Opportunist theft
Opportunist thieves are active round here. In March 2018 a parcel was stolen from outside a house in Northampton St.; ask for undelivered parcels to be left with a neighbour if you can, especially if your front door is visible from the street. A store card found dropped in Northampton St. had been taken from a purse stolen from someone living nearby. Don't keep PINs in the same place as the cards they apply to.
Nuisance and scam telephone calls
Joining the Telephone Preference Service will reduce but not eliminate these. There are a number of websites with information about known problem telephone numbers, which allow you to submit details of nuisance calls you have received. The one we use is WhoCallsMe.
BT say 'It's probably a scam if someone calls you out of the blue to:
- tell you that your service has been hacked
- try to remotely take control of your computer or another device
- tell you they've found a problem with your computer
- ask you for an urgent payment and threaten to disconnect your service
- ask for payment details to activate Call Protect, Caller Display, or any of BT's free services'
Any demand for immediate payment of a debt you didn't realise you owed should be treated as suspicious. If you are in doubt, find out the contact details of your supposed creditor yourself (don't take them from the person demanding payment) and ask them to write to you to confirm. The Police do not arrest people for unpaid debts; the legal procedure for recovering debts is to write to the debtor (by name, not as 'the occupier'), followed by debt collectors and bailiffs and/or the courts. Similarly, claims that you have been the victim of fraud are likely to be fraudulent themselves and you should check with the Police before doing anything.
Never give out the PIN or online password for your bank account over the phone. If someone asks you for it, they are likely to be a criminal; there is no legitimate reason ever to share it. Don't allow the person on the other end of the line to rush you; remain in control of the conversation. If they suggest sending a 'courier' to collect cash from you, notify the Police at once.
Repeated phone calls from a bank for confirmation of personal details, or from a company asking for bank details, should be reported to the Police and the bank/company. Unexpected mail from a bank (e.g. a new bank card when the current one is not about to expire), should be checked with the bank. Elderly people are particular targets for such fraud, sometimes committed by criminal former bank staff.
The Police ActionFraud site has some current information on fraud and cyber crime, and suspected fraud can be reported using this site. Their Take Five website gives advice on how to avoid being a victim of fraud and they also publish 'The Little Book of Big Scams'.
Don't ring a premium-rate number to collect a supposed 'prize' that you have won. In general, many premium-rate phone numbers can be avoided by using the SayNoTo0870 site to look up alternative normal-rate numbers.
Online security
This extensive, rapidly changing subject is beyond the scope of this page, but is introduced in these slides from a recent Police masterclass. Comparitech have produced this list of common online scams.
The elderly and vulnerable
The Nominated Neighbour scheme is particularly aimed at these people.
Also useful (particularly for those reliant on medication) is the Message in a Bottle: 'a simple idea designed to encourage people to keep personal and medical details on a standard form in a common location - the fridge'. Bottles are available from chemists and doctor's surgeries.
If you are worried that someone is under pressure to give more to charity than they can afford (I have seen myself the distress this can cause), there now exists a Fundraising Preference Service where you can report vulnerable people, or remove yourself from charities' mailing lists.
A local church produces a guide to 'Useful resources when you need practical help', Where to Turn; ask us for a version printed as a leaflet.
Crime maps
The Police website has crime maps showing, by street, what types of incidents have been reported and whether any prosecution resulted, for every month in the last three years. These are available for Bath Outer and Bath Inner policing areas.