Ashton Neighbourhood Security

From April 2015, people over the age of 55 have been given the flexibility of taking a number of smaller lump sum pension pots. 25% of the sum will be tax-free, with the remaining pension fund charged at marginal rate of income  tax.  

If you take out money from your pension fund before the age of 55, the normal tax rules apply. We are concerned that fraudsters will take advantage of these rule changes by offering to invest pensions on the victim’s behalf.  Be very wary of such offers.

Avoid losing your hard-earned cash:

• Do not invest with companies which cold call you, offering extremely high returns. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Seek financial advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, who work alongside the
•  Treasury delivering the ‘Pension Wise’ service.  opens in a new windowFurther information can be found here.
• If you wish to invest your savings in a company, please ensure you seek advice from an FCA registered and authorised advisor
• Be aware of callers offering a free pension review service by phone call, email and text message and do not invest in unregulated markets such as overseas property developments, storage units or forestry.

This scam starts with the following simple activity:

1. They will state that they are from your Bank Fraud department, the Police or other Law Enforcement.

2. They will tell you that fraud is being carried out on your bank account and that to prevent it they need to carry out any of the below activities:-

3. In order to prove their own credentials they will often ask you to telephone the ‘fraud’ number you may have on the back of your bank card, or they may even ask you to telephone the Police to check that there is an official investigation, or telephone your own bank once the phone call to them is terminated.

Do not be fooled!

Do not telephone anyone at that stage as the phone line remains open and you are simply telephoning them back without realising. They will then continue with your assistance in stealing your money by any of the above methods.

PROTECT YOURSELF

On December 1, 2014, Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police launched the #Be Cyber Smart campaign to raise awareness of internet-related crime and to give people the knowledge they need to protect themselves.

The first phase focuses on online shopping; urging people to carry out a few simple safety checks before parting with their hard-earned cash.

Please visit opens in a new windowWest Mercia Police for more information and advice.

Trading Standards have a Trader Register scheme – an online directory of local traders who are committed to providing good workmanship. West Mercia’s advice is never to offer work to ‘tradesmen’ who turn up at your door unsolicited. If you want some work done we would advise that you get two to three quotes first. The new Trading Standards register will also be a useful resource to find a reputable trader.

Trading Standards point out that the Trader Register is not an approval scheme, but members of the scheme have signed up to a Code of Practice and are dedicated to fair and honest workmanship.

If you are interested in the scheme, please see www.worcestershire.gov.uk/traderregister. Alternatively you can call the Trader Register Scheme on 01905 765394.

As winter sets in, West Mercia Police give people advice on how they can avoid having their heating oil stolen.

With the cost of fuel remaining high, Crime Risk Manager for the force PC Ian White has the following advice: “Hide your oil tank so you’re not a target for thieves in the first place: if they can’t see it, then they won’t know it’s there.

“Plant shrubs or install fences to conceal your tank from view – especially if you live close to the road. If your property is more secluded, deter thieves from entering your property by installing lockable gates and maintaining any perimeter fencing. “Check your tank’s oil levels on a regular basis. Be extra vigilant of tankers or large vehicles close to your property. Note down any registration numbers of vehicles you think look suspicious and report them to the police. “Where possible, install security lighting that covers your tank and the immediate surrounding area. If your tank is openly accessible to all, consider moving it to an area or building where it is better protected.”

West Mercia Police has produced a leaflet detailing all this advice which is being handed out by a number of oil distribution companies at the same time as they make fuel deliveries to their customers. Further crime prevention advice can also be found on the force website:  opens in a new windowwww.westmercia.police.uk

Avoid losing your hard-earned cash:

• Do not invest with companies which cold call you, offering extremely high returns. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Seek financial advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau, who work alongside the
•  Treasury delivering the ‘Pension Wise’ service.  opens in a new windowFurther information can be found here.
• If you wish to invest your savings in a company, please ensure you seek advice from an FCA registered and authorised advisor
• Be aware of callers offering a free pension review service by phone call, email and text message and do not invest in unregulated markets such as overseas property developments, storage units or forestry.

• PLEASE REMEMBER the importance of making sure rear doors/windows are locked before answering the front door
• Put your door chain on (if you have one) before answering the door
• Ask for/check identification and if not 100% convinced by the ID,  call the organisation on a number obtained from directory enquiries or online, NOT BY USING A NUMBER PROVIDED BY THE CALLER OR DISPLAYED ON THEIR ID CARD. Most of the utilities will be happy to arrange a password with you, so you know that they are who they say they are.

It is also worth noting that some Bogus Callers claim to be from the ‘Water Board’ – please note that there has not been a ‘Water Board’ since 1989 – therefore anybody claiming to be from there or similar should be viewed with suspicion.

Finally, some of these callers offering to do work (e.g. drives etc) will go to considerable lengths to appear legitimate (including bogus sign written vans). They will often do work after agreeing a price, but when it comes to pay, the price for the (often shoddy) work has escalated and they intimidate the person into paying. This has included in the past even driving the victim to the cash point.

It is also worth noting that these criminals ‘trade’ victims. If one group of bogus callers note that there is more cash around than they were able to steal, they will pass the victim’s address on to their ‘colleagues’ in the criminal fraternity on the agreement that they have a cut in any ‘winnings’. Their colleagues can then target them on another pretext. So unfortunately, once someone becomes the victim of a bogus caller, they may be targeted again. This makes it doubly important to do all we can to prevent them becoming victims in the first place.

Identity theft is becoming an increasing problem – it’s estimated that more than 100,000 people are

affected by identity theft in the UK each year, costing the British economy over £1.3 billion annually.

Take a look at the Home Office website at  opens in a new windowwww.identitytheft.org.uk