Author Topic: North Wales Community Alert  (Read 75322 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #45 on: November 17, 2021, 09:49:02 am »
Remember to be vigilant for the latest crime trend happening via text message or WhatsApp- "mum/dad, I've lost my phone - can you transfer money to this account XXXX XXXXXX to help me out"

It's likely to be a scam! Always verify any requests for money or gift cards directly with the person making the request before doing anything else.

#NWPCyberSafe

Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #46 on: November 19, 2021, 12:30:22 pm »
It is Operation Sceptre Week, the national week of action which runs from 15th – 21st November, and brings all 43 police forces and British Transport Police together for a coordinated period of intensification to tackle knife crime. As part of this, I have been conducting assembly presentations in our secondary schools raising awareness of knives and knife crime, and what to do if young people are involved or know people who are.

If you have concerns about someone you know or care about, who is carrying or hiding a knife call the Police on 101 or CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, or the Fearless campaign website https://www.fearless.org/en/give-info . Always dial 999 in an emergency.

Amnesty Bins:
Unwanted knives can be disposed of in special amnesty bins which are permanently placed at the following police station front counters:

Wrexham
Mold
Rhyl
Llandudno
Colwyn Bay
Bangor
Caernarfon
Holyhead

Amnesty bins will also be located at Mochdre, Abergele, Denbigh and Ruthin Recycling Centres from Friday 12th November.

Social media users can follow the campaign via the #OpSceptre hashtag.


Safer Internet Day 2022 Competition

To celebrate Safer Internet Day 2022, we are running a film competition for children and young people based on the theme ‘Respect me. My internet, my rights’. The competition aims to encourage children and young people to express their creativity and share their understanding of digital resilience online with a short film that highlights the importance of being respectful of others online. Find out more in the Keeping Safe Online area of Hwb. https://hwb.gov.wales/zones/keeping-safe-online/safer-internet-day/safer-internet-day-2022-film-competition/

Message Sent By
PC 2458 Manus Sheridan
North Wales Police, School Community Police Officer.


Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #47 on: November 20, 2021, 09:47:02 am »
Criminals often target online shoppers during November especially with Black Friday and Cyber Monday around the corner!

Purchase scams take place online when criminals trick people into paying for goods and services that don’t exist.

They often advertise on auction sites or social media, with images taken from genuine sellers’ to convince you they’re the real deal.

Remember to always be wary of “too good to be true” deals.

How to spot a purchase scam:

⚠️You’re offered a heavily discounted or considerably cheaper than usual service or product. The deal sounds too good to be true.

⚠️You’re asked to pay by bank transfer instead of using the online platform’s secure payment options.

⚠️You receive a fake email receipt/invoice that appears to be from the website you’ve purchased from or the payment service used to make your purchase – the email address domain doesn’t match that of the genuine sender’s.

⚠️The website that you’re purchasing from was only launched days/weeks ago.

Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)


OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS UNTIL 10TH DECEMBER 2021
Local community groups in North Wales are being urged to bid for a share of a £60,000 pot of money seized from crooks.


Launched by North Wales Police, Police Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT)  the Your Community Your Choice fund will be used to recycle the ill-gotten gains of criminals and invested in community projects across the region.

Three community groups in each county in North Wales will receive up to £2,500 each whilst there will be three £5,000 grants available for organisations working across three or more counties.

We are encouraging groups to submit applications runs until 10th December 2021, with the winners being chosen by a public poll in the new year.

To download an Application Pack please go to one of the following websites:

North Wales Police website: Your Community Your Choice 2021/22 | North Wales Police

Commissioner’s website: Local crime busters urged to apply for cash (northwales-pcc.gov.uk)

PACT website Your Community Your Choice 2021/22 | North Wales Police and Community Trust (pactnorthwales.co.uk)

Completed applications must be returned by e-mail to yourcommunityyourchoice@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 5pm on the closing date of 10th December 2021.

Attachments
Eich Cymuned Eich Dewis 2021-22 pecyn cais PDF.pdf
Your Community Your Choice 2021-22 application pack PDF.pdf

Message Sent By
Dave Evans
(North Wales Police, PACT Project Manager , North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #48 on: November 23, 2021, 09:16:37 am »
Please take a few minutes to think about checking your home security -

It may not seem obvious, but protecting your garden and outbuildings like sheds not only keeps bikes and other valuables safe, but can also stop burglars accessing tools to get into your home.

