We have been made aware that fraudsters are targeting the areas of Croydon, Bromley & Sutton, particularly using the technique of Courier Fraud.

What is Courier Fraud?
Courier fraud is a crime in which the criminal attends the home address of the victim to collect various things of value.

The criminal usually targets the victim’s debit cards, credit cards, cash and/or jewelry. Alternatively, criminals will often look to obtain any personal information they can from their target that they can use for further criminal activity.

The criminal often calls ahead and introduces themselves to the victim to convince them there is some sort of ‘problem’ which the victim can avert by giving over the aforementioned goods.

How do these criminals operate?
Most courier frauds usually begin with an unexpected phone call. The suspect will usually claim to be from one of the aforementioned professions. The phone call will normally concerns one of two scenarios:

Criminal Investigations – This will usually take the shape of a police officer telling their target that they are investigating some form of crime committed by bank staff, potentially staff trying to steal funds from the victims account.

Alternatively, this could take the shape of accusing the target of money laundering and requiring access to their account for proof of their innocence.

If someone calls you claiming to be a police officer, ask for their name and a warrant number. Hang up, call 101 on a different phone if you were called on a landline and check with the operator.

If a police officer attends your home, ask for their warrant card and check the back of it – a legitimate warrant card will have a hologram which is difficult for criminals to replicate.

Security Breach – This normally concerns criminals masquerading as bank staff, informing their target that their funds in their account are insecure and a third party is attempting to access them.

If the bank truly believe a customers account is being accessed by someone else, they will immediately lock the account. They do not need any personal information, or permission to do this.

Banks do not send members of their staff to go to your house to collect your cards/cash. Police do not offer this service, either.

How do I Protect Myself?

• Do not give out any information – Do not tell the individual anything about yourself or your passwords.
• Put down the phone – Do not engage further
• Call your bank on a number you know – Check the back of the card. If you received a call on your landline, call on a different phone. Criminals will often remain on a landline phone – they will not hang up and disconnect the call, so use a different phone to call your bank.
• Report the matter to police/Actionfraud. Use the ActionFraud website to contact them and report the fraud.

To protect vulnerable members of your family, TrueCall Secure Call Blocker has various levels of protection against receiving unwanted calls.

• Unlimited control for blocking incoming calls
• Can also block certain outgoing calls
• Can be setup to record all incoming telephone calls
• Control every aspect of the unit remotely using the web app, including listening to voicemails

Designed for older customers, it protects from nuisance and scam calls immediately.

If you have lost money/personal information

• Do not panic
• Inform your bank
• Contact police/actionfraud
• Cancel cards if necessary

Stop! Think Fraud is a new national campaign against fraud and has been developed by the Home Office, National Crime Agency (NCA), National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and in consultation with a wide range of other partners and external stakeholders.

It supports the delivery of the Fraud Strategy with a multi-channelled campaign aiming to increase the likelihood that people will take action and adopt behaviours that will prevent them falling victim to fraud.
Fraudsters aren’t fussy. They’ll pick on anyone.

Find out more at gov.uk/stopthinkfraud

The Little Media Series – A collection of books and videos created by the Metropolitan Police to explain some of the most common types of fraud and gives advice on how to avoid becoming a victim. https://www.met.police.uk/littlemedia/

Fraudulent Insurance Brokers on Social Media
“Ghost brokers” often sell false policies to drivers on social media, manipulate
information given to genuine insurance companies, or take out insurance and cancel it straight away. This leaves people without valid car insurance, which is illegal.

Victims are lured in by genuine-looking websites and are sent professional-looking invoices. They receive insurance documents that appear to be real.

Police say young drivers are most likely to be targeted by ghost brokers, partly because they are often looking to reduce their insurance costs.

People only discover they are uninsured when they either try to make a claim or police check the insurance details.

Detective Superintendent Tom Hill, head of the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, said social media is behind this increase: “There are limited barriers to entry for social media accounts to be set up so people can take out car insurance and spread the word quite widely.
“Do your research and make sure you’re dealing with a genuine broker or genuine insurance company. If the conversation has been moved on to WhatsApp, for example, alarm bells should be ringing”.

