2008 MESSAGES Issued 6/11/08 Perhaps this is an appropriate time of the year to re-iterate the warning on scams so you can remind your members to remain vigilant. There have been recent incidents of fake gold jewellery being sold to members of the public in various parts of the county. A number of reports indicate that these con artists, believed to be eastern european, are even stopping vehicles and pedestrians to peddle their worthless wares. An incident took place on the Yarmouth Road at Gillingham at 0835 on 5 Nov when a vehicle was flagged down by 2 males in a light blue, foreign plated vehicle, parked at the side of the road. The driver was given a 'sob story' about them having no money to visit a sick relative in Birmingham. He was offered what he was told were an18ct gold ring and necklace for £150. He handed over £100 for the items because that was all he had. Needless to say when he later had them checked in Diss they were gold plated and worth very little. Issued 3/11/08 Between 1310 and 1600 on Wednesday 29 Oct a roll of roofing felt and an ornamental tree stump were stolen from the garden of an address in Mill Common, Ashby St Mary. Between 1800 on Friday 31 Oct and 0915 the next day a childrens' slide was uprooted at another address in Mill Common and damaged. Entry to the garden was through a newly-planted laurel hedge which was damaged in the course of events. Issued 20/10/08 Over the past couple of weeks there have been several reports of a male in a white van loitering around schools in Norfolk. The reports have been widespread but descriptions of the vehicle vague. The common theme, however, is the white van. The following safety message is being sent to all schools in Norfolk with the following request to remind pupils - Reinforce the message "Say NO" To leave the area, away from the vehicle or person To find a place of safety, go to a person they can trust, who might be a teacher, parent or family group, shopkeeper, or a person in uniform and tell them what has happened so the incident can be reported to police as soon as possible. And To try to provide as much information as possible. If an incident is suspected or reported please contact Norfolk Police using the 999 system where appropriate. An appropriate response will then be provided to each incident. Where possible obtain the fullest description of persons, vehicles and registrations numbers. Additionally, I am sending this message to all South Norfolk Home Watch Co- ordinators in order to inform as many people as possible about these incidents. Thank you for your help Issued 23/9/08 This is a message concerning suspicious behaviour in the Broome area of South Norfolk and Horsham St Faith. In an incident that took place in Sun Road, Broome at approximately 1430 on Monday 22 Sep, a man went from door to door acting in a manner that has been described as suspicious. He was described as white, tall and had shaven hair. He was wearing all black and carrying a black holdall. In the other incident, and on the same date, a man was going from door to door asking for a specific amount of money allegedly to 'help with his family'. This individual was described as white, tall with short, tidy auburn hair. He was aged about 30 years old and wore casual clothes and a fawn coloured jacket. Both incidents are currently being investigated. Please stay vigilant and report any such suspicious behaviour to the police as soon as possible. If such behaviour involves traders, or if you need further advice regarding traders, the national consumer helpline is Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06. Issued 4/6/08 I have received the following information from a co-ordinator concerning high pressure salesmen. On Monday 2 June, at about 1730, a team of sales people descended on a street in Poringland trying to sell Sky TV packages. They used very high pressure techniques and claimed that when the digital changeover took place, people in the area would no longer be able to receive TV signals without expensive (£300 for an aerial) upgrades because of poor reception. This I am informed is incorrect on both counts. Any contract for such a package would have to signed immediately but they refused to leave any literature. One resident was, apparently, quite frightended by these people. Another claim was that the contract offered free telephone calls, locally, nationally and internationally, without limit. There were 3 individuals, one was an Asian male and another an Asian female. The third was white. I have forwarded the information onto Trading Standards for their information. Please let your members know about these people and advise them against falling for such high pressure behaviour. Issued 29/5/08 On Wednesday 28 May a man called at an address in Framingham Earl saying he was from May Gurney and that he could tarmac the drive for the householder. Enquiries later established he was NOT from May Gurney. Needless to say the tarmac job was done badly and certainly not worth the money, £1100, that was paid. There were 3 men involved. 1. 40-45 years, medium build, light brown, short hair wearing white shirt and grey trousers. 