Investment
C O M M U N I T Y W A T C H N O R F O L K C I T I Z E N S A DV I C E H I G H L I G H T S T H E TO P S C A M S - P 6 NEW SERVI CE TO BEAT the FRAUDSTERS - P4-5 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 2
Old people hit by criminals - P2-3 scam warning P11
Paul’s warning on equity scams - P16 FBI hunt for the crypto queen - P15
2 ELDERLY FRAUD VICTIMS commun itywatchp ublishing@gmail.c om T: 01268 566743 M: 07958753 92 Published by: Community Watch Publishing, 110 Clifton Avenue, Benfleet, Essex SS7 5QU Tel: 01268 566743 07958 475392 Email peterfau67@ gmail.com Editor: Peter Faulkner Website communitywatchpublishing.co.uk
And exper ts fear the true figure could be higher, as many pensioners are too scared to repor t crimes or don’t realise they’ve been a victim
THE elderly could be suffering a ‘silent epidemic’ of fraud after it emerged the over 70s have lost almost £1 billion in the past three years.
And this is despite the age group accounting for 19,059 of the total 178,772 cases logged among the over-70s.
Money Mail analysis of Action Fraud figures reveals scam victims aged over 70 lost about £977 million in total between April 2019 and 2022
The ver y elderly, aged between 90 and 99, repor ted £116
Of all age groups, it was victims in their 50s who suffered the biggest total loss in each one of the three years, Action Fraud’s figures show continued on page 3
People in their 20s and 30s repor ted the most incidents of fraud, but their losses averaged less than half those of the over 90s, at £2,391 £825 million over the same period
Pensioners are easy prey to the criminal gangs after their cash
Pensioners have been cheated out of almost £1b and now crooks are buying their personal data for just 16p
million stolen, an average of £6,097 each
He also warned that Google and Facebook need to do ‘ a lot more ’ to stop people’s money disappearing ‘in a puff of smoke’ after responding to a fraudulent adver t online
UK businesses are reportedly getting caught by fraudsters more often than the global average.
This might not have been the first in stance in which Meta has handed data over when it shouldn't have.
The BBC laid the blame squarely on Meta for not scrubbing its platform clean from this type of illegal activity.
Meta has responded to the allegations, saying: “We remove this content when we become aware of it and have taken down the groups in question.”
A Bloomberg report has accused Apple and Meta of handing over sensi tive data to cybercriminals who had been impersonating police, and who managed to steal data from numerous tech companies using the trick.
“It’s a silent epidemic If you have eld erly relatives, or people you care for, you can almost assume they are going to be a victim.’
“And vulnerable elderly people , such as those with dementia, are at higher risk as they are unlikely to realise they have been scammed.
The personal data was said to in clude names, home addresses, email addresses, estimated net worth as well as estimated income bracket.
Wealthy pensioners are particularly at risk, the BBC says, with many Face book posts advertising sets of data with tags such as “rich people”, “high income”, “home owners”, and “old age”
A solid majority 64% of UK firms experienced an instance of fraud in the last two years, an increase from 56% in 2020, and well above the global average of 46% according to PWC's Global Economic Crime Survey
from page 2
where they are pressured into sending money to crooks posing as banks and tax officials, as they tend to trust figures of authority
Liz Ziegler, director of fraud and fi nancial crime at Lloyds Bank, explains: “Older people tend to be at higher risk of more complex scams, like investment, impersonation or romance scams, with fraudsters going to great lengths to con vince their victim to hand over their cash
Anyone can find the private details of a person on the dark web, but now it seems the criminals are buying that data off Facebook groups for just 16p a person
Exper ts suggest older generations are more at risk from impersonation scams,
Irish regulators have decided to force the social media giant to stop sending users ' data to the US, forcing them to store data locally.
The concerns follow repor ts last week that sensitive and private data of wealthy elderly people is being sold to scammers on Facebook for as little as 16p.
Professor Keith Brown, formerly of Bournemouth University and an exper t in safeguarding adults, says: “The fraud that occurs among elderly people who live alone is under repor ted and victims are too ashamed to come forward.
One major bank says its figures also show the amount of money lost to fraud increases with the victim’s age
The news comes as the way in which Facebook handles data is coming under greater scrutiny, at least within the EU
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Professor Brown added: “It’s about loneliness, too. Older people who live alone and do not have someone in the house to “ sense check” things are more susceptible to coercive control.”
Posts adver tising data for sale such as ‘UK old age high income leads’ are prevalent on the social networking site , according to an investigation by the BBC
Unfortunately being young and a long way from home ownership might not protect you from cyber crime
When confronted with this investiga tion on LBC radio, technolog y and digi tal economy minister Chris Philp admitted fraud is a ‘huge problem’ and ‘shockingly’ still growing
TODAY’S pensioners are able to live a fairly luxurious lifestyle with mortgage free homes, holidays abroad and regularly dining out with friends on their pension pots.
The Daily Mail revealed last month that Britain has become the fraud capi tal of the world and is campaigning for a major overhaul to the system.
Personal data and wealth sold online for just 16p
But today’s pensioners are also the potential victims of today’s criminals who see them as easy targets.
“This is in contrast to the more com mon purchase scam, where we typically see younger people tricked into buying things such as fake trainers, with the amounts involved smaller overall but occurring more frequently.”
BBC Breakfast Live was apparently able to purchase the details of 1,000 people living in Britain for just £160.
Fraudsters also know younger people typically have less money to lose , whereas those approaching retirement have often accrued large sums of sav ings
His comments came alongside a re por t from Action Fraud that stated the public had made over 12million repor ts to the Suspicious Email Repor ting Ser v ice (SERS), with the removal of more than 83,000 scams and 153 malicious websites continued on page 5
to be from reputable companies to gain access to personal information from other networks by 76 per cent.
New data from the telecoms body showed that one provider blocked 142 million fraudulent texts in nine months, while another disconnected 60,000 SIM cards that were sending scam texts.
