Vishing Fraud Alert

Fraud Alert from Serious Crime DirectorateVishing Fraud Alert

Please be aware of recent fraud activity that is targeting businesses within our Region.

The Fraud

Fraudsters are ringing up company wage clerks/finance directors claiming to be from Barclay’s Fraud department and gaining permission to remotely access the victim’s computer system.  This is on the pretence that their business account has been compromised.

The victim opens up the bank account, the fraudster then transfers the money into what they state will be the company’s new, none compromised account.  The funds are then automatically distributed in seconds.

Total regional losses have exceeded £1 million.

Protect your company

  • Do not be afraid to end cold calls.
  • Do not to assume a caller is genuine just because they hold some information about you. Criminals may already have got hold of some basic information about a potential victim, such as a name, address and account details to try to make the call appear legitimate.
  • If in any doubt hang up and call the bank yourself on numbers you know are genuine, however be sure to hang the phone up long enough to prevent the fraudster holding the line open.
  • NEVER call the bank back on the number the caller provides you.
  • The Bank will never call and ask for remote access to your computers or for passwords to access your accounts.

If you are a victim of “Vishing” call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online tool to report the fraud and receive a police crime reference number.

DI 3159 Lee Morton

Serious Economic Crime Unit

Phone Scam Warning

Beware Phone ScamSecond elderly victim tricked into handing over cash

Thieves running a telephone scam have now tricked £15,000 from elderly people in just two days last week.  On Monday, a woman in her 70s in Saffron Walden was tricked into handing over £5,000 and a man in his 70s in the Steeple Bumpstead area fell victim to the same scam, handing over £10,000 on Tuesday.

Six other people in Uttlesford, four at Saffron Walden,one at Clavering and one at Stansted Mountfitchet, were contacted within a short space of time on Monday afternoon. Fortunately they realised they were being targeted by tricksters, ended the calls and called the police.

More than 600 similar thefts and attempted thefts have been reported in Essex since the scam first came to light in January 2013 and similar crimes have been reported in the Met Police area and other counties.

More than 90 people in Essex have been tricked out of money and the total stolen is more than £325,000. Six people have been arrested in connection with the investigation.

In both cases this week, the victims were contacted by a man claiming to be a Metropolitan Police fraud squad officer based at Hammersmith who said he was investigating fraud at their respective banks. The trickster then claimed that he needed a large sum to be withdrawn from the local branches of the bank so that the banknotes could be forensically examined.

Fraudsters claim to be  Metropolitan Police Fraud Squad Officers!

Extensive publicity campaigns have been carried out across Essex to warn residents of the scam and although thefts have reduced, elderly and vulnerable people are still falling for the scam.

Most of the thefts or attempted thefts have been in the west and south of the county but there has been a sudden shift to the north and more rural communities of Uttlesford and Braintree districts.

Chief Inspector Richard Melton, the Uttlesford and Braintree district commander, said:

These are despicable crimes being carried out by thieves posing as police fraud officers, the very people they ought to be able to turn to and trust in exactly this sort of crime. Instead, they callously prey on the elderly and vulnerable and have no thought for how their victims might suffer from the loss of money that might have been saved over many years. It is vital that whenever people receive this sort of call they should put the phone down and call us, but on another phone or mobile. Part of the con involves keeping people on the line while they pretend to transfer calls to police officers or bank officials.

Report

Anyone with information about the thieves should contact the Operation Seaford team at Grays on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Advice

Police will never ask for your PIN.

If you think you have been a victim, call police from a different number.

If you don’t have another phone, use a neighbour’s, or wait five minutes before dialling 101 or 999 (if urgent).

Source

Essex Watch Liaison Officer

Drink Driving & other Xmas crimes?

Police Drink Driving poster

Drink Driving

Adam Pipe, the Casualty Reduction Manager at Essex Police is asking all Speedwatch groups, and other community-minded folks, for any  support they can give to the Xmas drink driving campaign.  Such support is always much appreciated and could help save lives. He says:

We always look to the support of the community in providing us with intelligence relating to possible known drink drivers within your communities and this information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

As always you can stay in touch with our daily operations via following my Twitter page @EPAdamPipe.

As their poster cautions – drink-driving can have devastating consequences, don’t take the chance, make sure you arrange your lift home in advance.

Seasonal Fraud On-line

Criminals are always present in our lives and Christmas is no exception.    The City of London Police recently issued a document detailing 12 top seasonal frauds being conducted on-line and how to protect yourself from them:

  1. Shopping On-line?  Beware bogus shopping sites – some may have nothing to deliver, others are shifting counterfeit goods;
  2. Auction Sites are safe aren’t they? Only if used in the safest way and using trusted sellers.
  3. Email links and attachments?  Click them at your peril
  4. Booking a holiday?  If the price seems too good to be true it probably is.
  5. E-card or e-virus?  Many e-cards are safe – but not all are!
  6. Social network special gifts & offers?  Often just trying to capture personal data with nothing to offer at all.
  7. It’s good to give to charity isn’t it?  Of course it is – but make sure it is a legitimate on-line donation.
  8. Paying on-line for presents and services?  Safe only as long as you take precautions.
  9. Transfer the money now to secure your purchase?  Despite the financial institution involved, the ‘seller’ might be running a scam.
  10. Voucher codes are good news?  Possibly, but open to fraud as criminals spread ‘ransomware’ viruses.
  11. Must-see event and cheap tickets?  They might only be cheap because they don’t exist.
  12. Paying with your mobile?  Highly convenient but subject to hacking if not careful.

Read more about how you can protect yourself in 12 Online Frauds of Christmas.

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