Fraud Newsletter – December 2024 Edition
Please find the December 2024 edition of the Surrey and Sussex Police Fraud Newsletter below. In this month’s edition, we focus on rogue traders, public wifi, and Action Fraud’s 12 Frauds of Christmas campaign.
“Each month we see many incidents of fraudsters targeting our residents in an attempt to defraud them. We’re working hard to prevent this and support vulnerable victims of fraud or scams. By following our tips and encouraging family, friends and colleagues to do so too, you can reduce the risk of becoming a victim.”
T/Detective Chief Inspector Antony Leadbeatter, Surrey Police & Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit
Look out for your elderly neighbours this Christmas
Beware - Rogue Traders are operating in this area
At this time of year, we sadly see an increase in incidences of doorstep crime happening in the area, in part due to the adverse weather and recent storms. We have seen increased reports in both Surrey and Sussex, and in the past three months across both force areas, we have received 155 reports from vulnerable victims, with an average age of 72.
Rogue traders will take the opportunity to cold call on residents, focusing on the elderly and vulnerable, to undertake work on the property that may not be necessary. It may then be carried out to a low standard, if at all, or at an inflated cost.
In Sussex an elderly resident was cold called at their home address by rogue traders purporting to be working in the area. Initially they agreed to fix a single loose roof tile, however, once on the roof they claimed to have found additional works that they said would need doing. A reasonable price was agreed, but after only 30 minutes of work they demanded payment at 10 times the original price. Despite feeling under pressure and intimidated the would-be victim refused to pay and contacted the Police instead.
One vulnerable Surrey Resident was approached by Rogue traders, who attempted to charge £1000 for fixing just one loose roof tile. Thankfully on this occasion the payment was stopped by the bank and the loss prevented.
Whilst no money was lost in these two examples, we have received numerous reports which unfortunately did result in victims suffering significant financial loss, with the total loss recorded for reports in the last 3 month period being £980,640.00.
Top Tips:
- You don’t have to open the door – It is okay to not answer and ask them to leave. If you are able to, keep the chain on the latch when answering the door.
- Say no - Never feel pressured to say yes and do your research. A passing trader can provide you with their details, where you can look them up and seek advice from someone you trust.
- Ask for ID - If you suspect the ID might be fake, take the time to establish their identity by calling their employer.
- Make sure your back door is locked – Burglars often work in pairs, where one will go in the back door when you are distracted at the front door.
- Rogue traders may say that payments have not gone through - In these cases, always check with your bank, before additional payments are made.
Consider the use of a deterrent such as a door sticker, CCTV camera or Doorbell camera.
New Year, New Challenge
Fraud Prevention in the Community – is this a Volunteering role for you?
We are looking for volunteers to join our existing Volunteer Fraud Prevention Programme in 2025 in an exciting newly developed role as Community Engagement volunteers. The volunteers will work alongside our Neighbourhood Policing Teams based in local Police stations, delivering fraud prevention advice and guidance to the residents of Sussex.
This will include engaging with the public in a variety of different settings such as delivering fraud presentations and attending events / key locations to hand our fraud prevention literature and provide advice and education to the public e.g. farmers markets, community centres, libraries etc.
If you feel this is something that you would like to be involved with, please complete the application on the Sussex Police website under volunteers and special constables.
Take control of your data
Public Wi-Fi in cafes, bars or hotels can be insecure (even if its password protected) and your information can be intercepted more easily, so stick to trusted networks.
If you must use a public wi-fi on your personal devices, it's best to use a VPN to ensure a secure connection that will keep your personal information private.
Over the festive period you may be tempted to share pictures and updates online about what you are doing, where you are and who you are with. Social media accounts contain a wealth of data. They can be linked to your personal information, customer connections, credit card details, and so much more. Without social media security protocols in place, all that information is at unnecessary risk.
And remember: what you post online stays online. Think before you share information that may have lasting implications to your reputation, your privacy, and your security.
Data harvesting: Be alert to those social media quizzes and posts asking about your favourite band or your pets name, which might seem harmless. They are a common method for gathering password information, or to steal personal details that are often used as forgotten password clues.
12 Frauds of Christmas
This week starts Action frauds Christmas Campaign 12 Frauds of Christmas highlighting some of the most relevant frauds seen at this time of year and how to stay safe.