Police Sergeant Paul Harvey will talk on the topic of scams and advise the community how best to protect themselves from the risks of cyber crime.
Minutes:
Police Sergeant Paul Harvey, Strategic Support Officer, spoke on the topic of scams and gave advice on how people could best protect themselves from the risks of cyber crime.
• A scam is a scheme to con people out of their money. Other names for a scam include fraud, hoax, con, swindle, cheat.
• Each year millions of people in the UK fall prey to scammers.
•
Estimates put the total cost to consumers at
£73 billion with losses to mass-marketed scams alone of
£5 billion.
• Most victims don’t report scams – surveys have found reporting levels as low as 5 per cent.
• The impacts are huge: some people lose their life savings. But victims also suffer emotional trauma, can become depressed, lose the confidence to live independently and can suffer long-term health problems as a result.
Types of scams include:
Investment scams
Generally targeted at the 55+ age group and often sophisticated enough to lure in even experienced investors. Also called “boiler room” scams because they use high pressure sales to create a sense of urgency, they may offer shares, or a range of investment “opportunities” including wine, overseas land investments, precious metals and gems. Average losses reported by Citizens Advice: £20,000.
Courier scams
Usually start with an unsolicited telephone call or text advising that a bank fraud has been detected. The scam is completed when the caller attends the victim’s home or uses an innocent courier to collect their bank card. Your bank will never call at your home to collect your cards.
Computer software service scam
Victims are cold called and told that there is a problem with their computer. They are talked through the logon steps so the fraudster can gain remote access to the computer, for which they charge “fees” and gain access to personal and financial information. Most common scam reported to Citizens Advice Consumer Service in 2015-16. 40% of these refer to Microsoft Windows.
Advance fee scams
Scammers get people to send money for a range of dodgy or non-existent goods and services – or to collect lottery “winnings”.
You can find out more about current scams on Action Fraud’s website: www.actionfraud.police.uk
Things to remember:
• If you haven’t bought a ticket – you can’t win it.
• You shouldn’t have to pay anything to get a prize.
• Contacted out of the blue – be suspicious.
• Say no to cold-call investments and pensions reviews.
• Your bank will never phone you to ask for your PIN or your online banking password.
• Genuine computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer.
GET advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service 03454 04 05 06. If it is a scam this will automatically be reported to trading standards.
REPORT scams and suspected scams to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 www.actionfraud.police.uk
If debit cards, online banking or cheques are involved, contact the bank or credit card company.
TELL family, friends, neighbours so that they can avoid scams.
Comments and Questions were then taken, these included:
· The Salisbury BID was interested in how it could best get this message out to businesses in Salisbury? Answer: We aim to form 4 working groups; young people, businesses, Parents and carers and the wider police community, so make contact with us and we will involve you.
· The NHW association was heavily involved in tackling cyber crime and getting the message out to the community. But at what stage was it a crime? If you deleted an email that you know is a scam, then it’s not a crime. Answer: It needed to be more of an attempt for it to be a crime. If you can cascade information out through NHW then that was good. Action Fraud was a good service, for information on current scams.
· The Chairman noted that it was important on how we put the message out to protect the older people. Adding that there were a couple of banks doing good work at providing free information on scams.
· Age UK also had leaflet about scams. They are also involved with future working groups.
· Central Government had announced huge investment into cyber crime across the UK, was this national or at a local level? Answer: That money would not be seen at a local level. Most of the funds would stay in the Metropolitan Police and not come to Wiltshire.
· Cyber crime was computer based, but there was also a lot of telephone fishing that takes place. Did your work cover that also? Answer: Cyber crime was any digital media, which included phones. You could speak to your phone provider to get these calls blocked as you can bar certain numbers.
· How was the information being conveyed to young people? Answer: We have literature geared up for younger people.
On the 14 December - a one off Multi-agency Planning meeting with all partners would be held, with an aim to nominate members to attend a quarterly Cyber Crime Prevention Delivery Group. At this week’s meeting it was suggested and agreed that a facilitator could embolden partners to nominate meeting members for the delivery group as well as focusing priorities and objectives. The purpose of this planning meeting will be to identify target audiences and gain “buy in” from Partners as well as to identify strategic objectives for the Delivery Group. These Strategic objectives will be delivered against a multi-agency prevention action plan. The plan will contain the four key strands to cyber prevent namely, parents and carers, young people, businesses, Progress will be reported back to the quarterly Prevention of Harm Board to update on progress. This can then be channeled back into the Community Safety Partnership Boards. This format should assist with information sharing across the county, tying in with each partners strategic objectives without increasing workload through the as the addition of more meetings.