House diagram showing where planting and fences can help protect your house   
Low front boundary; keep hedges and walls at the front of your house low (under one metre) so burglars have nowhere to hide.
Secure side gate; keep side gates locked at all times. Open gates mean burglars can easily access your home without being seen by passers-by or neighbours.
High side and rear boundaries with trellis and spiky defensive planting; keep hedges, walls and fences around your back garden high (over 1.8 metres). Add lightweight trellis to gates and fences and plant some prickly plants to make it harder for burglars to climb over.
Gravel driveway and path; gravel driveways and paths make it harder for burglars to go undetected.
Security light; install an outside security light so that intruders can’t approach without being seen.
Intruder alarm system; install a burglar alarm system.
Secure your shed; always keep your shed locked and secured, and make sure it is anchored down to prevent it from being lifted in order to gain access. Often sheds contain valuables such as power tools and bicycles.
Never leave tools lying around; never leave tools lying around as they can be used as a way of breaking into your home.
If you have any information about a crime that has taken place please contact the police on 101 or via webchat on the following link: https://www.northwales.police.uk/
Thank you and Stay Safe

Message Sent By
christopher livesey
(North Wales Police, Community Safety PCSO, Central)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #49 on: November 24, 2021, 10:42:51 am »
Top tips to shop online securely this Christmas
Online shopping scams cost shoppers £15.4 million over the Christmas period last year.

New data from Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, reveals that 28,049 shoppers were conned out of their money when shopping online over the Christmas period last year – an increase of almost two thirds (61 per cent) when compared to the same period in the previous year.

Ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Action Fraud is warning the public to take extra care when shopping online as reports of online shopping fraud have continued to surge. Here are some simple tips to help you and your family enjoy a secure online shopping experience this festive season.

Where to shop
Buying from an online store you haven’t used before? Carry out some research first, or ask a friend or family member if they’ve used the site and about their experiences before completing the purchase.

Your information
Only create an account if necessary or to save you effort if you’re going to use that site a lot in the future. Be cautious if the website asks you for details that are not required for your purchase, such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of your primary school.

Payment method
When it's time to pay for your items, check there's a 'closed padlock' icon in the browser's address bar. Use a credit card when shopping online, if you have one. Most major credit card providers protect online purchases.

Phishing
Some of the messages you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. If you’re unsure about a link, don’t use the it – go separately to the website. Report suspicious emails you receive by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to: 7726.

Email accounts:
Make sure that your really important accounts (such as your email account or online shopping accounts) are protected by strong passwords that you don't use anywhere else.

Need help changing your email account password? You can use these links to find step by step instructions: Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Outlook, BT, AOL Mail.

If things go wrong
If you've lost money to an online shopping scam, tell your bank and report it as a crime to Action Fraud (for England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Police Scotland (for Scotland). By doing this, you'll be helping to prevent others becoming victims of cyber crime.

For more of the government’s latest advice on how to stay secure online, visit the Cyber Aware website: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware

Thanks for reading! If you found this information useful, please spread the word by forwarding this to your friends.

Message Sent By
Action Fraud
(Action Fraud, Administrator, National)


Action Fraud have reported a dramatic increase in Advance Fee Lottery Frauds over recent months. Over £925,000 has been lost by victims over the last 6 months.
Victims have reported losing an average of just over £1,500 with 70% of victims aged 50 or over.

Lottery fraud occurs when criminals use fake messages and calls to convince a person that they have won a lottery or a prize draw. The victim is then informed that they will need to pay an advance “fee” in order to receive the winnings.

STOP: Unsolicited offers of large sums of money in return for a small upfront payment should always raise a red flag. Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.

CHALLENGE: Could it be fake? After all, you can’t win a prize in a competition you didn’t enter. Remember, it’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

PROTECT: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.

Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #50 on: November 25, 2021, 10:10:43 am »
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are great opportunities to grab a bargain.
However, criminals take advantage of our keenness to bag a bargain to scam us.

Remember to avoid those who encourage/push you to make payments outside of normal secure payment options.

⚠️Do your research and read online reviews to check websites and sellers are genuine

⚠️Where possible, use a credit card when making purchases over £100 and up to £30,000 as you receive protection under Section 75 of the Credit Consumer Act.

You could get your money back if:
The product or service is faulty
The company you bought the product or service from breaks their contract with you
The company you bought the product or service from does not deliver what they have promised.

Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)


Do you own a shed?
We have had numerous reports over the last few weeks of sheds being broken into in Conwy and Denbighshire.

