Local Crime
Action Fraud
Fraudsters are targeting classified advertisement websites like AutoTrader to advertise vehicles for sale. Buyers are then contacting these ‘sellers’ to find out more about the vehicles and are being told to pay for them via ‘Apple Pay’. In this case the fraudsters are not using the genuine Apple Pay service and potential victims pay money directly to bank accounts in control of the fraudsters. Individuals receive emails claiming to be from Apple Pay with a web link to a cloned website with false terms and conditions of the ‘escrow’ service. Any money remitted to the fraudsters is then unrecoverable and the vehicles are not delivered.
Protect yourself:
- Meet the seller ‘face to face’ and view the vehicle before parting with any money.
- Be cautious of web links in an email. They may not direct you to the genuine website.
- Report scam advertisements to the classified advertisement websites.
- If the vehicle is below market value, consider whether this is an opportunity too good to be true!
PPI Scam
Sussex Police Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team
Sussex Police are reminding all residents, especially the elderly and anyone living alone, not to be taken in by a new type of scam that has been reported in the West Sussex area. If you or any of your relatives or friends are (or have been) telephoned by the Ministry of Justice and told you qualify for a refund on payment protection insurance (PPI) this will be a scam. The scammer will ask that in order for your claim to be processed you have to pay a percentage of your payout up front and that this should be in the form of UKASH vouchers. They then send a courier to attend the home address of the victim and collect the vouchers or access the code for these vouchers in order to claim the money. These scammers may call you on more than on one occasion and be persuasive or persistent in their calls. They may also suggest you call them back in order to 'prove' their identification. Please do not be taken in by these tactics.To date there have been three reports of this particular scam; in Bognor, Littlehampton and Midhurst. If you have received a call of this nature or know anyone who has, please contact Sussex Police on 101 and report it to action fraud. In an emergency always dial 999.The members of the community who seem to have been targeted are the elderly. Please make sure that if you know of any elderly residents who may not receive messages through community messaging that you inform them to be vigilant of this particular type of scam. DI Jim McKnight of Sussex Police said:
'These are wicked crimes that target some of our most vulnerable people. The impact on the victims is not only a financial one but can also have detrimental effects on confidence and physical well being. The contact between the victim and the criminal can be a one off or can be very regular covering days and weeks. Please be aware to any signs of this or similar activity taking place - bring it to a halt and contact Police who will investigate the matter whilst providing advice, and assistance.'
Meetings, events and local officer details
For your local officer’s contact details, information about local events and meetings and actions being taken regarding your priorities click here http://www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/your-local-district/eastbourne
Distraction Burglars
Please be aware that on Monday 7th July, a vulnerable 85 year old woman was targeted by two males who tricked her into gaining access to her property in the Old Town area of Eastbourne. The first male knocked on the door and asked her for paper to write a note for a neighbour who he said he had called on. The lady let him in and while talking to him in the kitchen heard a noise and saw the front door was open. She then saw a second male attempting to hide at the rear of the lounge. Both males then made excuses and left. The victim then noticed that her safe had been placed inside a cardboard box in her bedroom. Investigations showed that no property was taken. Both suspects left the scene in a silver Vauxhall Astra. The first male is described as white, late 40's early 50's, stocky build, 5 foot 6 and had short dark hair and was wearing a black and white horizontal jumper and grey trousers. The second male was white, late 30's, had short cropped dark blonde hair, stocky build, 5 foot 5, and was wearing a yellow polo shirt and light coloured jeans.
If anyone has any information in relation to this incident, please contact Sussex Police on 101 quoting serial number 0966 of 07 July.
If you have any vulnerable friends or relatives please ensure they are made aware of the following crime prevention advice from our website to combat bogus callers.
Bike Security
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team
Bike Security Advice.
There have been 15 pedal cycle thefts in Eastbourne within the last three months. To help you avoid being a victim of crime, Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team offer a free service to security mark your bike. Please speak to your local Officers for more details or click on this link http://www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/your-local-district/eastbourne or call 101. To help protect your bike from thieves please follow the crime prevention advice below...
Always use a lock when leaving your bike unattended even if for a short period of time.
Lock tight so that your bike is hard to move around when parked.
Lock both wheels and the frame to a bike stand or other immoveable object.Make sure the locks catch the bike frame as well as both wheels and the post, or a thief may steal the bike and leave the wheels behind. Also, make sure the post cant be cut through or the bike lifted off it.
Take with you any items that can be removed without tools such as wheels, lights, pump, saddle etc.
Never leave bikes unattended on the rear of vehicles in car parks or service stations. If you have to leave them unattended make sure they are well-secured with good cabling and locks and that the carrier itself cannot be removed easily. Try backing up against a wall or fence so they are not accessible. Put your bike in a secure place at night. If you have a garage or shed, consider installing a ground or wall anchorage point so the bike can be securely fastened by a chain or D lock. Sheds can be difficult to secure properly, so provide extra interior security chain several items together in the shed or garage such as a cycle, lawnmower and hedge-cutters. This makes it difficult for the thief to carry any of them away.
Specialist marking and tagging kits, meeting the British Standard for property marking, are available and, with visible warning stickers, can be a deterrent to thieves. These are widely available from cycle retailers.
Register your bike at www.immobilise.com. All you need is your bicycle model, make and frame number. Once you have registered your bike, you will have a better chance of getting it back if it is lost or stolen.
