Welcome

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a lovely break and managed to take advantage of the briefly relaxed Covid rules to spend time with loved ones. Whilst 2021 hasn't started especially well, let's hope it's a better year than the last.

Have you considered ramping up your scams prevention efforts as one of your resolutions for 2021? We have plenty of resources and willing partners who are ready to support you with your initiatives to tackle scams wherever you are. All is takes is your ideas and enthusiasm to get things started and a line to us at against-scams@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Spotlight on... Community Protection Team

A Community Protection visit to an older person (in the days when this was allowed!)

Cambridgeshire County Council's Community Protection Team are incredibly proud to lead CAPASP but what do we do the rest of the time, you may ask?

We are a very small team in the Think Communities Service with a focus on prevention and protection activities and supporting communities to take action to address the things that matter to them. 

Our team members are all SCAMchampions who deliver Friends Against Scams talks/training to community groups, clubs and groups of professionals, helping those who attend to become knowledgable and confident to take a stand against scams. We also support people who have already become Friends Against Scams to become SCAMchampions if they would like to get involved in delivering training themselves.

A big part of our role relates to supporting scam victims. We have a contructual agreement with the National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team to contact victims in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have been identified through their investigation and scams disruption activities. We work with those victims to help them to identify the signs that something is a scam - in order to prevent repeat victimisation - and sometimes work with their families to set up a mail redirection or a call blocking device to stop scams from ever reaching the victim. These visits not only provide much-needed support to scam victims but also help the team to ascertain the extent of the problem and to make referrals to partners where appropriate. During current Covid restrictions all contact is made by post or telephone.

For more information or to contact the team please e-mail against-scams@cambridgeshire.gov.uk 

NatWest Community Bankers

The role of Community Banker at NatWest is primarily based in the community so our local Community Bankers, Bernadette Merry (Cambridgeshire) (pictured left) and Mohommad Chauhan (Peterborough), have had to adapt their way of working during the coronavirus restrictions. However they are still very much able to support you and the wider community at this time. Bernadette and Mohommad now offer workshops on Fraud & Scams and Digital Safety via Zoom. This is available to any community group or charity - they don’t need to be a customer of NatWest. Bernadette and Mohommad can also speak with customers who would like some help with the financial support that has been put in place due to coronavirus. You’ll find the most up to date ways they can support you on this page. Another valuable offer from the Community Bankers is support and coaching for customers who wish to register for and use NatWest's Online Banking services, mobile app and video banking which will help them to do most of the things they'd usually do in branch without having to leave their homes. Two new dedicated customer support lines have also been put in place and the links below provide more information about how they can help. Over 70’s and extended isolation line – 0800 051 4176 (Relay UK 18001 0800 051 4176) NHS Workers line – 0800 046 2418 (Relay UK 18001 0800 046 2418) If you would like to contact the Community Banker for your area, please contact Bernadette Merry if you live in Cambridgeshire or Mohommad Chauhan if you live in Peterborough.

Appeal for Information

Most of us receive contact from scammers in some shape or form - whether it be by post, on the telephone, on the internet or at the door. Most of the time we can spot that it's a scam and immediately get rid of it, thinking nothing more of it. 

But those scams that you receive and spot might pose much more risk to other residents or businesses in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It's not just those with permanent conditions such as cognitive impairment who are at increased risk; times of illness, bereavement, stress or the current social isolation, for example, can all make someone more vulnerable to deception.

So before you hit delete or put that letter in the recycling, please consider notifying us of the scam so that we can warn others. After all it could not only save them money but it could also keep them free from a great deal of stress and heartache.

Scam Marshal Tells His Story

You may remember we previously featured the Scam Marshal scheme in our September newsletter.

In this 'This Is Money' article, Thomas Wyness tells his story of being a scam victim and how the Scam Marshal scheme has helped him fight back against the criminals.

New Supporters and a Big Milestone

You did it! Thanks to your efforts our band of supporters has increased to treble figures. Amazing!

Since December's issue of our newsletter we have welcomed Fordham Parish Council, Kirtling and Upend Parish Council, Swaffham Bulbeck Parish Council, Witchford Parish Council and Longhurst Group to the supporter ranks, taking the total to an incredible 102!

Thank you, new supporters, for joining us. Your support is hugely appreciated and we look forward to hearing about and celebrating your scams prevention efforts in the coming months.

Acting Police and Crime Commissioner on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Acting Police and Crime Commissioner, Ray Bisby

This month it was Acting Police and Crime Commissioner, Ray Bisby's turn to represent CAPASP on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. You can listen to Mr Bisby speak to Jeremy Sallis here from 2:50.  

Don't forget we have a regular, monthly slot on Jeremy's programme. Tune in around 12.45pm on the first Tuesday of the month.

February's interview sees Robin Sutton, Chairman of Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood Watch (NHW), chatting to Jeremy about scams and NHW schemes. 

Did you know?...

This newsletter and our scam alerts go to a whole range of people interested in tackling scams:

• CAPASP partners
• CAPASP advisors
• CAPASP supporters
• No Cold Calling Zone coordinators
• Good Neighbours (Stop Rogue Traders) scheme coordinators
• People who have received newsletters and alerts shared by the above who have gone on to self-subscribe

Each of these groups plays an incredible part in protecting people from scams in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Visit our website to find out more.

New Twist on Courier Fraud

Courier fraud typically involves an unexpected phone call claiming to be an investigator from a Police force or from your bank. The caller will say something like "your card has been cloned" or "your account has been compromised" or they are "investigating counterfeit currency" and will explain that they are sending a courier to collect your card or the cash from your account. In these scams the caller and the courier are completely fake and, sadly, those who fall foul literally hand over their card or their money to a criminal.

We have learned of a new twist on this scam where the caller suggests the resident purchase a physical asset in order to protect their cash until such time the investigation has concluded. They could then sell the asset and replace the funds back in their account.

Unfortunately one victim was discovered to have paid over £10,000 for the purchase of a watch which was later collected by a bogus courier. The victim of this crime lost over £10K because they genuinely believed they were helping the police. 

Please remember, and warn others too, that neither banks nor the police will ever contact anybody asking them to transfer or withdraw money out of their accounts because of a security issue or police investigation. 

Report telephone scams to Action Fraud online or on 0300 123 2040.