It claimed this was “in line with the reduction in scam messages reaching customers”, adding the National Cyber Security Centre’s takedown ser vice had also removed 2 7million scams online in the past year
The Home Office said that telecoms body Mobile UK’s 7726 anti scam ser v ice had been key in the reduction of scam texts and the hike in disconnected SIM cards sending fraudulent messages
The Home Office said another net work reduced fraudulent texts by 97 per cent and cut “smishing” when fraudsters sent text messages claiming
4 BEATING FRAUD T: 01 268 566 743 M: 0795 875392 c ommu nitywatch publishin g@gmail .c om
However, Detective Chief Superin
TENS of millions of fraudulent texts and tens of thousands of SIM cards have been blocked with the help of an antifraud ser vice
tendent Oliver Shaw, from City of Lon don Police’s Action Fraud, said this month that phishing scams “continue to pose a significant threat for both indi viduals and businesses”
The 7726 anti scam ser vice provides operators with information and intelli gence to help them tackle fraud.
The Home Office said figures show that repor ts to the ser vice had dropped by nearly 90 per cent from 500,000 repor ts down to 50,000 since August last year.
Anti-scam service makes texts and messages disappear
“I would urge ever yone to be vigilant of unexpected messages or calls that ask for your personal or financial infor mation,” he added
Fraud and suspicious text messages surged during the pandemic , prompting network providers and the Government to enact a series of measures in the past nine months to give greater protections to consumers
rise in scam texts during the pandemic , which saw consumers defrauded of around £2 35bn last year ”
What else is the Government doing on fraud?
scam.
for a message that comes out of the blue. 2 Only click on a link or download an attachment if you’re sure it’s genuine. 3 Look at the spelling and layout. If it has mistakes or looks odd in any way, don’t reply and delete. 4. Take your time. A scam may use warnings or threats to try to get you to act with out thinking 5. Double- check before you pay. Confirm payment details before you pay an invoice or bill. 6. Call the person or business on a number you trust, not one from an invoice or message. 7 Besides blocking the sender and deleting the text, recipients can also report the text they receive to 7726.
What to do if you think its a scam
or banking
from page 4
an obvi
1. The broad advice is to keep money and details safe. move money, personal details
The group of cross par ty MPs’ repor t called on the Government to legislate against online fraudulent adver ts and se riously consider whether online giants should reimburse those who fall victim to scams on their platforms
This year, the Treasur y Committee pub lished its findings into the state of fraud across the financial ser vices and banking sectors, and beyond.
All banks provide advice for customers about best course of action to faced withyet dangerous
It said the most impersonated organisa tions in phishing emails repor ted last year were the NHS, HMRC and gov.uk.
Priti
Home Secretar y Priti Patel said: “I am committed to tackling the scourge of fraud and to protecting the public from these crimes
the
The Home Office stated the char ter was developed “in response to a dramatic
Fur themore , the Committee is urging for the Government to legislate when it comes to reimbursements for “autho rised push payment fraud payment” to assist victims fur ther when they are tar geted by fraudsters.
All major UK networks pledged to roll out these measures, which were set out in the Telecommunications Fraud Sector Char ter agreed between the Home Of fice and Telecommunications sector in October 2021
Actions included putting firewall solu tions in place to detect and stop scam texts reaching customers The firewalls use sophisticated monitoring and filtering to identify and block fraudulent mes sages
This included introducing firewalls to block fraudulent messages and carr ying out extra checks on SIM cards.
make a payment or give
their
your
take when
Patel
Signed by BT EE, Sky Mobile , Tesco Mo bile , Three , Virgin Media O2 and Voda fone , the Char ter sets out nine voluntar y actions to protect individuals and busi nesses from fraud.
Never
BEATING FRAUD 5
Whilst the public become more aware of some scams, others continue to ap pear in their place .
ous
“In October 2021, Ofcom revealed that 45million people the majority of the UK population had received a scam text or call in the period June Septem ber 2021,” it said
“We will shor tly be publishing a strat eg y setting out fur ther actions we can take with industr y to crack down on this despicable crime ”
● Rebates and refunds (28%)
MP, Paul Scully, said: “While the gov ernment is providing £37 billion this year to help families with the cost of living, it is disgraceful that scammers are using the difficult times families have been facing to rip them off
● Someone pretending to be from the government or HMRC (41%)
● Online shopping (24%)
● You’ve been pressured to transfer money quickly
● Text scams can be repor ted to your mobile phone provider by forwarding it to 7726
● Also repor t the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
“This means they face even greater risks of being caught by unscrupulous and illegal practices by those who are
More than three quar ters of UK adults said they have been targeted by a scammer this year - a 14% increase compared to this time last year
While the government is providing £37 billion this year to help families with the cost of living, it is disgraceful that scammers are using the difficult times families have been facing to rip them off.
The most common types of scams reported included:
● Deliveries, postal or courier ser vices (55%)
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● You’ve been asked to give away per sonal information such as passwords, PINs or other verification codes
She said: “When I checked my bal ance my hear t literally dropped. I had no money, I couldn't buy any food
PAUL SCULLY, MP
Cost of living criminals
Ahead of many households receiving vital government help for the cost of living crisis, Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Par tnership have launched their annual Scams Awareness campaign to help people protect them selves from oppor tunistic scammers
“I went to Citizens Advice , I was so distraught and really upset I really do not know what I would have done without the food and fuel vouchers as I don’t have anyone to ask for help
“I urge ever yone to repor t scams to Citizens Advice so we can stop these crooks in their tracks ”
intent on exploiting the already difficult situation people find themselves in "
If you’ve been scammed:
John Herriman, Chief Executive of Char tered Trading Standards Institute , said: "Ever yone is at risk of being scammed but the cost of living crisis results in more and more consumers facing increasing levels of vulnerability.
