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In this issue:
 A Coventry
businessman has been jailed for 14 months and handed a lifetime restraining
order, after being found guilty of witness intimidation at a trial at Warwick
Crown Court.
Darren Peter Wilson, aged 45, of Wall
Hill Road, Allesley, Coventry and trading as Darren Wilson Roofing Ltd was
sentenced after being found guilty of conducting a campaign of harassment and
intimidation against a neighbour – an elderly lady who lives alone - and who
was a key witness in a prosecution brought against Mr Wilson earlier in the
year for causing a smoke
nuisance and illegally burning building waste.
Please
see our press release for further information.
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 An
Allesley Park resident has alerted us to door knockers in the area trying to
persuade elderly people to pay to have their gutters cleaned before the winter
snow!
With the weather forecasters predicting anything but
snow this Christmas we are advising residents to
be on their guard against using cowboy builders or rogue traders who cold
call at their doors.
Traders who knock on your door or leaflet
you may provide you with a false address or a pay as you go mobile number
which cannot be traced.
Trading
Standards suggests anyone needing work carrying out around the home or garden
can use the Age UK Coventry Trusted Traders scheme which is available to
people of all ages living in Coventry and is provided in partnership with
Coventry Trading Standards. For details contact: 024 7643 3982.
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 A resident reported receiving a text stating
the following:
"Dear Customer, please note that we have to refund you the
amount: 422.40 GBP council tax fee for the past year. Please visit: http://online-council-tax.co.uk/"
On
checking the link contained in the email it takes you to: a webpage with this
url http://2597368-0.web-hosting.es/Refund_Form.html - which is clearly not a
government website despite having the gov.uk logo at the top of the page.
This
appears to be a fairly blatant attempt to obtain your payment card details.
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 We have had further reports from concerned residents who have been sent
an email claiming to be from HMRC about a tax refund. To the right is an
example of a typical HMRC phishing e-mail that one local resident received
claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
HMRC will never send notifications of a tax rebate by email, or ask you
to disclose personal or payment information by email.
Do not visit the website contained within the email or disclose any
personal or payment information.
If you have received a HMRC related phishing/bogus email, please
forward it to: phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then delete
it.
Our advice is to delete this or any other similar messages.
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We
have received reports from a local business of an email in circulation claiming
to be from Petty Wood quoting an order number from ‘NHogg@pettywood.co.uk’
There
is no body text but there is an attachment.
There
is a genuine business of this name, but information on a number of online
forums indicates that this particular email currently in circulation is a scam.
There is a suggestion that the attached file is infected and there is a
possibility that by opening it, a virus or malware may be downloaded and
installed on your device.
The
malware can monitor the user’s activity to capture banking or other private
information, which is then transmitted back to the criminals.
Get
Safe Online provides advice, guidance and tools on its website at:
https://www.getsafeonline.org/protecting-yourself/spam-and-scam-email/
Anyone
who thinks they have lost money through malware should report it to Action Fraud.
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 Asda has withdrawn certain pots of the above
mix with a ‘best before’ end date of October 2016 because the pots contain a
cheese sauce mix. The incorrect label does not mention the presence of milk.
This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or
intolerance to milk or milk constituents.
Pack size: 160g with a ‘Best before’ end: October 2016 and Batch
code: 5291
If you have bought the above product and have
an allergy to or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, do not eat it.
Instead, return the product to the Asda store from where it was bought for a
full refund or contact Asda Customer Relations on 0800 952 0101.
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 If you need Consumer Advice over the festive period the Citizens
Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06 will be open during the following
times:
Monday
21 December – 9am-5pm
Tuesday 22 December – 9am-5pm
Wednesday 23 December– 9am-5pm
Thursday 24 December – 9am-1pm
Friday 25 December – Closed
Monday 28 December – Closed
Tuesday 29 December – 9am-5pm
Wednesday 30 December – 9am-5pm
Thursday 31 December – 9am-1pm
Friday 1 January – Closed
Their online
reporting form is also available throughout this
period, but please remember the forms will only be looked at during their
opening hours.
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 Don't forget, our offices and most Council buildings are closed over Christmas - From Friday 25th December to Monday 4th January.
Our website is always open at www.coventry.gov.uk but if it's urgent you can contact the Council on 02476 83 3333
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For
more information on scams, visit: www.coventry.gov.uk/scams
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