OWL WATCH CYMRU
CRIME WATCH NEWS
Edition 13 week ending 02.06.17
Incidents updates & appeals during this week ! Were you in the areas mentioned below recently? Did you see anything suspicious? We are circulating this information in case you were visiting these areas and so you are aware of any crime trends that may be developing, helping you stay one step ahead of the opportunist criminal. If you have any information relating to any of these incidents, please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quoting OWL CYMRU/reference number.
V078270 - Connah’s Quay murder appeal Police appealing for information after a 19 year old man sustained fatal stab wounds in Connah’s Quay. Officers were called to an address at Bethel Place, Connahs Quay shortly before 8pm on Monday May 29 following reports of a serious incident. A 48 year old local man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is still in custody. Police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward. The incident occurred during daylight, and was near to a public house and, therefore, it is likely there was a large number of people in the area at the time. Police are asking if anyone heard anything, such as screaming, shouting or an altercation, who may at the time have thought nothing of it, to please come forward.
There has been a further arrest of an 18yr old male from Merseyside. A 19yr old female, arrested on Tuesday, has been released without charge. Police said, that although a male is still in custody, they would like to highlight that the investigation remains in its infancy. They ask that anyone with any information should come forward. Peoples information could be vital.
Police added, that given recent events, they want to reassure the public that this is not a terrorist – related incident, but people will notice a significant police presence in the area as they pursue their investigation The deceased has been identified at 19 year old Matthew James Cassidy from the Merseyside area. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specially trained officers. UPDATE TODAY 02.06.17 Further arrest – 19 year old male arrested yesterday afternoon. Enquiries are ongoing.
V078742 - Police appeal following death near Fairbourne Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman near Fairbourne on Wednesday afternoon. Officers and paramedics were called to Panteinion Friog at 1.55pm following reports that a woman had fallen near the Blue Lagoon lake. DS Dafydd Curry is appealing for anyone who may have information about this tragic incident to contact North Wales Police
V078486 Incident Amlwch/Pony Injured Report received that sometime during the last week of May a Pony has been injured. It appears to have been shot with air rifle in Amlwch area of Anglesey. The pony sustained injuries to its mouth/ back. If anyone has any information that can help with police enquiries please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quoting reference no OWL CYMRU V078486
V079045 – Rural Neighbourhood support day The OWL Watch Team will be in the area of Rhosesmor on Thursday 1st June between 12.30pm and 4.30pm. They will be working with the Flintshire Neighbourhood Wardens & Flintshire County Council Care services to support residents who live in the No Cold Calling WATCH Schemes. Whilst in [email protected] Tel : 01352 708118 or dial 101 ask for extension 84144 ONLINE CRIME PREVENTION SHOP http://www.owlcymru.org/shop/shop.html
OWL WATCH CYMRU
CRIME WATCH NEWS
Edition 13 week ending 02.06.17 the Village they will also be handing out community safety packs to encourage residents to register for OWL Watch alerts and to consider forming neighbourhood watch schemes
Wanted Person - Jackson Hart Anglesey man, Jackson Hart is wanted for three frauds in Anglesey last year, Police are keen to trace him. If you have any information please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101
V079745 - White Van Drives Off After Hitting Ambulance An investigation is underway after a driver crashed into an ambulance while paramedics were inside the vehicle treating a patient. The ambulance, which had been called to a medical emergency on Rhosddu Road, was stationary when a white van collided with the vehicle. The driver of the van failed to stop. As a result of the collision the vehicle was off the road for around half an hour while it was in the workshop. The patient was treated and discharged at the scene, and the ambulance was taken off the road temporarily for repairs to its wing mirror, which meant it was unavailable to respond to 999 calls for a short period.
V080188 – Missing Person – Aneeka Dodwell Aneeka Dodwell, from the Rhyl area has been reported missing since 30/5/17. She is 5’8 tall, blonde hair, slim build wearing white vest top & blue jeans. If you have any information please contact North Wales Police by dialling 101 quote OWL CYMRU V080188
V080240 - Theft from Vehicles in Sychdyn North Wales Police are investigating a number of reported thefts from vehicles in the Sychdyn area overnight. They are asking people to check their vehicles and contact them if you have any property missing, or your vehicle has been interfered with.
SCAMS/FRAUD ATTEMPTS : Here are the latest Tele-Fraud scams/cybercrime incidents reports received this week. Some are new types, some are repeat incidents. Please pass to others, help prevent them from becoming a victim of a scam, cybercrime, or crime.