● Repor t the scam to the Citizens Ad vice website or by calling 0808 223 1133 Repor t online scams to the dedicated Scams Action ser vice either online or on 0808 250 5050
● You suspect you ’ re not dealing with a real company, organisation or a genuine person take a moment to step back and double check
Sheree , 65, lives alone and has around £800 a month from her private pension and Personal Independence Payment benefit to cover essential bills and care
Citizens Advice consumer exper t Jane Parsons gives her five top tips to stay scam aware She warns:
sion age , disabled or on a low income
● You’ve been asked to pay in an unusual way like by an iTunes vouchers or a transfer ser vice
● Health or medical (13%)
Citizens Advice has seen a range of different cost-of-living scam tactics used by scammers
● Talk to your bank or card company immediately if you ’ ve handed over any financial and sensitive information or made a payment
● Someone offering a fake investment or financial ‘get rich quick’ schemes (29%)
● Banking (27%)
● Energ y scams (12%)
MILLIONS more people have been tar geted by scammers as the cost of living crisis takes hold, new research by Citizens Advice has found
“My bank did manage to get my money back, but the whole thing was extremely stressful ”
● It seems too good to be true for example , scammers pretending to be energ y companies to lure people into “too good to be true” deals
6 SC AMS ALER T
These have included emails claiming to be from the regulator Ofgem asking people to enter their bank details to get the £400 energ y rebate , or claiming the government is giving £200,000 out at random to people who are of pen
She was targeted by a scam which saw the fraudsters spend almost £1,000 on her card despite her having never shopped online
HSBC , for example , says it wanted the front card design 'to be simple , clean and effective to benefit our cus tomers with disabilities. By moving all the text to the back of the card, the text can be bigger and bolder
However, having no numbers on show still does not stop fraudsters completely, so you still need to be vigi lant The fact that a card still exists digi tally means there is still a risk your details can be stolen and used online . What if I am blind or partially sighted? Removing the notches and embossed numbers from the front is likely to concern customers who are blind or par tially sighted, but many have been designed with these people in mind.
Numberless credit and debit cards are now being introduced by many banks as a way to cut down on fraud and also make changing your banking details much easier within the app
don’t want one at all Seven in ten (71%) said it’s because they don’t see the benefit.
Numberless cards are a growing trend with credit and debit card providers, said to be more secure than cards that prominently display banking information.
Usually, it’s just the front that’s blank, with the details appearing on the back instead, but some cards have no num bers at all.
Earlier this year Barclaycard removed numbers from the front of newly is sued credit cards, and NatWest fol
Since then, the trend has spread to the high street, with major banks and credit card providers jumping on the numberless bandwagon
If you think a fraudster has somehow got hold of your card details, you can generate new details within the app and then carr y on spending as usual
lowed suit in April Other banks that have redesigned their debit and credit cards in this way include HSBC and First Direct Banks and credit card companies claim removing numbers reduces the risk of fraudsters stealing your personal details, as they're much less prominent Chase , which launched in the UK last September, says that having no numbers at all protects customers should they lose their card Instead, your payment details are stored in the banking app
CREDIT C ARD S AFET Y 7 T: 01 268 566 743 M: 0795 875392 c ommunitywatc hpublishi ng@gmail.com
So here’s everything you need to know about this new trend: These are debit or credit cards which feature no digits that includes the card number, expir y/issue date and CVV number.
B ANKS including Chase , HSBC , First Direct and Barclays are among the banks to have stopped issuing credit and debit cards with 16 digit numbers across the front in a bid to tackle fraud Instead they either put them on the back of the card instead, or in the case of Chase doing away with num bers altogether
Of the majority (63%) who haven’t currently got one , around half (46%)
Most (83%) members who do cur rently own a numberless card, however, claim their experience of using it is no different than before .
Number’s up for criminals
However, customers aren't necessar ily as on board as the banks In a sur vey of 1,097 Which? members in July 2022, around a third (36%) told said they have already received a number less card
With almost half (45%) of those sur veyed saying they don’t know if they want one or not, it’s clear a lot of peo ple remain unsure about numberless cards
Numberless cards were first intro duced in Europe by UK payment ser v ice company Cur ve in 2020, but Apple’s numberless credit card was the first mainstream product on the market when it was launched in the US in March 2019
Officers had cause to search a residential property in Sprowston on 3 Februar y this year
A King’s Lynn man has been given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) after he was abusive towards staff at a COVID-19 vaccination centre.
Nigel Malt, 44, was convicted by a jur y of six women and six men at Norwich Crown Cour t following a four week trial Reaching a unanimous decision, the jur y took just eight hours to return the verdict
Hayden Brown, of Burgh Road, tipped his green wheelie bin over in the street when binmen refused to collect it after spotting electrical equipment and stones mixed in with the recycling
Walker pushed his way in after being told he could only enter if he had an ap pointment. Once inside, he told staff he was an ‘anti vaxer ’ and shouted at mem bers of the public waiting for appoint ments, calling them ‘murderers’
A FATHER from King’s Lynn who ran over his daughter in a “fit of rage ” fol lowing an argument has been found guilty of her murder
Refuse collectors for Great Yarmouth Borough Ser vices (GYBS) check the bins for contamination which can pre vent batches of recycling from being processed Brown was prosecuted by Great Yarmouth Borough Council for fly tipping following the incident which happened on August 5, 2021
The pair continued to argue in the street before Malt got in his car, initially driving off with Lauren following on foot
Brown pleaded guilty to an offence under the Environmental Protection Act at Great Yarmouth Magistrates Court
Malt had denied murdering his 19 year old daughter Lauren Malt outside her home in Leete Way, West Winch, on Sunday 23 Januar y
A MAN from Thetford has been sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison for drugs offences
Malt stopped the car and reversed at speed, hitting Lauren with the car be fore driving forward, running over her
sion with intent to supply class A drugs
As Bassam reached the junction of Overcross and started to turn right, he crossed into the path of motorcylist Peter Charlebois who was riding a Harley Davidson travelling on the C142 in the opposite direction to Mr Bassam
The cour t heard that on the evening of her murder, Malt had driven to her home address where he argued with her and her par tner
A GORLESTON man who dumped rubbish in the road has been left with a £434 court bill
Death driver
Bassam, of Orchard Way, Banham, Nor wich, was sentenced to 300 hours com munity ser vice and an 18 month driving ban with extended test.
Following searches, a large quantity of suspected class A drugs was recovered from the driver’s jacket pocket.
Covid Centre abuse
Officers had cause to stop a silver Ford Focus on Bracken Road in Thetford in December 2020
CRIME A AND COMMU NITY NEW S
Ran daughter down
This was later identified as cocaine with a street value in the region of £16,000. Officers also seized a mobile phone and £90 in cash.