Take a look in the link below for some good advice on how to better secure your shed.
https://www.northwales.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/secure-shed-garage/

Message Sent By
christopher livesey
North Wales Police, Community Safety PCSO

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #51 on: November 26, 2021, 10:02:50 am »
TWO WEEKS REMAINING TO APPLY

OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS UNTIL 10TH DECEMBER 2021

Local community groups in North Wales are being urged to bid for a share of a £60,000 pot of money seized from crooks.

Launched by North Wales Police, Police Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT)  the Your Community Your Choice fund will be used to recycle the ill-gotten gains of criminals and invested in community projects across the region.

Three community groups in each county in North Wales will receive up to £2,500 each whilst there will be three £5,000 grants available for organisations working across three or more counties.

We are encouraging groups to submit applications runs until 10th December 2021, with the winners being chosen by a public poll in the new year.

To download an Application Pack please go to one of the following websites:

North Wales Police website: Your Community Your Choice 2021/22 | North Wales Police

Commissioner’s website: Local crime busters urged to apply for cash (northwales-pcc.gov.uk)

PACT website Your Community Your Choice 2021/22 | North Wales Police and Community Trust (pactnorthwales.co.uk)

Completed applications must be returned by e-mail to yourcommunityyourchoice@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 5pm on the closing date of 10th December 2021.

Attachments
Eich Cymuned Eich Dewis 2021-22 pecyn cais PDF.pdf
Your Community Your Choice 2021-22 application pack PDF.pdf

Message Sent By
Dave Evans
(North Wales Police, PACT Project Manager , North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #52 on: November 27, 2021, 10:12:41 am »
Booking tickets for the festive season this year?

Tickets for the popular concerts, shows and gigs often sell out quickly. With many big artists announcing shows recently Fraudsters will look to exploit the demand for tickets by setting up fraudulent websites that look convincing or by selling non-existent tickets through online forums and social media.

It is safest to buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known and reputable ticket site. Don’t be tempted by people reselling tickets online or social media. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

 Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)


Helping everyone to report harmful content online   https://reportharmfulcontent.com/?lang=en

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #53 on: November 28, 2021, 09:56:17 am »
We at North Wales Police hope you are all OK following last night's storm.

Please don't fall foul of rogue traders taking advantage of potential damage that may have been caused to your property.

Opportunist criminals are known to target people following events like this, convincing property owners that urgent work is needed on their property to prevent further damage.

They may offer to go onto your roof for you and following inspection tell you that serious damage has occurred and you need to act immediately to prevent further damage.  They are aware their claims won't be clarified as most people will not be able to go up on their roof to inspect themselves, and if not using proper equipment can actually damage a good roof by climbing on it.

If you believe that damage has been caused to your property please use reputable, qualified tradesmen, get three quotes and remember reputable tradesmen don't cold call for business as they are  usually very busy.

Never feel pressured into having the work carried out there and then, most insurance companies will cover damage with a smaller excess than rogue traders will charge. Often they will increase prices midway through their work as further damage is uncovered.  The majority of work will not be necessary there and then, rogue traders are professional businessmen their aim to get as much money out of you, they will use a lot of tricks to do this.  Never pay by cash.

Please share this message with your friends, family and neighbours and report any suspicious activity in your area.

More crime prevention information can be found on the North Wales Police website by using this link

Crime prevention advice | North Wales Police

Alternatively you can contact your local trading standards department who will have a list of qualified trusted local tradesmen and women.

Stay safe

Sgt Sue Carrington

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #54 on: November 29, 2021, 09:38:24 am »
As the lighter nights to come to an end, we are once again reminding residents to consider putting in place these simple tips to keep your house safe from opportunistic burglars:

   

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #55 on: December 03, 2021, 02:49:41 pm »
We have become aware of scam phishing emails that are currently circulating and linked to the latest Covid variant, Omicron.

- Stop and think before clicking on a link, as this may install malware, such as viruses, spyware or ransomware on your device, and data or sensitive information could be stolen.

- Delete any phishing email immediately.

- Never give out personal or financial information about yourself unless you are absolutely sure the source is genuine.


   
Rydym yn ymwybodol fod yr e-bost gwe-rwydo sgam uchod a rhai tebyg o gwmpas ar hyn o bryd ac yn gysylltiedig â'r amrywiad Covid diweddaraf, Omicron.

- Stopiwch a meddyliwch cyn clicio ar ddolen, oherwydd gallai hyn osod meddalwedd maleisus, fel firysau, ysbïwedd neu ransomware ar eich dyfais, a gallai data neu wybodaeth sensitif gael eu dwyn.

