In the know

Dear Resident,

This week we have been raising awareness on the different types of fraud and how to safeguard those most at risk.

1) Courier Fraud: This fraud happens when criminals trick victims into handing over valuable personal information by impersonating professionals, such as police officers, bank workers or phone providers to gain someone’s trust. 

Important advice to share:

• Highlight the importance of relying on official websites for trusted information

• Encourage them to register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) to stop getting nuisance calls and texts 

• Remind them to never disclose personal or financial information to a stranger or an organisation that calls out of the blue

• Talk to them about never handing over cash or valuables to a courier, no matter who they claim to be

For more information: Door-to-door and courier fraud | Surrey Police

2) Romance fraud: A scammer creates a fake online profile to build a romantic relationship with a victim. Once trust is established, they will ask for money for reasons like medical emergencies, travel expenses or business opportunities. 

How to safeguard the vulnerable: 

• Speak about online relationships and the potential risks

• Encourage healthy boundaries to be established in online interactions.

• Reassure them that they can say ‘no’ if they feel pressured into moving to different messaging services

For more information: Romance Fraud | Surrey Police

3) ‘Cuckooing’: Occurs when a drug dealer befriends a vulnerable person with the motive to take over their house and use it as a base for their illegal activities. Some signs that ‘cuckooing’ may be going on at a property include an increase in people entering and leaving, more vehicles and bikes outside the property and increased anti-social behaviour.  

To safeguard those in our community:  

For more information: Cuckooing - Could you be at risk? | Surrey Police

4) Sextortion: This a scam where the victim is deceived into building a ‘relationship’ which ultimately leads to blackmail. They will normally encourage the victim to carry out a sexual act in front of the webcam, send a video, or pictures of an explicit nature which the criminal will then use as blackmail by threatening the victim that they will post them online or send a copy to the victim’s family or friends unless money is paid to them.

Important advise to share: 

For more information: Sextortion | Surrey Police

5)  Financial abuse: A type of abuse when an individual is financially controlled be that through threats, coercive control, or abuse.  

To safeguard against financial abuse: 

For more information: Adult and elder abuse | Surrey Police

6)  Investment fraud: This scam involves a promises of high financial returns but ultimately deceive individuals into losing their money.  

Guide them on how to avoid this scam by: 

For more information: Fraud Newsletter – November 2024 Edition | Surrey Police

Remember, if you see anything suspicious, report it so that we can investigate and take action. You can use our online reporting tool at https://www.surrey.police.uk/ro/report/ or dial 101. Always call 999 in an emergency. 

Kind regards,