Walker appeared in court again last month for sentencing where he was fined £850, ordered to pay costs of £720 and a victim surcharge of £85
Drug supplier jailed
Wheelie bin fury
He entered a guilty plea and appeared at Norwich Crown Cour t and was sent to prison for 3 years 4 months
A MAN has been sentenced to five years in prison for at Norwich Crown Court for drugs offences
T: 0 1268 566 743 M: 0795 875392 c ommunitywatc hpublish ing@gmail com 8 NORFOLK CRIME & COMMUNIT Y NEW S
Spencer Walker, 53 and of Charlock, had denied one count of threatening be haviour but was convicted at Peterbor ough Magistrates Court.
Drugs hidden in car
The charges related to an incident in when Walker went into the COVID 19 vaccination centre on King’s Street.
He was fined £250, ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £34 and £150 costs
Asghar, 23, and of no fixed abode, was arrested at the scene and charged with possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, namely crack cocaine and heroin
A VAN driver has been sentenced to community ser vice and a driving ban for death by careless or inconsiderate driv ing after a fatal collision with a motorcy clist
Noel Bassam, 36, appeared at Norwich Crown Court and was found guilty of death by careless or inconsiderate driv ing Bassam had previously pleaded guilty to the offence at an earlier hearing.
The 26 year old driver, Kiefer Viccars, of London Road in the town, was ar rested and later charged with posses
Bassam was driving a silver Ford Transit Connect van along the C142 in the di rection of Banham on Saturday 20 June 2020 when the fatal collision happened.
On arrival, officers found Fadhel Asghar inside the property with two dinner plates containing suspected class A drugs, later identified as crack cocaine and heroin Several hundred wraps, a quantity of cash and mobile phones were also found at the location
After the court case the council's en vironment committee chairman Paul Well said: “Our colleagues in GYBS monitor bins carefully and this success ful prosecution shows that we will sup port them in doing their jobs.”
Residents can provide information by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer helpline (anonymously if you wish) or via their online form at www citizensad vice org uk/consumer or by calling 101 (use 999 in an emergency).
Tobacco raids hit jackpot
“We hope that these raids will raise awareness about our campaign, and we would encourage Norfolk residents to come forward with any information they may have about illegal tobacco sold in their communities by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 "
“Sellers of illegal tobacco may be in volved in other criminal activity, including organised crime
The action follows an investigation by the Watton Beat Team, PC Austin Clarke and PC Edward Arbuthnot targeting the importation and sale of illegal tobacco products and vapes
& COMMUNIT Y NEW S 9
CR IME E AND COMMU NITY NEW S
Part of the haul of 32,000 cigarettes seized by police and trading standrads in Norfolk
put our youngest residents at risk be cause they are selling harmful goods at ‘pocket money ’ prices
Inspector Shaun Baker from Norfolk Police said: “This result highlights our commitment to work with partners to target criminal activity.
The illegal tobacco and vapes seized in a series of four raids from a number of locations on the High Street in Watton last month as part of Operation Casablanca.
NORFOLK CRIME
Norfolk County Council Trading Stan dards and Norfolk Police are always ready to respond to any intelligence they receive
Margaret Dewsbur y, Norfolk County Council’s Cabinet member for Commu nities and Partnerships said: "These raids are an important part of our ongoing campaign, working with partners, to tackle the supply of illegal tobacco in Norfolk.
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AN estimated 32,000 illegal cigarettes have been seized in Watton as part of a joint operation between Norfolk Police and Norfolk County Council Trading Standards.
“These four raids are part of our on going campaign, working with partners, to tackle the supply of illegal tobacco products in Norfolk.
‘pocket money ’ prices.
“Undoubtedly, joint operations such as theses will raise awareness and we would encourage Norfolk residents to come forward with any information they may have about illegal tobacco sold in their communities.”
“The people that sell illegal tobacco
“The people that sell illegal tobacco and vapes put our youngest residents at risk this has been highlighted in the local and national press in recent days be cause they are selling harmful goods at
CR IME AND COMMUNITY NEWS
2 x tyre tread below legal limit
2 x using a mobile phone whilst driving
7 x incorrect window tints
THOUSANDS of young peo ple across the county have benefitted from a specialist project aimed at highlighting the dangers of criminal ex ploitation and gangs.
5 x driving without a seatbelt
3 x vehicle in dangerous condition
Intensive one to one support was also offered for those deemed at high risk and awareness raising sessions delivered to parents and teach ers.
5 x no insurance
Some 10 per cent of the edu cation settings were primary schools, 19 per cent alternative provision, 19 per cent further education and 52 per cent high schools.
2 x exhaust offences
“Some of the vehicles stopped, were in such an unroadwor thy condition that they have been immediately taken off the road
Project praised for exploitation advice
“This operation was setup in order to tar get the growing number of fake driving li cences being used by drivers on our roads, par ticularly in the Great Yarmouth area.
A total of 74 vehicles were stopped throughout the two days of action and over 35 Traffic Offence Repor ts (TOR) were issued.
Operation Foxtail saw officers conduct ing both intelligence led patrols as well as high visibility vehicle checks in order to target individuals in possession of fake driving licences
3 x no MOT
The report praises St Giles, who with support from the OPCCN, adapted their delivery style by introducing online webinars when the pandemic hit, ensuring guidance and sup port remained in place
Thir teen vehicles were immediately seized from use on the roads and 36 TORs were issued for the following offences, some drivers having committed more than one offence:
5 x driving without a valid licence
The initiative took place between Thurs day 7 July and Friday 8 July and involved of ficers from the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Roads and Armed Policing Team, Great Yarmouth Policing Team and immigration officers, with enforcement taking place on the Acle New Road.
“This has put the message out there , that we are cracking down on the use of coun terfeit driving licences, which run the risk of prison time ”
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St Giles received £89,028 under the Hidden Victims’ Fund and a further £87,737 under the Home Office’s Early Intervention Youth Fund to run the three year project with an aim to provide 120 preven tative sessions to around 8,600 schoolchildren in Norfolk.
National charity, St Giles, were first commissioned by OPCCN in November 2018 to run the SOS+ Project with delivery beginning in April 2019.
Blitz on drivers with fake driving licences
Four arrests were made for the follow ing offences:
2 x using a fake driving licence
And its all thanks to funding and support from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk.
