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LAKENHEATH PARISH COUNCIL

Suffolk Constabulary is reminding people to stay alert to criminals looking to continue to exploit the vulnerable during the coronavirus outbreak.
Whilst the vast majority of people volunteering are doing so for the right reasons, there are a small minority of people who see this difficult time as an opportunity to commit crime.
Therefore, officers are keen for people to be aware of the very simple steps they can take to protect themselves from handing over their money, or personal details, to criminals. Police are urging people to take a moment to think before parting with their money or information.
County Policing Commander for Suffolk Chief Superintendent Marina Ericson said: "Just take a few moments to think – has the approach come from a cold call, or unexpected text or email? Could it be fake? Do you know or trust the person it’s come from?
"It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. Take your time to discuss what is being asked of you with friends or family.
"Remember, the police, or your bank, will never ask you to withdraw money or transfer it to a different account. They will never ask you to reveal your full banking password or PIN.”
The majority of groups are well intentioned and will be working through the voluntary or charity sector and will be very happy to provide you with proof as to who they are. If you receive an unexpected text or email asking for personal or financial details do not click on the links or attachments. Ensure you have the latest software and application updates installed on all your devices.
If you think you’ve been a victim of a scam, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk.
Advice:
Only accept help from people you know and / or trust. Never deal with unexpected cold callers
You do not have to agree to anything you don’t feel comfortable with
Police, health workers and others will not and do not call at your house to test for coronavirus or ask for money regarding investigations
Check the person calling at your door has valid identification, even if they are dressed in uniform
Do not transfer any money across to someone who calls you over the phone, banks will not ask for your personal security details
Do not trust anyone asking for money transfers or cash over the phone
Do not make shopping purchases from a company or person you do not know and trust. Use a credit card to pay to protect yourselves.
Further advice can be found on our website:
https://www.suffolk.police.uk/sites/suffolk/files/fraudprevention1.pdf
Detailed counter fraud advice is available online, including from
https://www.cifas.org.uk
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/check-if-something-might-be-a-scam/
Reporting to Action Fraud can be done online at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. For up-to-date information on COVID19 fraud please follow Action Fraud on Twitter. To report offers of financial assistance from HMRC contact phishing@hmrc.gov.uk

Fraudsters are known to make calls claiming to work for BT, when it's actually a scam. They may ask you for personal information, want access to your computer and in some cases, ask for your bank details.

Don't be fooled, this is fraud.

❌ BT will NEVER call to tell you they've found a problem with your computer.
❌ BT will NEVER call to tell you your router or IP address has been compromised.
❌ BT will NEVER call to tell you your broadband has been hacked.
❌ BT will NEVER call out of the blue and ask for remote access to your computer.
❌ BT will NEVER ask for your PIN or online banking password.
❌ BT will NEVER ask you to transfer money via PayPal or money transfer websites.
❌ BT will NEVER send someone to your home to collect money.

If you receive a scam BT call, report it to them here, or to Action Fraud: via their website www.actionfraud.police.uk

Please be careful of this very convincing scam email received by a Suffolk resident!

The email purports to be from Anglian Water, threatening to disconnect people if they don't click on a link to update their personal details.

This is a fake email.

If you receive it, report the scam email to Scams Action by calling 0300 330 3003 and then delete it.

DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINKS WITHIN THE EMAIL!