Crime Prevention Blog » Scam Alerts

Census Scam Alert

admin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:02:37 +0000

As you know, we like to use our blog platform to highlight any scams that might be ‘in vogue’ at the moment.

This week, we received a news alert from the Action Fraud website, informing ourselves of a very ‘high alert e-mail scam’ currently circulating. Its intention is to dupe unsuspecting people into downloading malware onto their computer.

Here is the full scam alert in full…

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We are aware that an email entitled ‘Population Census: a message to everyone – act now‘ is being circulated, allegedly in the name of National Statistician, Jil Matheson. This email demands individuals provide further personal information, supposedly for the Census and threatens fines for non-compliance.

This email is a scam and a hoax. It has no connection whatsoever with the National Statistician, the 2011 Census or the Office for National Statistics.

We believe the links in the email could download malware to any computer where the user clicks on the links. This could put your personal data, including financial information, at risk.

Anyone receiving this, or similar emails, should delete them, not open any links and certainly not provide any information.

For more information on how to protect yourself from this type of threat, please see www.getsafeonline.org

If you wish to, please report receipt of any such suspicious emails to www.actionfraud.org.uk

ONS takes the protection of personal census information extremely seriously. Collection of census data was completed last year and no further requests will be forthcoming from the Office for National Statistics relating to the 2011 Census.

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Please spread the message about this scam to everyone you know…

Council Tax Refund Scam Alert

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:48:19 +0000

You must be on your guard against bogus officials offering to give council refunds, relating to council tax.

People are being called and told they may qualify for a refund and then asked for their bank account details so the payment can be made. In some cases residents have also been asked for a £90 admin fee to process their application.

Whilst this con may not yet have arrived in your area, it is worth everyone being vigilant and not giving out any sensitive information to unknown callers, either on the phone or in person. If you receive any such approach, contact the Police and inform them..

If you are due for any kind of refund, you will be informed in writing by your Local Authority and no ‘admin’ fee will be payable!

Parcel Delivery Company Scam

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:13:24 +0000

Over the last few months the UK has been hit by intermittent Postal strikes and millions of parcels have been left undelivered in many sorting stations around the country. This is bad news for people who ordered goods within this time-period and are still waiting on them being delivered. Not to miss an opportunity – groups of criminals have been using the Postal Strike to their advantage and have devised a scam that is making them thousands of pounds.

The scam works like so …

A card is posted through your door telling you that a delivery company tried to deliver a parcel but you were out, it then tells you to call the following phone number : 0906 6611911 (a premium rate number), if you call this number you have just given that company £15.

This scam works and as long as people keep calling the above number thieves will continue to make money off innocent members of the public.

If you receive a card like this through your letterbox then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 0207 239 6655 or ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator or your local trading standards office).