1 x money laundering
5 x number plate offences
“These drivers pose a huge risk to not only themselves but to other road users since offenders will never have passed a driving test and evidenced a competent standard of driving
“This has been a successful couple of days stopping people and vehicles which shouldn’t be using the road network
1 x immigration offence
A typical fake driving licence
An evaluation report has since revealed however de spite challenges posed by the pandemic the project team ‘far exceeded’ its target with some 160 sessions being deliv ered to 12,130 children and young people at 42 different education settings.
1 x incorrectly registered vehicle
OFFICERS have been targeting motorists with fake driving licences as par t of a road policing initiative in Great Yarmouth.
The FCA has found that nearly half (47%) of investors would fail to identify a screen sharing scam, as it reveals an in crease of 86% in cases in one year, with 2,014 cases and over £25 million in loses.
With the pandemic increasing use of video conferencing and remote plat forms to both work and socialise, scam
Its research shows 51% of investors would check the FCA’s Warning List be fore making an investment but 47% would not
FC A SC AM RESEARCH 11
Her case is just one of thousands the FCA has seen reported to its consumer helpline.
Using platforms including Teams, TeamViewer and Zoom, screen sharing scams not only involve consumers shar ing their financial data but scammers have also been able to embed them selves in victims’ digital devices to access online banking and investment details.
However, of the 91% who said they would never share their PIN with a stranger, 85% would not think a request by a website to use or download soft ware as a warning sign that someone was seeking to gain illegal access to per sonal information on your device
Likewise, while 88% said they would check if their investments were offered or sold by FCA firms, 10% of these peo ple would still trust their gut instinct with an investment opportunity from someone they didn’t know without mak ing proper checks, like ensuring the firm or the financial promotion is properly authorised.
Although older respondents admitted needing more help with technology, younger investors are not immune: a quarter (26%) of those aged 18 34 would agree to screensharing their on line banking or investment portal with someone they had not met.
In one case, 49 year old Angela Under hill was persuaded to download remote desktop software to secure an invest ment and lost over £48,000 while scam mers accessed her banking details, her pension, and applied for loans on her be half
Get smart to protect savings
The FCA is calling on all investors to be ScamSmart and check the advice on our Scamsmart website, including their Warning List before making any invest ment decisions
In one case, 59-year-old Angela Underhill was persuaded to download remote desktop software to secure an investment and lost over £48,000 while scammers accessed her banking details
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Angela clicked on an advertisement for bitcoin and received a call from individu als claiming to be financial advisers
The research also revealed other fac tors which might tempt investors to make a snap decision: 23% said they would be encouraged if the person they were speaking to appeared knowledge able about investing; 17% said the possi bility of securing better returns than elsewhere, and 14% would be encour aged if that person appeared to be suc cessful with displays of wealth
WITH over £25 million lost so far, the FCA launched its latest ScamSmart cam paign urging people to be aware of increasingly sophisticated investment scam tactics
The Warning List is a list of firms that are not authorised or registered by the FCA, and are known to be running scams.
The campaign aims to raise aware ness of criminals tactics and help in vestors spot the warning signs by checking its warning list
mers are taking advantage of a growing familiarity with requests for screen shar ing.
Offering to complete the first invest ment for her, they asked her to down load the ‘AnyDesk’ platform, which then gave the scammers open access to all the financial details on her computer
This will help identify any firms that are actively running scams, or flag to in vestors where additional research is needed If you deal with an unauthorised firm, you will not be covered by the Fi nancial Ombudsman Service or Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if things go wrong
HOMEOWNERS are urged to be on their guard against rogue traders when having work done on their home , fol lowing a rise in complaints.
trades most likely to be targeted by rogue operators
confronted the tradesperson.
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A fur ther 28 per cent resor ted to leaving bad reviews online , and more than a quar ter posted about it on social media. However, 15 per cent admitted they did nothing
Complaints about cowboy builders soared by almost a third last year com pared to the previous year, according to Citizens Advice Bureau.
With more than 14,000 complaints lodged in the first four months of this year, there could be a similar number of complaints recorded in 2022. It also revealed that window fitters, kitchen fitters and general builders were the
More than half of Britons have had someone knock on their door unin vited saying they could help with work on their proper ty, according to Nation wide .
Rogue builder complaints
Despite the poor quality work, al most two in five said the money paid wasn't returned. Of the 48 per cent of people who did get some back, only one in five were fully refunded
A great first step for homeowners is to always demand proof of a trade body membership from any trades person they are considering hiring
When seeing poor quality work, nearly a third of Britons claim to have
For more help go to helpdesk@ kiistone co uk or see Page 13
What is a rogue trader? Generally, individuals or companies who carr y out work to such a poor standard that it requires fixing or redo ing to bring it up to the required level are considered rogue traders.
Once work has begun it can quickly become a ver y disruptive and expen sive mistake For example , poor work on the kitchen is likely to cost more than £4,500 on average to put right.
At face value , it is not easy to distin guish between a rogue and a genuine professional It is therefore essential for homeowners to do their own due diligence .
However, it's impor tant not to just take the tradesperson's word for it. Most trade associations will have a di rector y of their members
According to the data, 43,359 people in England repor ted being scammed by cowboy builders in 2021, a huge 31 per cent rise from the 33,064 repor ts in 2020.
It may also be wise to check the firm out on Companies House , to see how long it has been trading
More than two in five Britons have either fallen victim to one or know someone who has, according to re search by Nationwide .
It can also help getting multiple quotes for any major job, asking each tradesperson questions to assess their exper tise and decide whether or not you trust them.
They pointed out that the process, time, stress, and money involved are dispropor tionate, certainly against rogue traders who know the chase to recover money is often off putting so people just let it go
CONVICTED 1
This CCJ will blight their credit record for six years, but it is not a criminal of fence for them to ignore the ruling.