2. Tall 3. Short with grey hair The vehicle being used to carry the materials had 'Motorway Maintenance' on the side and there was also a light coloured car being used. Any paperwork that is shown will be badly copied, photocopies and will obviously not look authentic. Please let your members know of this incident and warn them NOT to fall victim to this scam because I am informed that the approach these individuals take can be somewhat intimidating. Should anyone be approached by these people, Norfolk Trading Standards would very much like to be informed as soon as possible on 0844 800 8005. Thank you for your help. Issued 22/5/08 The Norwich City Home Watch Association is hosting a 'Last Night Of The Proms' event at the United Reformed Church in Princes Street, Norwich on Friday 18 July 2008 from 1930 to 2130 featuring the Norwich City Concert Band. Tickets are on sale at £5 each and £8 for two; childrens' ticket prices are negotiable. All ticket numbers will be entered into a prize draw to be held on the night. Tickets are available from Caroline Cawdron on 01603 276054, Peter Ingram, Norwich City Home Watch Administrator on 01603 276095 or c/o Norwich City Home Watch Association, Bethel Street Police Station, Norwich NR2 1NN. Cheques should be made payable to Norwich City Home Watch Association. Issued 19/5/08 Late last week, there were a number of individuals posting flyers, asking for scrap metal, through the doors of houses in Manor Road, Francis Road and adjacent roads in Long Stratton. Those individuals involved were taking a good deal of interest in both the properties they visited and their surroundings. Please remember that visits such as these are often the precursor to distraction burglaries. In this instance Long Stratton was visited but it is highly likely that these people, 4 men and one woman, will target other areas of South Norfolk. During the Long Stratton visit, they were using a Black Ford Ranger vehicle and a white Ford Transit type drop-sided van/lorry. Please pass this message on to your members and ask them to be vigilant. Issued 15/5/08 This is a general warning concerning distraction burglaries and rogue traders. Over the previous 24 hours there have been a number of distraction burglaries and associated attempts in South Norfolk. The story is a familiar one with criminals posing, in the majority of cases, as water company officials. In one such incident the suspect threw water over an elderly resident who refused him entry. Rogue trader incidents logged have included offers to paint an elderly couple's house in Stoke Holy Cross to an Irish male, with another individual, asking questions about caravans for sale in the area having said he was there to fill in potholes in the road. I sent out messages recently about rogue fish salesmen and an incident in Norwich with an alleged water company official. Please circulate your members with this timely reminder about the subject of distraction burglaries. I would also ask that should you have any elderly or vulnerable individuals in your schemes, or as neighbours, you make the effort to reinforce the message to them. The Anglia Water telephone number to use to check the authenticity of water company officials is 0800 145 145. In the case of EDF the number is 0800 365 000 Whenever anyone calls at your address, not necessarily those saying they are from a utility company, always make sure your back door is locked before you go to the front door. In the case of alleged utility representatives ask to see their identity card, ask for their name and identity number and take the card. Ask them to wait while you call the appropriate number to check. Always close the door when you do this. If your door has a chain, always use it. This is a quick update on the rogue fish sellers I told you about on 8 May. You will be pleased to know that this team have now been arrested and are presently in custody. The arrest was as a direct result of information from a member of the public. Thank you. Issued 14/5/08 Today, Wednesday 14 May, at about 1035, 2 men were heard banging on the front door at an address in Fairfax Street, Norwich saying they were from the 'Water Board' and demanding to be let in because, they said, the neighbouring properties had water leaks. The occupier thought the banging was so loud they were attempting to break in. She refused them entry and stated that she was calling the police. The bogus callers are described as: Both mid 30s and both wearing blue striped tops and jeans. One was large build with blond wavy hair and the other was bald and of medium build. Please, always ask for identification from such callers and remember there are no 'water boards' anymore, only water companies. If you are in any doubt, the telephone number to check the authenticity of Anglia Water employees is 0800 145 145. Issued 8/5/08 We have been informed by Trading Standards that instances have occured, in a number of areas in Norfolk, involving a particular team of cold callers. These individuals are selling quantities of fish parcelled up into bags. On 7 May, in the Broadland area, they called on an elderly lady who parted with £1475 for 10 bags of fish. It goes without saying that it was not good quality and was of dubious origin. Those known to be involved at the moment are described as: Male, white, 5'9", 50's, grey hair, wearing a white coat with dark clothing underneath. Male, white, 