Scams in all forms are becoming ever more sophisticated and devious but my very recent experience was so blatant and challenging that I feel compelled to relay it to our local residents in order to be even more on their guard, particularly as this was very much on our home ground.

A telephone call was made to us by an individual claiming to be a local police officer from Croydon Police Station saying that my husband’s and my credit/debit cards had been targeted/cloned. My husband, who took the call initially, suspected a possible scam but nevertheless checked to see if his cards were still in his possession, as the call was so convincing.

With the caller still on the line I took over and asked exactly who he was. With no hesitation he said he was DC Gilbert from Croydon Police and when I asked for his number he gave it as 7296 PP. He came over as a young man with no accent, confident and authoritative, even to the extent that he immediately corrected me when I thought he said he was a PC!

His manner was aggressive in that I was disbelieving in him as a police officer. He then said to press a number, I think no. 9, on my telephone and then to call 999. (This is an old trick whereby the call is not cut off and the scammer’s associates come into play to confirm that the nature of the call is genuine). At this juncture I confronted the caller by saying I was sure he was a scammer and replaced the ‘phone. I must stress that this was the most blatant and convincing scammer that I have come across.

I did follow up by calling the police 101 number and relayed all this to an officer there in the chance that there was an actual officer with that name and number in existence and that he may have been cloned. This was fully checked out but there was no such police officer within the Met.Police, confirming that it was indeed a scam. I must add that the 101 officer was most grateful for the information as well as being very courteous and reassuring.

These villains don’t care who they target or how it leaves their victims, either by losing often an extortionate amount of money or by being subsequently badly affected emotionally.

Please take care and, I’m afraid, be very much on your guard.

– Joan Pring
(Police Liaison)

REMEMBER:

• Always verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a police officer.
• Never share personal or financial information over the phone.
• Report any suspicious activity immediately.

Report fraud and cyber crime to Action Fraud
Online – actionfraud.police.uk
By phone – 0300 123 2040

Authorised push payment (APP) fraud happens when you are tricked by a criminal into sending money by bank payment to an account that they control and which you do not.

Rules have been set by the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), the body that regulates payment systems in the UK – and apply to payments made on, or after 7 October 2024.

Every year thousands of people and businesses are victims of APP fraud. Common types of APP fraud include:

• Purchase fraud – where criminals pretend to sell things or services that do not exist or are not provided.
• Impersonation fraud – where criminals pretend to be from a bank, the police, or another trusted organisation to steal money.
• Investment fraud, where you are convinced to invest in a fake investment.
• Romance fraud, when criminals use fake dating profiles to start a relationship and ask for money.
• Invoice fraud, where fraudsters send false invoices.

There are separate rules for reimbursing unauthorised fraud, including credit and debit card fraud, and you should seek advice in this instance.

Contact your bank or building society immediately if you spot any transactions that you do not recognise or where you believe you have been a victim of APP fraud to enquire about being reimbursed via the APP Reimbursement Rules.

For more information please use the specific link below:
Authorised Push Payment Fraud Reimbursement | UK Finance
UK Finance website: www.ukfinance.org.uk
If you have been scammed or duped into contracting with a business or a trader and parted with money, and require advice, 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/

Thousands of music, sports and other fans resort to social media and online marketplaces when the tickets they want have sold out. Many advertisements are genuine, but many others are not, with buyers facing losing both their money and the chance to see their event.

With recent sell-out concerts like Glastonbury, Taylor Swift, Oasis as well as the Euro 2024 football championships in Germany, to protect yourself when buying tickets make sure you:

• Buy tickets only from the venue’s box office, promoter, official agent, or reputable ticket exchange site.
• When possible, pay for tickets by credit card for increased protection over other payment methods.
• Never pay a company or someone you don’t know for tickets by bank transfer. The responsibility for losses lies with you, and your bank isn’t obliged to give you your money back.
• Before buying tickets online check that the website is genuine (carefully enter the address yourself, not from a link) and secure (‘https’ and a locked padlock) and log out when you’re done. Check the site at: www.getsafeonline.org/checkawebsite

If you think you’ve been a victim of ticket fraud, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.

It is that time of the year again when we all look forward to our holidays, but some planning can ensure that all aspects run smoothly, particularly if travelling abroad.

Having arrived at their destination, many tourists pick up a car for all or some of the holiday. Convenient as this is, potential traps lay in wait, of which the earliest may be as a result of a delay in your flight, in which case some companies may charge for late pick up of the car or worse, give your car away, and then charge you for the higher “walk-up rates”.

To try and avoid these surprises, make sure to include your flight details and pick-up time when you book, so the staff can anticipate delays. It’s also a good idea to directly inform the rental company if you know you’ll be arriving late.

The next minefield is insurance. Although in Europe, car hire should always include the basic cover of damage, theft and third-party liability, there is invariably offered an extremely high excess fee which hirers hope will encourage tourists to take out the extra travel insurance.

However, while in Europe there’s no legal requirement to buy extra insurance, and you can get your own excess insurance from a third party instead. There are various specialist insurers in the UK who will offer these policies, but just make sure that they cover all eventualities.

When you are arranging to hire a car, look for hirers offering full tank on pick-up, with full tank on drop off. With petrol stations invariably in the neighbourhood of airports, this by far both saves money and prevents disputes with potential penalties, as compared with, for example, empty to empty.

It is, however, disputes over supposedly damaged cars which often lead to a sting in the tale at the end of the holiday. Most hire car companies these days give consumers a report on the condition of the car, itemising all scratches and dents. There is usually a hard copy, although many companies send it digitally to your email address. Make sure that you have looked at this and agreed the condition before you set off.

If there are problems, they invariably occur when the car is dropped off, usually at the airport. Ideally, the car should be checked in your presence to agree any issues. In practice, issues such as busy car hire locations and time pressures to catch your flight, mean that often there is practically no ability to do this. In some cases, if you are dropping the car out of hours, then it is impossible to do so.

As a minimum, make sure you have videoed the condition of the car before you leave. This is particularly important if you are unfortunate enough subsequently to receive an email from the hirers claiming that the car has been damaged whilst in your care. Some companies may try and charge for alleged dents and scratches (when, often given the condition of the car when picked up, indicates that they have no intention of repairing the car).

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to challenge these claims and the previous routes available when the UK was in the EU are no longer available. However, you should contact your card company making them aware of the issue and that you wish to challenge the claim. Often, online reviews of a business may show similar complaints by other consumers to support your contention.

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

To report a suspected crime, or if you have fallen victim to fraud or cyber-crime, contact Action Fraud via its website or by calling 0300 123 2040.