Kiistone is the key to peace of mind and is a small price to pay when you calculate the thousands you could lose or the condi tion your home coud be left in
Built to reflect Tim's 23 years experience as a tradesperson, Kiistone safeguards all parties interests in a project by holding monies safely in escrow (a neutral bank account)
Rogue trader gallery
IF you lost money because you paid a rogue trader up front and he disappeared without completing the work, you have an option get a County Court judgement
Figures from the Registry Trust show that only 16% of CCJs in England and Wales were recorded by the courts as satisfied between 2020 and 2021, which means the vast majority went unpaid
A legal epert told Kiistone, that the sys tem is unfit for purpose for claims under £3,000
And that is the catch say Kiistone County Court cases can take up to nine months to get to court and enforcement is effective only if the defendant has sufficient assets
The Kiistone App is a revolutionary way to approach major building work and hopefully will end the reign of hundred’s of rogue tradesmen
Adam Priestley, who conned 58 victims across Yorkshire and Lancashire out of almost £500,000, was jailed for five and a half years by Leeds Crown Cour t
ROUNDING-UP THE COWBOYS 13
process if the defendant fails to provide evidence to the court that they’ve paid ”
John Ward from Burnley has been sentenced to two years in prison after being found guilty of using false names to adver tise and solicit building work in Bris tol via the Rated People website
This can all be avoided with if people sign up to the Kiistone App.
Mark Buck, 49, from Somerset, was described by Trading Stan dards as " one of the worst rogue builders" it had ever had to deal with. He has now been given five years in prison by Bristol Crown Cour t after taking money from customers and leaving them with water pouring through their ceilings
The App has been produced by Tim Mullock and it has been specifically de signed to ensure that builders cannot rip you off like the criminals opposite
The likelihood of the client getting any financial compensation is virtually nil So having lost money to a rogue trader, you now have to face up to the fact that you are still no further forward
During each issue we will be highlight cases of shoddy and often dangerous work so that you take the correct steps before employing any builder to do work on your home. To be safe and to be sure, use the Kiistone App and this will save you untold heartache and heartbreak...and money.
They said there needs to be a speedier system with an automated recovery
In extreme cases of negligence where a continuous pattern of fraud can be proven criminal convictions can be brought as our rogues gallery proves To book a call contact helpdesk@kiistone.co.uk
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All messages, extras and job changes are recorded on the spot to avoid misunderstandings and reflect both parties' conduct should a dispute arise
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It offsets project stages against money milestones where funds can only be drawn down after a stage has been completed to the customers satisfaction
The trader also benefits because they know the money is ‘ringfenced’ allowing them to purchase materials and invest time in a job leading to immediate payment on completion
M a r k B u c k o n e o f t h e w o r s t ro g u e b u i l d e r s
For claims worth less than £300, the cost of pursuing the defendant can exceed the sum they owe
Kiistone, key to peace of mind
A judge will almost certainly rule in your favour and award you damages to cover your losses Also the trader will have what is known as a CCJ against his or the company ’ s name which affects his reputation
Kiistone, which aims to protect con sumers from rogue traders, provides peace of mind to honest tradespeople and re store faith and improve the image of the building industry.
Sole traders can have their private pos sessions seized, but directors of limited companies cannot be held personally liable
AVE
In the UK alone, there are thought to be around 136,000 people living and working in conditions of modern slavery, in cluding in nail bars, construction sites, restaurants, cannabis farms, car washes and across county lines.
Police nationwide say residents everywhere should be aware of the slave trade at places like car washes
when taking into account the fact that, according to a survey conducted by Themis last year, 30% of financial services profes sionals - and 45% of senior managers - do not think modern slavery exists in the UK
“It shows us that these types of high profile stories really do have an impact with the public, and it’s resonating with those who might have spotted something concerning or might have been in a situation that’s similar to Sir Mo’s and the story that he told to the BBC,” she said.
These figures are concerning enough on their own; more so
“I did this documentary for them, so they could understand more about the experiences that led us to becoming the family we are today. Not every child will have the easiest start in life, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go on to achieve their dreams
A TRAFFICKING charity has said they have seen a 20% rise in calls and a 15% rise in overall contact since Mo Farah an nounced in a documentary that he was trafficked as a child.
In the documentary, Sir Mo said he was helped to obtain UK citizenship by his school PE teacher Alan Watkin son, while still using the name Mo hamed Farah.
Sir Mo Farah was brought to the UK illegally as a child and forced to work as a domestic servant, something that is hap pening today
I’m so proud have represented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete. But, not all children have the start in life I had and I did this documentary to help highlight the problem SIR MO FARAH
Justine Carter, director of Unseen UK, said some callers had explicitly mentioned Sir Mo as a prompt for reaching out
Sir Mo stands up for slaves AS A SL
In truth, it's on the increase, with the number of potential victims of modern slavery in the UK up by 20%. The term modern slavery is used to encompass any form of human trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced labour, and is a lucrative practice; it is the world’s third most profitable crime, behind drugs and arms trafficking, generating an estimated $150 billion in profits every year
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“People feel very alone and isolated when they’re in that situation them selves, so knowing that somebody else has been a victim of this type of crime and is still suffering from all of the experiences that they’ve had as a child I think is really crucial ”
Some victims are pressurised to perform non consensual or abusive sexual acts, such as prosti tution, escort work and pornography. Women and children make up the majority of victims, but men can also be affected.
He said:: “I’m so proud have repre sented Great Britain and to achieved what I have as a GB athlete But, my proudest achievement will always be being a husband and father to my amazing family
Victims are forced to work against their will, often working very long hours for little or no pay in dire con ditions under verbal or physical threats of violence to them or their families. It can happen in many sec tors of the economy.
14 TRAFFICKED
They might also have their benefits taken over by their exploiter and can even be used for organ harvesting, the illegal removal of a person ' s internal organs which can then be sold
Nurse IN COVID arrest
It was the first underground counter feit cigarette factor y discovered in the European Union. Police found the site underneath some stables near Moran, a mountain town in southern Malaga
She has been missing since 2017 when US officials signed an arrest war rant and investigators began closing in on her.
Police believe that the two suspects are par t of a larger criminal enterprise , dealing in the trafficking of counterfeit cash to Ukraine , and Western Europe consequences "
The 11 sectors most directly im pacted by counterfeiting are estimated by have lost more than €83 billion in sales between 2013 and 2017, EUIPO said in its latest repor t
Forged cash seized
Federal investigators accuse the fugi tive of using the scheme to defraud vic tims worldwide out of more than $4bn (£3.2bn).
