I was recently in Burton Lazars, a village of 450 souls in Melton Council area, delivering crime prevention leaflets. These are designed to go in the door and inform callers that the occupant will expect to be shown official proof of identity from strangers.
While door to door scammers are not unknown even in a rural village like this, on-line fraud, scams and con tricks are more common.
Criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the police. Remember:
- Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.
- Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.
- Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud*.
- Report: Suspicious emails can be reported by forwarding them to: [email protected]. You can also report suspicious text message by forwarding them to 7726 (it’s free of charge). Your reports help us to remove the emails and websites used to perpetrate fraud and cyber crime.
You can find more advice about staying safe on the Action Fraud website: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ where you can also report suspicious incidents or if you think you have been a victim.