In 2024, victims of ghost broking lost an average of £2,206. Victims lose money to the scam and then have to pay additional costs to repair their cars after an accident. They could also face criminal charges, a fine or licence points if found to be driving without valid insurance.

Source article from Sky News – link below:
‘Ghost broking’: Reports of scammers selling fake car insurance rise by 30% over five years | UK News | Sky News

• Please ensure the company you are dealing with is genuine.
• Avoid adverts that pop up on social media.
• Use well known comparison sites to get quotes for insurance.

If you have been scammed or duped into contracting with a business or a trader and parted with money, please report to Citizens Advice Consumer Advice Line on 0808 223 1133 or go to the following website to report online: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/

Email: SNMailbox.ShirleyNorthSNT@met.police.uk
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With Christmas in the rear lights and dismal January upon us, now is the time that many householders are looking to cheer themselves up – whether booking the Summer holiday, perhaps looking at home improvements or upgrading the car, or indeed looking at anything which involves expenditure.

It would be nice to think that scammers take a rest from their plotting, but sadly that is not the case. So, normal rules apply when looking to recognise a scam –

• Is it too good to be true – for example, a holiday that’s much cheaper than you’d expect
• someone who claims to know you contacting you unexpectedly
• are you actually dealing with a real company – for example, if there’s no postal address
• you have been asked to transfer money quickly, often with the suggestion that otherwise you will lose your “bargain”.
• you have been asked to pay in an unusual way – for example, by iTunes vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union
• you have been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
• you have not received any written confirmation of what’s been agreed

The use of the word scam can sometimes make light of an offence, but when we talk of scammers let there be no mistake that what they are doing is committing fraud.

Recently, regulations covering what is known as Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud have formalised what banks and financial institutions must do when consumers are tricked by a criminal into sending money by bank payment to an account that they control and which you do not.

APP covers areas such as –

• purchase fraud, where criminals pretend to sell things that don’t exist.
• impersonation fraud, where criminals claim to be someone from a bank, the police or another trusted organisation to steal money.
• investment fraud, where you’re convinced to move your money into a fictitious fund or to pay for what later turns out to be a fake investment.
• romance fraud, when criminals use a fake dating profile to start a relationship with you and then ask for money.
• invoice fraud, where fraudsters send false invoices.

A guide on APP fraud with the rules on how banks and other payment service providers reimburse victims can be found at the website www.ukfinance.org.uk and a link to it can be found below –

https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/2024-10/Consumer%20Guide%2020pp%20A5%20Screen%20Reader_14%20October%202024.pdf

However, although consumers have these protections there is also an expectation that they will take all reasonable precautions to protect themselves from becoming a victim of APP fraud by a scammer.

Most of those precautions are as detailed above, but of particular importance are taking heed of the automated bank warnings given in circumstances where consumers are making online payments to someone new.

If you feel you have been scammed, in addition to the above details, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk.

Further advice can be obtained by emailing trading.standards@croydon.gov.uk

With Christmas fast approaching, the excitement of finding the perfect toys for children fills the air.

However, while you’re busy contemplating the latest trends and most desired gifts, it’s crucial to prioritize safety. This guide will help you navigate key advice to ensure that your purchases are not only fun but also safe for your little ones.

In the UK, the General Product Safety Regulations 1994 lay the groundwork for ensuring that toys and other products are safe for consumer use. Under these regulations, manufacturers are required to make sure their products are safe before they reach the market. As a shopper, you should look for signs that the manufacturer is compliant with these regulations.

Key things to consider include:

• Product Labels: Ensure the toys come with proper labelling that indicates compliance with safety regulations.
• Safety Warnings: Pay attention to any warnings regarding age suitability. Toys designed for older children may not be safe for younger ones.

Toy Safety Regulations 2011
In addition to the general safety regulations, the Toy Safety Regulations 2011 provide more specific guidelines about toys. These regulations set strict safety standards that all toys sold in the UK must adhere to.

To stay informed, you should look for toys that:

• Meet British or European Standards: If a toy carries the BS EN 71 mark, you can be assured it has passed safety tests specifically designed for toys.
• Have no Small Parts: For children under three, avoid toys with small parts that can present a choking hazard.

This applies to both toys bought in a shop or online