North Wales Community Alert

[SteveH]

⚠️Watch out for FAKE Royal Mail emails about a missed delivery. These are very common, but even more so as Christmas and the New Year Sales approach.
❌ Don?t click on the link.

✅If you receive an email you think is suspicious, forward it to: report@phishing.gov.uk Your reports help to get scams and malicious websites removed.
#NWPCyberSafe

⚠️Gwyliwch allan am e-byst ffug gan y Post Brenhinol ynghylch danfoniad parsel a fethwyd. Mae'r rhain yn gyffredin iawn, ond yn hyd yn oed mwy cyffredin na?r arfer wrth i i'r Nadolig a'r S?ls Flwyddyn Newydd agos?u.

❌ Peidiwch ? chlicio ar y ddolen.
✅ Os byddwch yn derbyn e-bost sy?n edrych yn amheus, anfonwch ef ymlaen at: report@phishing.gov.uk Mae eich adroddiadau yn helpu i gael gwared ar sgamiau a gwefannau maleisus.
#SeiberDdiogelHGC
 
Message Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)

[SteveH]

Everyone at North Wales Police Cybercrime Team would like to wish you a very happy Christmas and a fantastic, prosperous and safe New Year in 2023!

Here's an infographic created by our friends at the NLAWARP covering the 12 Scams of Christmas to help keep you safe and secure online over the festive period.

clicking on photo might enlarge......

[SteveH]

Recently we?ve again seen an increase in Rental Fraud in North Wales, particularly in the Wrexham area
 
Members of the public are attempting to rent properties that are advertised on Marketplaces on social media. They are paying an upfront deposit of up to ?300 to secure the property only to later find that the person they paid the deposit to was nothing to do with the property. In actual fact the property is not for sale or rent at all.

👉 Don?t send money to anyone advertising rental properties online until you?re sure the advertiser is genuine.

👉 Don?t pay any money until you or a reliable contact has visited the property with an agent or the landlord.

👉 Ask for copies of tenancy agreements and any safety certificates such as Gas Electricity or HMO Licence.

👉 Do not be pressurised into transferring large sums of money. Transfer funds to a bank account having obtained the details by contacting the landlord or agent directly after the above steps have been followed. Be sceptical if you?re asked to transfer any money via a money transfer service like Western Union.

If you know of anyone currently looking for a property to rent, please make them aware of the above.

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

[SteveH]

E-scooters have become an emerging problem for pedestrians, but for many people with sight loss they present a serious safety issue, especially when misused. People with sight loss often rely on hearing to navigate safely, which makes e-scooters difficult to avoid, with collisions more likely.

E-Scooters fall under the definition of a motor vehicle as a motor vehicle, they must comply with various pieces of Road Traffic Legislation, including but not limited to:

driving with a licence
driving/riding with insurance
driving/riding other than on a road
need to be taxed
Any person, who uses an e-scooter on a public road or other public space, must comply with the relevant Road Traffic Legislation or they face potential prosecution.

Some E-Scoopers can operate up to speeds of 70mph.E-Scooters are currently not permitted for road use, in cycle lanes or on pavements.

There is an exception of electrically assisted pedal cycles that are fitted with pedals, have a maximum power output of 250watts and should not be able to propel the bike when it is travelling at more than 15.5mph.

E-Scooters are currently being used as part of a UK Government trial and are permitted on the roads in a number of trial areas none of which are currently within North Wales. These E-scooters are however rented from private countries and must be used on a road. They are not privately owned. Privately owned E-Scooters can only be used on private land with the permission of the land owner.
   
Message Sent By
PC Llinos Hughes
(North Wales Police, NPT, Central )

[SteveH]

Peter Kay fans have been left angered after losing almost ?400 in a ticket scam. The popular Bolton comedian previously announced his return to stand up comedy with his first live tour in 12 years.

Fans were quick to snap up tickets to his original 110 dates, with shows in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Cardiff and Nottingham, reports WalesOnline. In December, due to popular demand as tickets sold out rapidly, Peter Kay revealed there would be extra dates added to his tour.