She is the only woman on the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted list
FAKE FAGS factory
COUNTERFEIT CDs
Among those arrested was a 30 year old British national identified only by his initials D D who was believed to be one of the ringleaders
SPANISH police have rescued six workers who were left trapped and gasping for air in a counterfeit cigarette factor y located in a bunker four metres underground, police and Europol said
The prosecutor’s office said the amount of counterfeit money taken in was $4 million and €3 6 million
Two warrants were carried out at commercial premises on Indigo Road and Eastham Village Road A third war rant took place at a residential address on Sutherland Drive Officers from PIPCU, with the sup por t from the Nor th West Police Intel lectual Proper ty Crime Unit, seized 32,254 fake CDs being sold on Amazon
Capable of producing more than 3,500 cigarettes an hour, the manufac turing complex was fitted with living quar ters and beds
In addition, more than 670,000 legiti mate jobs were lost while governments missed out on €15 billion in tax revenue per year
The nurse did the same thing with some family members known to be anti vaxxer activists Even her own booster dose was fake , say police
dollars and euro notes
Ignatova also owns a £13,5m man sion in London which is kept under regular sur veillance
EU loses €15b in tax
EUROPEAN member states lose out on €15 billion of tax revenues annually because of counterfeiting, the EU Intel lectual Proper ty Office claimed.
The person wanted the cer tificatemandator y to enter many public places in Italy but didn't want the vaccine
Crypto Queen on the run
The Bulgarian woman, believed to be in her 40s, is wanted for her alleged role in running a cr yptocurrency scam known as OneCoin
THIS Ferrari can do more than 200mph and was once the proud posses sion of notorious criminals. Now, it is being used to chase them. Police in the Czech Republic have added their livery to a Ferrari 458 Italia which used to be "criminal property”. Featuring a highly tuned 4.5 litre V8 en gine, it will be used to pursue the "most aggressive drivers on Czech high ways " , officers said. It will also be deployed against illegal races which pass through different countries, of which there were about 30 a year before the coronavirus pandemic. Such events feature vehicles similar to the Ital ian supercar with "extreme performance that normal patrol vehicles can not fully compete with", Czech Police explained. It has covered only 2,000km (1,242 miles).
POLICE seized high quality forged ban knotes produced at a printing office at a university in Bulgaria's capital
RUJA Ignatova, also known as the "Cr yptoqueen", has been placed on the FBI's top 10 most wanted list
POLICE in Italy say they secretly filmed a nurse in Palermo, Sicily, loading up a dose of Covid 19 vaccine , then empty ing it before injecting a patient
In a joint operation with the US Se cret Ser vice , Bulgarian police detained two people employees at the univer sity and seized a printing machine and equipment for printing money, along with large amounts of counterfeit US
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CRYPTOQUEEN HUNTED
Wanted in Britain, he went on the run while on prison furlough while ser ving time for drug trafficking
The European body noted for in stance that an increasing array of medi cines including cancer therapies or hear t disease medications are being counterfeited "with potentially deadly consequences "
OFFICERS from the City of London Police’s Police Intellectual Proper ty Crime Unit (PIPCU) seized counterfeit CDs wor th an estimated loss to the in dustr y of £169,708, during warrants in the Wirral, Merseyside .
Criminals being chased...in their own Ferrari
But the owner of one of the fastest rising young companies, the multi award winning Viva Retirement Solutions, has issued a warning about scammers.
ELDERLY home owners facing the current finan cial crisis are turning to Equity Release as a way of either enjoying their twilight years or helping family onto the housing ladder
And the judges turned round and said: “This firm just moves up an other gear each year, they're just so open and positive towards industr y issues, which aren't nec essarily their focus, they continue to evolve ever y year and are ver y proac tive in how they do that "
Paul Saroya is proud of this and said that Viva continues to enhance his reputation whilst making sure that bad advce does not get a foothold in the industr y
V a t i p s t o s a f e g u a r d y o u r F u t u r e advice you get is for your future as well as the here and now
16 EQUIT Y RELEASE T: 01 268 566 743 M: 0795 875392 c ommunitywatc hpublishi ng@gmail.com Unlock the value of your home with a lifetime mortgage For qualified and impartial advice, call us on 0800 046 9776 www.vivaretirementsolutions.co.uk A lifetime mortgage is a long term commitment which could accumulate interest and is secured against your home. Equity release is not right for everyone and may reduce the value of your estate. A fee of up to £750 is only payable on completion of your Lifetime Mortgage if you proceed with an application. Viva Retirement Solutions is a trading name of Viva Retirement Ltd and is an Appointed Representative of Stonebridge Mortgage Solutions Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Number: 604664. Registered Ofce: 4 Severnvale, London Colney, St Albans, Herts, AL2 1TE Registered Company Number: 10756078 Registered in England & Wales. If you’re over 55 and own your home, you could be eligible for a lifetime mortgage. We’re here to help by advising you on all the options available to you. Sol11231
Paul Saroya said the in dustr y is well regulated, but because of vulnera bility and also the immediate needs of people , they can be given the wrong advice .
“There are cer tain steps any prospective client should under take and the two most impor tant one ’ s are to make sure that any firm work ing in your behalf is member of the Equity Release Council and the Financial Conduct Au thority,” said Paul continued on page 17
i v
Beware that a company offering the lowest interest rate maybe not the best in the long term for you
Beware of companies that are not under the Equity Release Council banner Avoid advice companies that charge percentage based or high Advice Fees Beware of any hidden costs Make sure the
Viva Retirement So lutions has won the Mor tgage Solutions Best Financial Advisor award for Equity Release seven years in succession in cluding 2022 which is testament to its integrity.
more than £1bn and the fraudsters work by convincing homeowners to hand over personal details under the guise of helping them find the best deal
“Always check their registration num ber before you employ their ser vices and that way you protect yourself from criminal activity
Equity release , when done properly with the correct advice , and through a reputable company, can help those aged over 55 access the wealth tied up in their homes.
dvisor David AHulin dvisor Dawn Evans
There’s been a massive increase in the number of over-55s being targeted for cash which is locked up in their homes
“Now with 16 advisers maintaining our high customer ser vice standards it has never been more impor tant to en sure we aler t potential clients to some of the risks out there .
