Empty property fraud alert from York Police
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North Yorkshire Police would like to make you aware of a national increase in organised criminal groups currently targeting empty properties in the UK to apply for loans, duping mortgage providers and causing further distress to members of the public. PROTECTION / PREVENTION ADVICE: There is an increased risk of fraud when: Protect yourself against property fraud: |
York Police issue Amazon scam warning
North Yorkshire Police has received several reports from victims who have been sent convincing looking emails claiming to be from Amazon.
The spoofed emails from “service@amazon.co.uk” claim recipients have made an order online and mimic an automatic customer email notification.
The scam emails claim recipients have ordered an expensive vintage chandelier, Bose stereos, iPhone’s and luxury watches.
The emails cleverly state that if recipients haven’t authorised the transaction they can click on the help centre link to receive a full refund.
The link leads to an authentic-looking website, which asks victims to confirm their name, address, and bank card information.
Amazon says that suspicious e-mails will often contain:
•Links to websites that look like Amazon.co.uk, but aren’t Amazon.co.uk.
•Attachments or prompts to install software on your computer.
•Typos or grammatical errors.
•Forged (or spoofed) e-mail addresses to make it look like the e-mail is coming from Amazon.co.uk.
In addition
•Amazon will never ask for personal information to be supplied by e-mail.
•Read more about identifying suspicious emails claiming to be from Amazon.
If you have received such an email or been victim of the above scam please report the matter to Action Fraud, National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting Centre 0300 1232040
www.actionfraud.police.uk
New crime and customer satisfaction stats published
The York Council has updated the information that it holds on each ward in the City.
The stats compare residents opinions across the whole City.
The latest updates – which can be accessed on the open data web site by clicking here – have been updated to include 2016 quarter 2 figures.
Detailed figures for the Westfield ward confirm the surge in crime witnessed in the late summer. Anti social behaviour was up generally with criminal damage reports increasing by over 30%. On the other hand burglary incidents reduced in Westfield despite being stable in the rest of the City
Westfield Ward crime stats
Meanwhile a majority of residents thought that vandalism wasn’t a problem in their neighbourhood.
Beating the City trend, 46% of Westfield respondents thought that they could influence decisions taken about their area.
Jobs and influence
Residents across the city were generally satisfied with the way the Council runs things (55.2% in Westfield) They were less happy about the progress being made in encouraging the use of low emission vehicles.
Customer satisfaction
York Police issue warning about Email scam
Potentially useful warning from the Police community messaging service
| North Yorkshire Police would like to make you aware of the following email phishing scam: Fraudsters are sending out a high number of phishing emails, mainly targeting email addresses connected to businesses in the United Kingdom, with the message subject heading ‘Notice of Intended Prosecution’ and ‘NIP – Notice Number’ followed by a combination of letters and numbers. A NIP, used legally, informs an individual of the intention to take proceedings against the driver of a motor vehicle, in accordance with Sec1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. The emails purport to come from the Greater Manchester Police. It is believed that the URL hidden behind the line ‘Check The Photographic Evidence’ delivers the GOZI/ISFP Banking Trojan which is involved in stealing online banking login details from victims. |
York “scambusters” success
£129,000 recovered from fraudsters
Council officials seconded to a regional task group have had notable successes recently in dealing with scams and eCrime in the City.
A York Council report, to a meeting taking place next Monday, lists 8 cases where court action has already been taken against traders
In most cases prison sentences were handed out by the courts.
Examples of the type of fraud being committed included:
- On-line bogus recruitment and CRB checking scam
- On –line airline tickets scam.
- Council tax re banding scam.
- Second hand car dealership
- On-line business grants scam.
- Rogue builders. Aggressive selling, pressurising vulnerable consumers into paying for unnecessary work,
- Itinerant drive tarmacing gang targeting vulnerable elderly home owners.
- Kitchen retail business Misrepresentation as to the quality of the product,
Other investigations yet to come to court relate to “copycat” web sites, roofing repairs, medical bed sales & vacuum cleaner repairs.
