collected, they can be used later by the offenders to withdraw large sums of money. The offenders may also ask the victim to disclose their bank details, including their account and PIN numbers, to aid the bogus investigation. Detective Inspector Katy Jackson, from the Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit, said: “While number of courier fraud offences reported has dropped from last year, more than £190,000 has still been lost by victims this year. It’s important to remember that police officers and bank officials will never ask you for sensitive information, like a PIN or ask you to purchase high value items to assist them with an enquiry. “Usually, the intended victim realises the call is not genuine and refuses to part with their personal and bank details. However, these fraudsters can be very persuasive and insistent, which has resulted in some people falling victim to this scam and subsequently losing thousands of pounds.” If you receive a call you’re not expecting, you should be suspicious. The vital things to remember are that your bank and the police would: · NEVER ask for your bank account details or PIN number over the phone, so do not disclose these to anyone, no matter who they claim to be. · NEVER ask you to withdraw money or purchase high value items and send it to them via a courier, taxi or by any other means. · NEVER ask you to send your bank cards, or any other personal property, to them via courier, taxi or by any other means. If you are not happy with a phone call and are suspicious of the conversation you have with the caller then please end the call and dial 101 or report online herts.police.uk/report. In an emergency or if a crime is in progress call 999 immediately. Remember, when reporting a suspicious phone call to police, wait at least five minutes before attempting to make the call to ensure you’re not reconnected to the offender. Alternatively, use a mobile phone or a neighbour’s phone or test your landline by phoning a friend or relative first, to ensure you aren’t still unwittingly connected to the offender. If you have concerns about your bank account, visit your local branch. How to protect yourself: Remember to follow the above advice. In addition to this, some phone companies offer call screening services that can be effective in blocking marketing cold calls and bogus callers. Contact your phone company and ask about call screening and caller display services. How can you help? · Please share this information with your older relatives and friends: this crime has a devastating effect on people and we need to raise awareness to prevent further people becoming victims. · Report any calls you believe are suspicious as we may be able to trace where the calls are originating from. Please remember, to wait at least five minutes before calling police or use a mobile or neighbour’s phone. · Report suspicious activity at cash points. If you see someone spending a long time at a cashpoint, using a number of different cards and have a hood up or their faces covered, contact police immediately. Often offenders will use cashpoints in the early hours. If you believe you may have been a victim of a similar fraud – please report the details to Action Fraud online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040. |
Warning issued over scam text message
| Residents are being warned to be on their guard against a scam text message relating to the payment of an outstanding parking Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). Hertsmere Borough Council’s Parking Services Team have received a number of complaints from local people, and is keen to raise wider awareness of the scam. Trading standards officials say that where the rules of a car park are genuinely broken, the registered keeper of the vehicle involved will receive a letter and not a text, because vehicles are registered to addresses not phone numbers. The scam text message states only that the recipient has received a PCN issued by ‘a local council’ and provides no further detail. It says that 28 days is allowed for payment of the fine, but warns it will increase by 50% if it isn’t paid within this time. It then states that if the person does not pay, they will be prosecuted. A web link embedded within the text takes recipients to a fake website. No details are provided about the location of the alleged contravention when a vehicle’s registration number is entered. The payment page is live, however, and ready to take people’s money. Trading standards officials advise people to forward the message on to 7726, OFCOM’s scam call and text message reporting facility, and then delete it. Guidance on how to forward details to OFCOM can be found here. Read our full news article |