6'4", heavy build, balding Female, white, late 30's, 5'2", with fair/blonde hair. Those who are approached to buy the fish are shown a sample of what they are told they will receive for their money. The first bag is good quality but subsequent bags are certainly not, nor are they worth the money. The only vehicle seen at present has been a white van. It should be noted that their selling techniques, originally a little forceful, are now bordering on the intimidating. Should you be approached, or if you have any information concerning these people or any vehicle that is being used, please contact, as soon as possible, Norfolk Trading Standards on 0845 404 0506. Issued 30/1/08 A press release has been received by Norfolk Police which is being published today. This concerns bogus callers and has been issued by the Consumer Council for Water. I though it appropriate that all the South Norfolk Co-ordinators should have a copy in case the information in the press is missed. 'The Consumer Council for Water is calling for consumers to be extra vigilant this winter against distraction burglars, bogus callers or criminals who pretend to be from a utility company or other organisation to trick their way into a home. Dark afternoons and evenings can leave people feeling particularely uneasy when someone unexpectedly comes knocking, but the Council for Water is suggesting steps homeowners should take to help protect themselves against bogus callers. According to the Home Office, there were approximately 12,000 reported bogus caller incidents in 2007 and roughly half the imposters claimed some connection with the 'Water Board'. Although thieves may show up on the doorstep posing as water workers, water company staff will try, whenever possible, to make an appointment before visiting a home. Be especially wary of anyone saying they are from 'the water board'. There are no water boards, only water companies and a true water company employee will name the water provider and carry company identification. Before opening the door to any stranger, STOP. If the door has a chain, use it and ask to see a form of identification. Have the visitor hand their identification through the door or letter box and call the water company to confirm that the visit is legitimate and the identification is not a fake. A genuine water company employee will happily wait while the necessary checks are made. IF UNSURE DON'T OPEN THE DOOR. If the visitor claims to have left the identification at home or in their vehicle turn them away. If he or she becomes aggressive at any time, keep them outside your door and immediately dial 999. Customers who would feel safer with an extra layer of protection against bogus callers are encouraged to register a password with their water company. All water companies have password schemes available in which the customer can choose his or her own password. Some password schemes have provision for deaf and blind customers. Dame Yve Buckland, National Chair for the Consumer Council for Water said, 'This is a particularly disturbing crime because it deliberately targets the weak and vulnerable. Victims are most likely to be older people who live alone. People need to understand that they are entirely within their rights to turn a visitor away if they feel uncomfortable or are unsatisfied with the information presented. No water company will insist on entry to your home and, if the reason for the visit is necessary, the water company can find another way to let you know so thay can carry out the work'. This is common sense but it will do no harm to reinforce the message, especially to the elderly and to those who might be vulnerable. To reinforce the points raised in the above press release this is a real incident that took place on Thursday 24th January. The householder at an address in Marlingford Rd, Easton, Norwich told us that on that date between 1400 and 1500, she disturbed a man in her front garden who purported to be a Corgi engineer. He wanted access to her home to check her boiler. He had no identification so she refused him entry and sent him on his way. He was described as white, 40-50 years of age, no discernable dialect, stocky build, 5'11' tall, short black hair, clean shaven and wearing jeans and a dark coloured jacket. He drove off in a dirty cream coloured Transit type van. Had he been admitted to the house anything could have happened. Again, please reinforce the message to your members. I have available a number of audio casssettes dealing with distraction burglaries that are available from Diss Police Station or they can be forwarded to you. Issued 28/1/08 We have just received a general warning from the Greater Mancherster Police. This concerns the theft of a full, British Gas uniform that was stolen from Belle View, Manchester. The uniform was large size and included a winter jacket with luminous piping. A leather folder with a British Gas logo on it was also stolen. This contained details of products. There is nothing to suggest that whoever took the uniform intends to head to our area. However, please be aware of this and please tell your members to ensure that they check identification of anyone purporting to be from British Gas. Any suspicious callers should be reported to the police immediately.