- Dylech ddileu unrhyw e-byst gwe-rwydo yn syth.

- Peidiwch byth â rhannu gwybodaeth bersonol neu ariannol amdanoch chi'ch hun oni bai eich bod yn hollol siŵr bod y ffynhonnell yn ddilys.

Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #56 on: December 06, 2021, 03:31:47 pm »
We've received reports of fraudsters contacting members of the public pretending to be from Sky.

The fraudsters claim to be offering compensation for poor broadband speed.

Victims have allowed access to their devices (laptop and smartphone) and have also provided their bank details in order to receive the compensation.

The fraudsters are then taking money out of the victims account in the thousands.

Please share information about this scam with your family, friends and neighbours.

#NWPCyberSafe

 
Rydym wedi derbyn adroddiadau am dwyllwyr yn cysylltu ag aelodau o'r cyhoedd yn esgus bod o gwmni Sky.

Mae'r twyllwyr yn honni eu bod yn cynnig iawndal am gyflymder band eang gwael.

Mae dioddefwyr wedi caniatáu mynediad i’w dyfeisiau digidol (gliniadur a ffôn clyfar) ac maent hefyd wedi rhannu eu manylion banc er mwyn derbyn y iawndal.

Mae'r twyllwyr yna wedi tynnu symiau sylweddol o arian allan o gyfrif y dioddefwyr.

Cofiwch rannu gwybodaeth am y sgam yma hefo eich teulu, ffrindiau a chymdogion.

#SeiberDdiogelHGC

Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #57 on: December 10, 2021, 09:43:14 am »
Action Fraud have received more than 300 reports of fake scam e-mails claiming to be from Martin Lewis in one week.

The links in the e-mails lead to phishing website that will steal your information, so please don’t open the e-mail or click on the links!

Please share information about this scam with your family, friends and neighbours.

#NWPCyberSafe

 Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #58 on: December 17, 2021, 09:56:18 am »
Our colleagues at Dyfed Powys Police have received over 200 reports of scam calls from someone claiming to be from the Police.

The scammers allege that the Police are investigating someone unscrupulous who is working at the bank. They then ask victims to withdraw money and arrange for it to be collected claiming that it will be submitted for forensic analysis.

£85,000 has been stolen so far in the Dyfed Powys area with people aged between 60-90 mainly targeted.

As Dyfed Powys is a neighbouring force of ours it is quite possible that these scammers may also attempt to target members of the public in North Wales.

The Police will never ask you to withdraw money like this and hand it over for any reason.

If someone claiming to be from the Police calls or visits you about something similar to this ask for their full details including their Police number. Using a different phone (in case they are still on the line) call 101 to verify their identity. By calling 101 on a clear line you know that you are talking to the Police.

Please share information about this scam with your family, friends and neighbours.

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 14062
Re: North Wales Community Alert
« Reply #59 on: December 19, 2021, 10:00:12 am »
Do you know where to report scam messages?
 Fake emails and text messages are a common tactic used by cyber criminals, their goal is often to convince you to click a link. Once clicked, you may be sent to a dodgy website which could download viruses onto your computer, or steal your passwords and personal information.

In order to try and convince you that their messages are legitimate, criminals will pretend to be someone you trust, or from some organisation you trust. This could be your Internet Service Provider (ISP), local council, even a friend in need. And they may contact you by phone call, email or text message.

Reporting suspicious emails:
If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, you can report it by forwarding the email to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service at: report@phishing.gov.uk

As of 31st October 2021, the number of suspicious email reports stands at more than 8,100,000, with the removal of more than 67,000 scams and 124,000 URLs.

*In a small number of cases, an email may not reach our service due to it already being widely recognised by spam detection services. The vast majority of reports do reach our system so please keep reporting any suspicious emails you receive.

Reporting suspicious text messages:
You can report suspicious text messages to your mobile network provider, for free, by forwarding the text to 7726.

If you forward a text, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and take action, if found to be malicious. If 7726 doesn’t work, you can find out how to report a text message by contacting your provider.

(On many Android devices and iPhones, pressing and holding on the message bubble should present the option to forward the message)

For more of the government’s latest advice on how to stay secure online, visit the Cyber Aware website: ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware

Thanks for reading! If you found this information useful, please help us spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends.

Message Sent By
Action Fraud
(Action Fraud, Administrator, National)