SCAM AND SUSPICIOUS E MAILS, TEXTS OR LETTERS Remember, scam and phishing e mails are designed to panic you into reacting, or make you respond without thinking. Never automatically click on a link or respond without being sure that the sender is genuine
• A resident has recived an e mail claiming to be from HMRC stating they were due a tax refund. The resident could ‘claim the refund’ by downloading a form and completing their bank details. The recipient was aware it was a scam and did not respond. As a reminder, HMRC would not contact you in this way. Suspicious e mails claiming to be from HMRC can be sent to [email protected]
[email protected] Tel : 01352 708118 or dial 101 ask for extension 84144 ONLINE CRIME PREVENTION SHOP http://www.owlcymru.org/shop/shop.html
OWL WATCH CYMRU
CRIME WATCH NEWS
Edition 13 week ending 02.06.17
• A resident has had a message on their phone. The message claims they have been trying to contact the resident regarding ‘their PPI claim’. The message goes on to say they now know how much the resident is due. It then invites the recipient to reply POST to receive their pack or STOP to opt out. The recipient did not respond. OFCOM recommend that you don’t automatically text STOP to stop texts of this type, unless the text message is from a sender you are familiar with. See their full advice in the below link https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for- consumers/problems/tackling-nuisance-calls-and-messages/spam-texts
Action Fraud Smishing Fraud Alert: Smishing – the term used for SMS phishing – is an activity which enables criminals to steal victims’ money or identity, or both, as a result of a response to a text message. Smishing uses your mobile phone (either a smartphone or traditional non-internet connected handset) to manipulate innocent people into taking various actions which can lead to being defrauded.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has received information that fraudsters are targeting victims via text message, purporting to be from their credit card provider, stating a transaction has been approved on their credit card. The text message further states to confirm if the transaction is genuine by replying ‘Y’ for Yes or ‘N’ for No.
Through this method, the fraudster would receive confirmation of the victim’s active telephone number and would be able to engage further by asking for the victim’s credit card details, CVV number (the three digits on the back of your bank card) and/or other personal information. Protect yourself:
• Always check the validity of the text message by contacting your credit card provider through the number provided at the back of the card or on the credit card/bank statement. • Beware of cold calls purporting to be from banks and/or credit card providers. • If the phone call from the bank seems suspicious, hang up the phone and wait for 10 minutes before calling the bank back. Again, refer to the number at the back of the card or on the bank statement in order to contact your bank. • If you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, please report it to Action Fraud at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or alternatively by calling 0300 123 2040 & quote OWL Watch Cymru/Smishing fraud
Contactless Card Fraud Soars; Protect your money and your identity !
‘Which’ Magazine have warned that contactless card fraud has soared. We ae advised that contactless card fraud has soared by almost 150% last year. This is according to new figures from the UK’s leading fraud body. Financial Fraud Action (FFA) UK reported that the amount lost to contactless card fraud has leaped from £2.8m in 2015 to £6.9m in 2016. In 2014, the amount lost to this type of card fraud was just £153,000.
Use of contactless cards has rapidly increased, with more than £25.3bn spent on them throughout the whole of 2016. [email protected] Tel : 01352 708118 or dial 101 ask for extension 84144 ONLINE CRIME PREVENTION SHOP http://www.owlcymru.org/shop/shop.html
OWL WATCH CYMRU
CRIME WATCH NEWS
Edition 13 week ending 02.06.17
A reminder - What are contactless cards? Contactless debit or credit cards allow you to pay for items worth up to £30 at a time without entering your Pin. Every contactless card has a small chip in it that emits radio waves. To pay for something, you hold the card near a payment terminal, which picks up a signal and processes the transaction. You can tell whether your card is contactless by looking for a small logo on it which consists of four small curved lines, similar to the wi-fi symbol. The logo is also displayed on payment terminals that accept contactless payments.
Why has contactless card fraud increased? It’s important to see contactless card fraud in the context of how much is being spent on the cards today. FFA UK says that losses from contactless card fraud equates to 2.7p in every £100 spent using them, and that this represents a decrease from 3.6p in every £100 spent in 2015. It also says that ‘fraud on contactless cards and devices represents just 1.1% of overall card fraud.’
Are contactless cards safe to use? For the most part, yes. However, a number of flaws have been exposed with contactless cards. In 2015, Which? revealed a security flaw in contactless cards that thieves could exploit to make expensive online purchases. After easily and cheaply acquiring contactless card-reading technology from a mainstream website, Which? researchers were able to remotely ‘steal’ key details from a contactless card and use them to order items, one of which was a £3,000 TV.
Another risk has been identified when a contactless card has been stolen and subsequently used fraudulently, with the original card owners finding that payments have been processed on a card they have cancelled. This is because payments using the cards are authorised offline and processed later, not confirming that the card used for the payment is no longer in use.
If you are a victim of contactless card fraud, your bank should refund you immediately – unless it can prove youve acted negligently.