Many of the cases involve the exploitation of elderly/vulnerable people.
Since 1st April 2014 the Council has received £129,000 from the Proceeds of Crime Act confiscation hearings relating to Scambuster cases.
Westfield couple honoured at bravery awards
The police service honoured the bravery of members of the public from York and Whitby earlier this week at the National Police Chief’s Councils’ Police and Public Bravery Awards.
Darren Hinchliffe from York was honoured twice for his role in trying to subdue a violent York man who killed his best friend.
Binney award plaque
Darren won a gold medal at the awards which are sponsored by The Goldsmith’s Company. The awards recognise members of the public for actions, which support the police in preserving law and order.
In addition to this, Darren was also the recipient of the Binney Award, a special award, named after Captain Ralph Binney, reserved only for the ‘bravest of the brave’. To celebrate this, Darren will now be invited to an all-expenses paid celebration of bravery every year with other Binney award winners.
Darren’s partner Claire also received a certificate for her brave actions during the incident.
Here’s Darren’s story:
(more…)
Bogus callers claim to be from York council and asking about accidents
City of York Council is acting on reports of a scam in which phone calls have been received by local people claiming to be from the council regarding supposed accidents and aiming to gather personal detail from them.
The week before International Fraud Awareness Week, council has been informed that residents have been contacted by callers claiming to be from the Council and saying they were calling following an accident.
The numbers they are ringing from appear to be from York but are not.
Please, never give out any personal details to anyone who calls or emails you unexpectedly. Anyone concerned about the validity of an email or call should report it by calling 0345 4040506 or emailing public.protection@york.gov.uk
Fewer drunks on York City centre streets?
According to community safety officials problems with drink related crime in the city centre reduced last year.
A new report says, “alcohol-related occurrences have decreased by 3% (50 incidents) in 2015 .
ASB nuisance reports decreased by 11% (172 incidents). These reports include: begging and vagrancy, buskers, street urination, public order behaviour such as fighting or drunkenness and verbal abuse. Theft related incidents were also down”.
However, “Violence-related reports increased by 18 incidents in 2015”. Violent crime covers a wide spectrum from minor assaults, harassment and abuse that result in no physical harm to the victim through to incidents of wounding and murder
Most of the problems occur in Coney Street, Micklegate, Blake Street, Blossom Street and Clifford Street.
The highest levels of reported occurrences are during the summer months of July and August, together with December. Calls for police service are at their highest on weekends; Saturday and Sunday. This was consistent across 2014 and 2015. Activity is highest between 1pm-6pm and midnight-4am.
In response to a small survey of City centre visitors by the Police, 52% felt that York was not family friendly on a Saturday afternoon, 50% felt that partner agencies were working well together to make York safe on Saturdays and 94% felt that seeing a police presence in the city made them feel safer.
The Police blame visitors from the North East and South Yorkshire for many of the issues.
More patrols are now operating on Fridays and Saturdays. In addition, the Council are in the process of recruiting two full-time Licensing Enforcement Officers who will work evenings and weekends and whose duties will include visits to licensed premises to ensure they are complying with the Licensing Act 2003 and any additional licence conditions.
Unfortunately, the report makes no mention of the increased anti-social behaviour problems evident in some sub-urban areas over the last 12 months
Courage of Acomb Police Officers recognised
Winners announced at North Yorkshire Police’s second Annual Awards ceremony
The second Annual Awards event, which was introduced to celebrate the achievements of officers and staff who embody the Force’s values of courage, compassion and inspiration, was attended by winners, their families and senior officers.
The officers and staff who received awards included:
- PCs Gregory, Ellison, Harvey, Scott and Churchward, and PSCOs Lewis and Taylor from York, who were awarded the silver Courage Award for being first on the scene at a dramatic fatal stabbing incident at a house in Acomb
- York PCSOs Dowson, Warburton, Harris, Calpin, Martin and Burgoyne who were awarded the bronze Courage Award for entering a burning building to stop a fire spreading to neighbouring buildings