Dog Thefts
There were two incidents where dogs were stolen during the night of Tuesday 26 January. On both occasions pure bred dogs or new-born puppies were taken from secure outside pens. One incident was in Alveston, South Gloucestershire and the other at Queen Charlton in Bath & North East Somerset. Whilst both of these were outside of our area, this does not mean it could not head our way and it is far better to be forewarned.
We want to remind all dog owners to review and increase the security of their pets wherever possible. Ensure that they are microchipped and registered, and make sure your garden is secure.
It is estimated that dog thefts have increased by 250% as the Covid restrictions have caused a huge demand for puppies across the country. Although these offences are classified as “Theft”, losing a pet in this way can cause enormous trauma and heartbreak to a family.
You can find advice on protecting your dog on many sites on the internet, one of them being here
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Remain alert to Vaccination Scams
A couple of our coordinators have directed me to another potentially hazardous scam claiming to originate from the NHS offering the vaccine for Covid-19. On first impressions it looks quite genuine, until the point at which it asks for payment details.
As we all know the vaccine is completely free, the NHS will never ask for your bank account or card details, your pin or banking password and they will not ask for proof of identity such as passport, driving licence or pay slips.
Please see the attached copy of the scam email.
Here is a link to the NHS website to find more information:
Attachments: vaccine-email-scam
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Potential Scams (Calls & Texts)
I have been contacted by two of our Neighbourhood Watch schemes to advise of the following potential scams, do please remain alert and if it doesn't seem right check and check again, never be afraid to hang up the phone.
Lloyds Banking - New Payee (Text Message)
States: You have successfully been paired with a new device, Call 447780337*** if it is not you.
The member to the mobile phone to a local Lloyds branch that confirmed it is not a message issued by them.
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Sky Protect Insurance (Phone Call)
Caller: Claimed she was called Zara from Sky Protect Insurance, provided a call back number of 0203 8077*** this has been checked with Sky and is incorrect, this is an unrecognised London number. Calling this could sign you up to a worthless expensive policy. The official Sky number is an 0800 number.
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Residential Garage Burglary
A garage has been broken into overnight on the 20th in Hamwood Close, WSM. The owner was notified by a neighbour who noticed the garage door was open and closed it assuming it had blown open due to the wind. Upon inspection it became apparent that an offender had gained access and had stolen a Trek Mountain bike in Black (Front and Rear tyres are different) and a rare specialised bike with a Red Carbon fibre Chrome frame.
Any information please contact the Police on 101 quoting Ref number: 5221014350 stating NHW Release or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Thank you for your support.
Attachments: sheds-and-garages
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Covid Scam (Fake Text)
Trading Standards and some of our Neighbourhood Watch Schemes have made us aware of a scam being used by criminals. A text message, claiming to be from the NHS, is going around asking you to register to receive the immunisation, but which also asks for your personal information and debit/credit card details.
The vaccination is only available on the NHS, and you will not have to pay for it.
At the moment local surgeries are arranging appointments, and they will not ask your for any bank or credit card details. Attachments: covid-19-scam
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Can you help us find this jewellery’s rightful owner?
We’re appealing for help to identify the rightful owners of a quantity of jewellery.
Operation Remedy officers seized the items on Wednesday 16 December as part of their ongoing activity tackling burglary, drug and knife crime.
The items include stone-set bracelets, necklaces and earrings, two watches and a pair of hoop earrings (pictured), which are all suspected of being stolen in burglaries.
If you have any information which could help to identify the rightful owners, call 101 quoting reference 5220197748.
Attachments: jewellery
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Ongoing Amazon Scam Calls
I have been advised this morning that unfortunately one of our members has fallen foul to this scam. They received a call claiming to be from Amazon and that a payment request had been made on their account from a company in London and were they aware of any such transaction?. Clearly not aware, the caller stated they must have been hacked and went through a lengthy procedure at the end of which the member checked their online bank account to find a substantial amount of money had been removed.
Please NEVER give out any personal details to anyone claiming to be from Amazon or any other company that calls you out of the blue. Terminate the call and call back on a number you trust and preferably from a different phone, if this is not possible then wait at least 5 minutes for the line to disconnect.
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Garage Burgulary
HILLYFIELDS, WINSCOMBE, sometime between 4pm on Wednesday the 2nd and 6pm on Thursday the 3rd of December, someone has kicked the side door of a garage, to gain entry, 4 mountain bicycles have been stolen. The garage had a ground anchor fitted and the bikes were chained to this, the chain was cut off and left on the floor, It is possible a vehicle was used to transport the bikes away, which may have been parked on the A38, 2 males were seen on CCTV
Battery operated alarms can be purchased for buildings without an electricity supply, which may deter some thieves or alert neighbours,
It is suggested that 10% of the value bike is spent on security and secured when left, we also suggest people register the bike on “BIKEREGISTRY” web site, we have been successful in reuniting bikes back to their owners through this site,
When reporting a crime or giving information through Crimestoppers, No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will not go to court or have to speak to a police officer.
If you have any information regarding this incident, contact the Police on 101. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, or via their online form.
Please quote Reference number 5220272221
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Find out the coronavirus restrictions in your local area.
As we have just come out of the 2nd National Lockdown, Somerset has emerged into a 2 tier system.
The below link provides some useful information. All you need to do is follow the link, scroll down and insert your postcode, click find, then click on "Find out what the Tier rules are" in green.
I hope this is useful. https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions
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Telephone Fraud Alert (Important)
Two elderly residents in the Clevedon area have been the subject of serious fraud. Both received telephone calls today, 2nd December, stating they were police officers - one from Luton and the other allegedly from Bristol. The supposed officers were very persistent and even asked one of the victims to call 191 to check their identity with a colleague. This was a clever ploy, as the line had not been disconnected and the phone was merely handed to an accomplice.
In both instances they were asked to attend their banks, and were advised by the fake police that they could get around the security measures / questions. On arrival the victims withdrew thousands of pounds between them, which was later collected from their homes by a courier. A password was given by the fraudster to use when handing the money over to the courier to make it even more convincing.
This type of fraud can occur anywhere, so always be wary of unexpected calls. Never give out any personal details, especially financial account numbers or passwords. If you have any concerns, hang up immediately. Contact the bank or organisation they claim to represent using a mobile or different phone in case the offenders are still on the line. Never use any telephone numbers provided by the fraudster. Police will never ask you to attend you bank or withdraw cash.
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