How do I stay safe using contactless cards? • Never hand over your card If your card is taken out of your sight someone could run it through a skimming device, which copies the data from its magnetic strip.
• Ask for a receipt Contactless users aren’t always offered a receipt – so if you want to keep track of spending and make sure you aren’t being overcharged, you may need to ask for one.
• Check your statements You should do this as regularly as possible to look for unusual transactions, including on lost or stolen cards as these can still be used after being cancelled.
PROTECT your cards - Card minder pouches are available to purchase from us for £1.00 each. RFID protected wallets are also available in two colours -brown and black. RFID protective purse/phone holders are also available in four colours contact us direct and help support your neighbourhood crime prevention initiatives
Its not just your cash that is vulnerable, so is your identity. We also have RFID protected passport holders available in three colours, black, blue and pink. They also have places for bank/credit cards. [email protected] Tel : 01352 708118 or dial 101 ask for extension 84144 ONLINE CRIME PREVENTION SHOP http://www.owlcymru.org/shop/shop.html
OWL WATCH CYMRU
CRIME WATCH NEWS
Edition 13 week ending 02.06.17
COLD CALLING TELEPHONE CALLS : remember, do not pass on any personal or banking information to a telephone cold caller. Scammers can be well prepared before making their call.
• A resident received a telephone call, claiming to be from BT. The caller stated there was a problem with the ‘computer security due to an IT failure.’ The caller stated they were phoning from the ‘Technical Department, working with BT. When the resident asked for a telephone number to ring the caller back they were told they could give them the number, but the residents internet would have to be cut off. The resident knew it was a scam and obtained the number – which did not exist. Their internet was not cut off.
• A resident received a telephone call claiming to be from the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). The resident is registered with them. The caller stated they were updating their details. The caller ‘checked the telephone number and address’. The resident was aware it was a scam and did not provide full confirmation of their details before hanging up. The TPS are aware of these type of calls and the callers attempt to get the person to pay to register. Enter the details of the below link into your browser for more information of bogus TPS calls. http://www.tpsonline.org.uk/tps/news1.html
• A resident received a telephone call from a person claiming to be a ‘legal solicitor’ for ‘the government’. The caller stated the resident needed to contact the number immediately, if not ‘legal action’ would be taken against them. The resident ignored the message and did not respond. We have no other information available relating to this call but our advice remains the same, do not pass on any information to a telephone cold caller.
CALL BLOCKERS ARE AVAILABLE FROM OWL WATCH CYMRU PROTECT – online crime prevention shop at a neighbourhood discounted price
North Wales Police Open Day – Postponed Last week we featured that the OWL Team would be at the North Wales Police Open Day on Saturday 3rd June. Unfortunately it has been postponed to support additional Policing needs. It has been rescheduled for Saturday 16th September a date for your diaries ! Come and meet our new crime prevention initiative ‘NEIGHBOURHOOD SUPERHEROES’ enter our family competition (for further information please contact us direct 01352 708118 or email [email protected] )
POSTPONED
[email protected] Tel : 01352 708118 or dial 101 ask for extension 84144 ONLINE CRIME PREVENTION SHOP http://www.owlcymru.org/shop/shop.html
OWL WATCH CYMRU
CRIME WATCH NEWS
Edition 13 week ending 02.06.17
UP AND COMMING EVENTS: Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th July – Buckley Football Tournament. We will be there, come & meet the team Monday 5th June – we will be hosting a Welsh Peer Mentoring Session Wednesday 7th June – we will be holding a safety & security day, Mold High Street/Market Day Friday 9th June – VolFest’17 – celebration day of volunteers & volunteering Here at OWL Watch Cymru we have a hardworking dedicated team of volunteers who contribute so much to us. They are out there in our communities, or in the office environment, community events & not to forget out fund raising team. BIG BIG THANK YOU Vacancies: we are seeking volunteers to help at community events & to help raise funds for our crime prevention interventions/initiatives.
Wrexham Hospital League of Friends Seek Volunteers - are looking for Volunteers to take Sweets and Drinks Trolley around the wards in the Maelor Hospital a couple of hours in the morning, once a week. For further information, please contact Mr Trevor Jones, Volunteers Co-ordinator on 07503 780 803.
British Summer Time is only 21 days away! Summer is a fantastic time for most people – please ensure you have completed a home safety check prior to your holiday and if going abroad do consider buying from us your RFID Passport wallet. Be prepared don’t become a victim of crime !
A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE OVER THE RECENT SCHOOL HOLIDAY PERIOD
[email protected] Tel : 01352 708118 or dial 101 ask for extension 84144 ONLINE CRIME PREVENTION SHOP http://www.owlcymru.org/shop/shop.html