But, some fans in Liverpool were left disappointed after they found out they had been scammed, paying ?380 for Peter Kay tickets from a fake website that no longer exists, Manchester Evening News reports. Bolton Councillor Andy Morgan said a friend had bought tickets from www.peterkaytickets.com and they planned to go to this weekend's show in Liverpool.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/peter-kay-fans-left-fuming-25899194

[SteveH]

Emergency Alerts
About Emergency Alerts........... https://www.gov.uk/alerts
Emergency Alerts is a new service from the UK government. It?s expected to launch in 2023.


Emergency alerts will warn you if there?s a danger to life nearby.
In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.

What happens when you get an alert.......... https://www.gov.uk/alerts/when-you-get-an-alert


Reasons you might get an alert
The government and mobile phone networks are testing emergency alerts.

You may get an alert if you live in, or travel through, a test area.

Other reasons you might get an alert..........https://www.gov.uk/alerts/reasons-you-might-get-an-alert

[SteveH]

Another warning over Online Marketplace fraud / Rhybudd arall am dwyll wrth brynu a gwerthu Ar-lein.

Since the 1st of January 2023 North Wales Police have received 21 reports of victims selling items online and not receiving payment, totalling a loss of over ?10,600.

Criminals are using a number of methods and are targeting those selling high value items such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops.

In some cases, the victims receive a fake email from Paypal claiming the payment has been made and the victim is then urged to send the sold item to the suspect in the post, only to find that no monies have actually been paid and all contact with the buyer is blocked.

In other cases, suspects have attended the victims home address and pretended to make payment using a fake banking app or using forged bank notes to pay before leaving with the goods.

Anyone selling items online are urged to ensure that payment is made in full prior to parting with any goods. If using Paypal, check the payment has been made using the app and do not agree to use the Friends and Family option as there is no protection offered with this service.

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

[SteveH]

Cold callers are out in North Wales selling household items.  Callers purporting to be "reformed Criminals" will say they are doing this as they are trying to better themselves.  These individuals are Pedlars or Hawkers and will carry their own ID. However they do require a Pedlars license in order to carry out this activity. Police forces issue these licences to people of "good character" now doing the maths on this - do you think we would give a licence to someone who is a known offender...

Probation services will never encourage this kind of activity to anyone on probation.

Intelligence suggests that these individuals will sell on information, as to who is vulnerable, has cash and who would be a useful target for criminal activity.  Once they have a victim they will often over inflate the price, with some vulnerable people in our community spending hundreds of pounds.   They are also now taking card payments - would you give your card details to a total stranger with a criminal history?

If someone comes knocking on your door politely say no and lets make North Wales a "no go area" for these individuals to keep our communities safe.

Be a good neighbour and please share this information, and report any suspicious behaviour to 101 or Crime stoppers,  we have recently seen an increase in burglaries in North Wales with vulnerable people being specifically targeted.

Further information on Doorstep crime please see the following website: Doorstep Crime and Scam Prevention | Operation Repeat (oprepeat.co.uk)  https://www.oprepeat.co.uk/
 
Message Sent By
PS 1620 Sue Carrington
(North Wales Police, Sergeant - Community Safety)

[SteveH]

North Wales Police are currently investigating a Burglary Dwelling which occurred in the Craig Y Don area, Llandudno on the evening of  Wednesday 1st February 2023.

We will be conducting high visibility patrols in the area over the weekend to deter further incidents 🚔

We would like to provide local residents with target hardening information as follows:

- Ensure all doors are locked 🚪

- Make sure all windows are secure and locked 🪟

- Ensure all property alarms/cctv are in full working order 📹

- Find a secure place for post/parcels 📮

If anyone has any information, we urge you to kindly contact 101 quoting reference 23000094309
 
Message Sent By
PC Llinos Hughes
(North Wales Police, NPT, Central )

[SteveH]

We have  joined forces with our Financial Abuse Safeguarding colleagues at our Economic Crime Unit and with North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin to raise awareness of the dangers Romance Fraud.

