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A recent research report reveals that the public need greater reassurance about internet crime. A website called Get Safe Online states that fear of internet crime is on the increase, with 21% of people believing that e-crime is the type of crime they are most likely to encounter, up from 17% in 2005.

New research suggests that the growing fear of internet crime is deterring the public from using it for everyday activities. Almost 24% are too concerned to bank online and nearly 18% won’t shop on line with one in every six being so concerned they even put off logging on altogether!

The website offers advice and information on how to protect your computer, how to protect yourself and how to protect your business.

Check it out at www.getsafeonline.org

From the Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter

2006 is the Neighbourhood Watch ‘YEAR OF INTELLIGENCE’ and we are all too well aware that Distraction Burglary is a callous crime, which is mainly targeted against elderly and vulnerable members of society. The average age of victims subject to distraction burglaries is 79 years and they are predominantly female. Research amongst the elderly evidences that only 10% of these crimes are reported.

Whilst in Suffolk the level of these offences is lower than that experienced by other forces in our region, even one offence is one too many.

Suffolk police are currently working with partner agencies and other forces with the intention of identifying and prosecuting the offenders for these despicable offences and crucial to this process is the ACCUMULATION OF INFORMATION.

IF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDS HAVE ANY SUSPICIONS AT ALL ABOUT ANYONE OR ANYTHING THAT MAY HAVE CONNECTIONS TO THIS AWFUL TYPE OF CRIME – PLEASE TELL US. YOU CAN CALL SUFFOLK POLICE ON 01284 774100, YOU CAN SPEAK TO YOUR COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICER.

HOWEVER, IF YOU FEEL YOU WANT TO REPORT SOMETHING/ANYTHING AND YOU DON’T WANT TO LEAVE A NAME AND ADDRESS
YOU CAN CALL OUR COMMUNITY INTELLIGENCE HOTLINE ON 01284 774029

AND IF YOU WANT TO REPORT SOMETHING IN TOTAL ANONIMITY –
CALL CRIMESTOPPERS ON 0800 555 111 – IT WON’T COST YOU FOR THE PHONE CALL, THEY WON’T ASK YOUR NAME OR WHERE YOU LIVE – ALL THEY NEED IS THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE. THERE IS NO RISK IN CALLING CRIMESTOPPERS AS THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE POLICE SERVICE, ANY BRANCH OF THE GOVERNMENT OR ANY TV OR MEDIA ORGANISATION. YOUR CALL WILL BE TOTALLY ANONYMOUS.

HELP US TO HELP YOU KEEP YOUR COMMUNITIES SAFER.

Police Direct has recently moved from its office at Bury St Edmunds and is now located at Suffolk Police Headquarters. As a result our telephone number has now changed to 01473 613997. The reason for the move is because they are in the process of planning a county-wide roll out and hope to be messaging across the county in the near future.

Neighbourhood Watch have just received a new booklet produced by the ‘Safe & Sound’ group entitled "THINK TWICE" which is general consumer and safety advice for 'senior customers' and it addresses some of the concerns of older consumers living in Suffolk, dealing with:

· Door step sellers and bogus callers
· Choosing a reliable tradesman
· Misleading prices in shops
· What to do if things go wring when you buy something
· Food supplements
· Junk mail and unwanted telephone calls
· Gas & Electric suppliers
· Mobility goods
· Metrication
· Secondhand goods
· Fire safety in the home

......so quite a good variety of things covered

If you would like a copy please contact Diane Townsend - Community Watch Liaison Officer - Tel: 01284 774499
Email: diane.townsend@suffolk.pnn.police.uk

Cambridgeshire police have alerted the public to cigarette lighters being sold to members of the public from a stall on a local market.
The device looks and works as a cigarette lighter HOWEVER, by depressing a lever a five and a half centimetre blade with a serrated edge unfolds from the side and can be locked in the external position.

   Scambuster! Your guide to beating the scammers

A scam is a scheme designed to con you out of your cash.

There's a scam out there for everyone. If you let down your guard and think that you won't be fooled, then you too could become a victim. 

Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and aim to con us all. Deceptive premium rate competition scams, bogus sweepstakes and lotteries, get-rich quick schemes and fake health cures are some of the favoured means of separating the unwary from their money. And the number of scams just keeps on growing.

You should report scams to groups listed on the contact page. No matter how small the amount of money you have lost. It is important that the scamsters are stopped.

Read the scams pages to find out more about how to protect yourself.

How to recognise a scam - is it too good to be true?

THE CON

How scam artists succeed - they will:

• catch you unawares, contacting you, without you asking them to, by phone, email, post or sometimes in person
• sound pleasant, well spoken and kind (on the phone or at your door) and want you to think they're your friend
• have slick, professional leaflets and letters
• be persistent and persuasive
• rush you into making a decision
• ask you to send money before you receive their tempting offer or win.