Advisor Steff AMiles
“This isll the more reason to sign up to a reputable company backed by the FC A and the Equity Release Council,” added Paul
A lifetime mortgage is a long term com mitment which could accumulate interest and is secured against your home. Equity release is not right for everyone and may reduce the value of your estate
“Viva Retirement Solutions has always put the customer first and one way we do this is by charging just £750 fees while other companies charge in excess of £1500 or a whopping 1.95% of the loan
plain ever y eventuality to the client whilst making sure that equity is protected either for their children to bene fit ”
“There are serious pitfalls if you choose the wrong adviser and this can lead to a negative impact on what is left for children Our team of advisers ex
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Generally there has been an influx of interest in this market due to higher borrowing and low rates of interest, and this can attract the wrong types of peo ple such as scammers and fraudsters.
Stay alert to scammers
PAUL SAROYA, Viva Retirement Solutions
They are then bombarded by mar keting calls until they give in, but the vic tim is simply speaking to salesmen who have paid for those details, then sold to the highest bidder
The two most important steps to take before employing any company to negotiate equity release for you, is to make sure that firm is FCA registered and is also a member of the Equity Release Council
A w a r n i n g t o make sure you get the right advice
“That way you are protected, but there are many companies promoting their ser vices who claim to have FC A regis tration when they do not
The market is thought to be wor th
Find out more about Equity Release from the Viva Retirement Solutions website at www vivaretirementsolu tions.co.uk or call them free on 0800 046 9776
From page 16
18 CRIMES TOPPERS NEW S c ommu nitywatch publishing @gmail.c om T: 012 68 5667 43 M: 07958 75392
The NTS investigation identified a criminal enterprise based in Kansas as the source of the mailings.
Working with US colleagues at the Federal Trade Commis sion, action was taken against the perpetrators in 2018, which saw them agree to forfeit $30m in cash and assets, of which $25m was made available to compensate victims
Crooks decide to pay up
compensation to thousands of UK vic tims, with the help of our network of Trading Standards Officers
An estimated seven million UK ad dresses were targeted by US based fraudsters offering alleged cash wins and ‘guaranteed’ cash prize pay outs
IF you have been a victim of a massmar keting scam, here’s good news from the National Trading Standards team UK victims will now be compensated following a landmark investigation by the NTS Scams team
The criminals deliberately preyed on consumer vulnerability, par ticularly older people living alone or those with long term health conditions
NTS, which was commended by the US Attorney General for its role in the investigation, has since worked to secure the first compensation scheme across international borders in the UK
Victims will be issued with a preloaded card which they can spend in shops or pay into their bank accounts.
The mailings enticed victims by asking for an upfront fee ranging from £25 to £40 Many paid the fee several times before realising there was no prize , with the highest individual losses in the UK running into thousands of pounds
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Louise Baxter, head of the NTS Scams Team, (pictured above) said: “This marks a major milestone in an investiga tion that star ted four years ago Falling victim to a scam can have a huge emotional impact on individuals so I’m delighted that we can use the proceeds of these crimes to provide
They ran a classic and vintage car sales operation and held millions of dollars in a variety of bank accounts
After working alongside the US Federal Trade Commission, the NTS Scams Team has been able to secure a total of more than £530,000 in compensation to more than 3,500 victims, marking a new approach to obtaining proceeds of crime from international fraudsters
The criminals Kevin Brandes, William Graham, Charles Floyd Anderson and their companies had sent tens of mil lions of deceptive personalised mailers to individuals around the world, in the so-called ‘Next Gen’ sweepstakes scheme .
“Collaborating across borders with the Federal Trade Commission has proven highly effective We are confident that this approach of obtaining proceeds of crimes from international fraudsters to compensate UK victims could be replicated in the future ”
The investors are asked to download their application with the names and logos of trustworthy financial institutions by the bluff artists.
THE number of cyber frauds is increasing day by day across the globe especially the alarming rise in cryptocurrency fraud
In 2018, Mr Lewis launched a High Court legal battle against Facebook over claims that over 1,000 scam adverts on its plat forms have caused vulnerable people to hand over thousands of pounds to crimi nals.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is worried about increasing crypto frauds and has issued a consumer alert concerning the increase in crypto scams
The FBI has claimed that some crypto in vestment apps commit fraud by assuring in vestors they provide investment services.
After a huge surge in fraud, the FBI has advised investors and institutions to use and download these apps carefully and han dle them with great intelligence
The Bureau said: “The Federal Trade Commission has marked that the cyber criminals are contacting U.S. investors as suring them to provide investment services and then influencing them to download their application, which cybercriminals have been using to defraud people.”
CR YPTO FR A UDS RISINGJUST IGNORE THE LIES
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20 CRYPTO CONMEN
Numerous adverts have been uploaded to Facebook’s Ad Library claiming that if people invest a small amount of money between £190 and £250 they can gener ate £3400 per month
On July 18, a report was released stating that 244 victims had lost about $42.7 million because of crypto cybercrime, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation has listed. FBI spokesman
“Thirteen of the 28 victims tried to with draw the money from the app, but instead of withdrawal, they got an email in which it was written that firstly, they have to pay the tax on their investment after that you will be eligible for the withdrawal
“Once the application is downloaded, the cryptocurrency is deposited in the wallet of the account in the app of victims
Between December 2021 and May 2022, about 28 people were victimized in this cy bercrime, and the loss was estimated at $3 7 million
In 2021, the same case was found where the app owner pretended to be a U S fi nancial organization to make money
Two applications named Yibit and Supayos were found guilty by the FBI Both the apps were active from October, and November 2021, respectively, and the de velopers made money through them.
On July 18, a report was released stating that 244 victims have lost about $42 7 mil lion because of crypto cybercrime, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation has listed
This is not the first time that Facebook has had to content with Mr Lewis’ image being used for scams
In this country Facebook is continuously publicising articles about Money Saving Ex pert Martin Lewis and TV presenters Holly Willoughby and Philip Scholfield
Facebook and Mr Lewis eventually set tled after the social media giant launched a dedicated tool to report scam ads and do nated £3 million to a new Citizens Advice project to stop more from spreading
Cryptocurrency scams claiming to fea ture advice from Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis have been spreading on Face book
“After paying the tax, the victims couldn’t withdraw the funds ”
likely to be done with Phoney Bitcoin apps.
But these stories are all lies despite Mar tin Lewis taking legal action to try and stop people using his name to defraud innocent members of the public
The fraud has increased since December So, the FTC has alerted banks and investors about the activity, which is more