Read the article here - PCC & NWP urge residents to be on the lookout for romance fraud | Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner North Wales (northwales-pcc.gov.uk)             https://www.northwales-pcc.gov.uk/pcc-nwp-urge-residents-be-lookout-romance-fraud

Our Financial Abuse Safeguarding colleague Michelle Shirley was also interviewed on Radio Wales this morning at 7.35. You can listen to the interview on BBC sounds.

#NWMessage Sent By
Dewi Owen
(North Wales Police, Cyber Crime Officer, North Wales)
PCyberSafe

[Ian]

BBC 1's excellent consumer show, Rip-Off Britain, covered this recently, and featured one woman who'd lost more than 80,000 pounds. It's easy to dismiss these folk as gullible but the scammers are very skilled and have refined their techniques over many years.

The bottom line is never, ever send money to anyone, anywhere that you've never met, and met several times.

[SteveH]

Fake BT e-mails / E-byst ffug BT.
⚠️Watch out for fake emails purporting to be from BT.

Know about it, spot it!

✅Received a suspicious email? You can report it by forwarding the email to: report@phishing.gov.uk 

Your reports have led to the removal of 209,000 scam websites as of January 2023


⚠️ Gwyliwch allan am e-byst ffug sy'n honni eu bod gan BT.

Os ydych chi?n gwybod amdano, mae?n haws i chi ei adnabod fel twyll.

✅ Wedi cael e-bost amheus? Gallwch ei riportio drwy anfon yr e-bost ymlaen at: report@phishing.gov.uk

Mae eich adroddiadau wedi arwain at ddileu 209,000 o wefannau scam hyd at mis Ionawr 2023.

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

[SteveH]

SchoolBeat Newsletter February 2023
SchoolBeat: Home is a bilingual site from the All Wales Schools Police Programme, providing information and resources for pupils, teachers, parents and partners to reinforce the key messages delivered by our Schools Police Officers in primary and secondary schools as well as alternative educational settings.

This months newsletter is packed full of information, advice and news to help support young people.

In this months edition, you will find information on:

Sexual Harassment
Illegal Tobacco
Safety on the Railways
Young People and Gambling
What?s new?
Ending Physical Punishment in Wales
 
Click here to view the newsletter in Welsh - Layout 1 (schoolbeat.cymru) https://schoolbeat.cymru/fileadmin/public/newsletters/Cylchlythyr-Schoolbeat-Rhif21.pdf

Click here to view the newsletter in English -  Layout 1 (schoolbeat.cymru) https://schoolbeat.cymru/fileadmin/public/newsletters/SchoolBeat-Newsletter-No21.pdf
 
Message Sent By
PC 3384 Erin Hulley
North Wales Police, School Police Officer

[SteveH]

Beware of charity fraud / Byddwch yn ofalus o dwyll elusen.
Don?t be tricked into sharing your personal or financial information with scammers. Criminals are trying to take advantage of the Turkey and Syria earthquake to scam you out of your money.

They will ask you for donations which they will use for their own fraudulent purposes.

Before making a donation, consider following these steps:

Check the charity?s name and registration number on the Charity Register at www.gov.uk/checkcharity ? most charities with an annual income of ?5,000 or more must be registered.

Make sure the charity is genuine before giving any financial information.

Make sure emails are from valid addresses/sources before responding or clicking on links within them.

Contact or find out more online about the charity that you?re seeking to donate to in order to understand how they are spending their funds.

Look out for the Fundraising Badge ? the logo that says ?registered with Fundraising Regulator? ? and check the Fundraising Regulator?s Directory of organisations which have committed to fundraise in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Always #TakeFive before making a donation.

#NWPCyberSafe

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


 

 

[SteveH]

World Book Day - get a ?1 token! by PC Manus

This year, World Book Day is March 2nd. A number of books will be available for children at ?1 in specific retailers. You can visit this link: https://www.worldbookday.com/secondary-digital-token/ to receive a ?1 token and get a ?1 book effectively for free!

For full details of the ?1 books and lists of retailers, visit the link above.

Have a great World Book Day!
 
Message Sent By
PC 2458 Manus Sheridan
(North Wales Police, School Community Police Officer, Denbighshire Coastal)