New scams from the UK and overseas appear every day - so it's important to know how to spot them.

THE PITCH

They offer you something for nothing - such as:

• you've won a major prize in a draw or a lottery (even though you haven't entered one)
• an exclusive entry to a scheme that's a surefire way to make money
• a way to earn easy money by helping them get untold millions out of their country
• the chance to join an investment scheme that will make you huge amounts of money.

There are hundreds of examples but we can all protect ourselves by being sceptical. Is it likely that someone you don't know, who has contacted you out of the blue, will give you something for nothing?

THE STING

They'll ask you to:

• send money up front - an administration fee or tax, the list is endless but it's always a ruse to get you to give them money
• give them your bank, credit card or other personal details
• ring an expensive premium rate number (all UK premium rate numbers start with 090)
• buy something to get your prize.

They will lie to you and give you what seem to be good reasons why you should do what they say. They will answer all your objections.

Don't send any money or give any personal details to anyone until you've checked that they are genuine, and talked to a professional or family and friends.

If they ask you to do any of these things they're trying to cover their tracks and get your money and it's likely to be a scam.

Other things to look out for:

• they ask you to send money straight away
• they give you a PO box number as their address
• they ask you not to tell anyone about the deal.

What does Consumer Direct do?

Consumer Direct can:

• Help you sort out a problem or disagreement with a trader
• Help you complain to a trader
• Help you make a complaint about a trader that you believe has done something wrong
• Tell you what your rights as a consumer are
• Provide pre-shopping advice before you buy goods or services
• Provide general advice on how to avoid unscrupulous traders or "cowboys"
• Explain consumer-related issues such as warranties, buying on credit, internet shopping, refunds and replacements etc.
• Provide advice on avoiding trading scams and rip-offs (you can also report any scams you have experienced)
• Direct you to a regulator or other organisation if it is better suited to assist you
• Refer your case to your local Trading Standards Authority or similar agency if they are better suited to assist you

The Consumer Direct website www.consumerdirect.gov.uk can be found by clicking HERE

It’s estimated that 21 million households nationwide are at risk from identity fraud and the week aims to highlight the need for the public to do more to safeguard their identity and protect themselves from becoming victims of this type of crime.
Partners including police forces, Crimestoppers, The Identity and Passport Service, CIFAS – The UK’s Fraud Prevention Service, Fellowes, the Federation of Small Businesses, Callcredit, Equifax and Experian are joining together on the campaign after research commissioned by Fellowes revealed that 97% of households regularly dispose of materials stating their full name, sex, title, address and postcode, 30% had thrown away their whole credit/debit card number, and 46% of households had thrown away an item that contained their bank account number and sort code.

Tips for protecting your identity include: keep personal and confidential documents secure, shred documents containing personal details, secure letter boxes, check bank and credit card accounts for unusual activity and never give out personal information to unidentified individuals who contact you by phone, email or face to face. The campaign has also set up a dedicated website www.stop-idfraud.co.uk with a test to highlight ‘how at risk you are’ – and put in place a free-phone number – 0800 1810 1810 - that you can call to receive a free ‘Protecting Your Identity’ guide.

For more information on Identity Fraud contact your local Crime Reduction Officer via the main Suffolk Police switchboard 01473 613500.

A different type of scam, known as phishing, is very serious. This involves an email apparently from a highly respected financial institution (a bank, building society, eBay etc) saying that due to system problems they need you to go to the Web site given in the email to confirm account details. The Web site will also look suitably impressive with company logos and so on, and will invite you to enter full account details, often those of a credit card including the PIN number.

Banks endlessly emphasise that they never directly ask for your PIN, either on the Internet or by phone, but these scams are proving highly successful and are causing serious worry. By all means check with your bank if you think there may indeed be an account problem, but as far as responding to such an email goes – bin it.

The UK banking industry has set up a Web site which explains these scams in more details, gives recent examples, and allows you to report any email you suspect to be fraudulent. See:     http://www.banksafeonline.org.uk/.

The Home Office has also published advice on the wider issue of identity theft. which email scams and phishing are a part of, at: http://www.identitytheft.org.uk/

Many people don't realise that there are many phone providers offering cheaper (or free) calls to standard telephone numbers (those beginning with 01 or 02), which don't apply to 0844, 0845, 0870 or 0871 telephone numbers.

Worst still some companies that use these numbers are actually receiving a cut of the phone call costs.

If you have an 'inclusive landline calls' phone package, then it is very rare that 0844, 0845, 0870, or 0871 numbers are are included in your 'free minutes' allocation, unlike normal numbers. Many mobile phone packages also exclude freephone 0800 and 0808 numbers for your bundled minutes.

This site is all about listing these numbers, saving you money, without having to pay additional charges. To get started and find a particular number, please click on the 'Search to find an alternative number' link at the top of the page on the following web site: http://www.saynoto0870.com/