NHW Police coordinators advise of the following scams

Scam calls

Two suspicious callers  have contacted a member of Neighbourhood watch recently; these are believed to have been made by the same caller.

Call 1 - a male possibly from a foreign call centre told the member that they were from homeserve and that they were paying £5 too much for their TV licence, the male then put the member through to  a female who asked for the long card number of their credit card in order to change the Direct debit, this was of course refused and the lady became very curt and demanding, but details were refused and call ended

Call 2 - about 10 days later a further call was received, possibly from the same male, this time purporting to be from BT and how they could save £5 a month, when member pointed out that this was the second such call received, the male cleared the line.

On both occasions a telephone number was displayed, but neither of these numbers appear to exist. Dont give any details over the phone unless you are absolutely certain of who you are talking to.

Bank Scam

A Bank Scam was attempted whereby unauthorised withdrawals were noted on an account, the account holder rang who they thought were their bank, they were on hold for some 30 minutes before calling from a land line to check, the Bank advised them their line had also been compromised.

Please take care when calling the Bank to ensure you are actually connected to the bank.

Serious Fraud Office Scam

It has been reported that a call was received purporting to be from the "Serious Fraud Office" about some odd transactions on a bank card that morning and wanting to confirm some details.  When asked which "serious fraud office" they were calling from they put the phone down.

There are also reports of scams where the caller states they are from the police, the Police will not ask for Bank details or ask you for your card.

The fly-tipping on the layby at the bottom of Lower Road Charlton Lane has been reported using the Country Eye app. Why not add it to your phone and help keep our roads clear of sights like this

Very recently, one of our neighbours in Charlton Lane had a CCTV camera installed - ironically the very next day they were victims of theft.  If you recognise the people in the photos or the car registration plate, please contact us so we can inform the police - we do not have a crime number as yet. Please note the police are happy for us to publish.

Community Policing Volunteers being recruited

Kent Police is looking for volunteers to play a new role in community policing.

Community Policing Volunteers are being recruited as part of a pilot scheme in the West Division which includes Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. 

The scheme is open to all adults aged 18 or above who are able to commit to 16 hours a month and interested in contributing to their local community as a volunteer.

They will wear a uniform and support their local Community Safety Units by providing additional visibility and accessibility and improving the communication flow to the police and back to the community.

Applicants will need to successfully pass a fitness test and provide a medical certificate to confirm they are in good health to perform an active role.

Volunteers will work as part of a team to reduce crime and the fear of crime and to promote community safety. They will have a number of duties including supporting police officers; responding to the needs of communities and supporting victims.

They will play a vital role in solving local problems and gathering useful evidence about criminal activity and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The new role has been established following the Policing and Crime Bill 2017, which has given Chief Constables authority to extend certain powers to volunteers. This includes the power to request the name and address of someone committing ASB, some powers to control traffic, the power to place traffic signs and the power to enter premises to save life and/or prevent serious damage.

Recruitment has just started and closes on 26 January 2018. Interviews for those shortlisted will take place during February and training will start at the end of April which will take place over five weekends over a 10 week period.

Assistant Chief Constable Tony Blaker said: “We know from talking to many people that there is a strong interest in volunteering to support the police and the community, and this is a fantastic opportunity that we hope will attract adults of all ages and backgrounds.

“We have a rich tradition of volunteers in Kent Police with a thriving Special Constabulary, a growing Volunteer Cadet Force and an army of people who help in support roles throughout the force.

“This new role will build on that and provide an invaluable service to both the police and the local community.”

Anyone interested in applying to become a Community Policing Volunteer can get further information from our website: www.kent.police.uk

This information was received from Kent Police

Suspicious Call

A phone call was received from a person who claimed to be employed by ' one of three government employed companies' to check the power installations in private homes. He stated the home was on his list and wished to make an appointment to carry out the inspection, which he implied was obligatory.

The Caller replied stated the check was free but the householder would be charged for any remedial work.

There have been similar calls relating to water and power where people were offered money from the government to carry out insulations and checks, but these are NOT obligatory.

Please check that any companies you ask to carry out the work are suitably registered and that the work is actually required, and DON'T allow anyone into you home unless you are certain they are genuine.

Another Courier Scam

Telephone call received (late November 2017) advising that they were calling from the bank – they did not specify which bank and naturally this was not questioned.  Caller stated he was conducting an internal investigation into bank staff and that she was to tell no one that she was assisting with the investigation.  He stated that counterfeit money had been put into accounts and that she was to withdraw 2 separate sums on consecutive days, and that once withdrawn he would ring her and check random numbers on some of the bank notes to determine if they were the ones that they had introduced and were circulating in the system. A courier from the bank would collect the money and then her account would be re credited with genuine notes. She was to leave the phone off the hook when they were communicating so that she would not be contacted by anyone and she was to tell no one why she was withdrawing the money, including the bank staff. She also had to take ID to withdraw the money.  Money was withdrawn and the courier, described as male in his 20s and Mediterranean appearance, collected the money the same day.

Remember no-one in authority will ask for your account numbers or ask you to withdraw money from the bank.

Be careful out there!

Did you hear or see anyone driving a vehicle around the Green last night? Initially it looks like a car but if you look closely at the wheel marks it is more than likely a quad bike - I have been advised. In addition to the damage to the grass, a sapling and a post were knocked over.

If you did see or hear anything at all, please contact our Neighbourhood Watch Team or respond on-line to this post.

Following a recent attempted burglary in Charlton Lane we thought it would be useful to refresh our memories with the latest advise from Kent Police:

"Most of us lock our homes before going out or going to bed, but what about during the day when most burglaries happen? Our annual burglary prevention campaign, which runs from October to January, shares top tips to help residents protect their homes and valuables from opportunistic thieves.

Do you also :

• use timer switches on lights and radios to make it look like you’re home?
• keep car keys, cash and expensive items somewhere safe and out of sight?
• security-mark and photograph important items to help identify them if needed?
• use a safe to store gold jewellery  – or better still, a safety deposit box at your bank?

By working together, we can make it harder for thieves to strike.

For more advice visit www.kent.police.uk/burglary , find us on Facebook or follow @kent_police on Twitter."

Please follow this link to read the latest magazine from Kent Neighbourhood Watch, which gives you advice and information to help keep you safe and secure.

If you have any concerns please do contact your Neighbourhood Watch representatives, Julie, Chris or myself Jacky.

Kent Police is reminding van owners to lock their vehicles and remove valuables

At around 10.45pm on Tuesday 18 July 2017, four men were reported to have stolen gardening equipment from a van.

Two of the men drove away in a car described as a VW Golf and the other two men described as wearing a white jumper and black jumper walked away from the scene. 

Property including a drill, hedge trimmer, leaf blower and two strimmers were stolen.

Inspector Rachael Cumberland said: 'The theft of tools and equipment from work vans can have a devastating impact on people’s livelihoods, so we would urge van owners to do all they can to reduce the chances of becoming a victim.'

There are a number of steps which can be taken to help prevent items being stolen from vans:

• Remove all tools and equipment from your vehicle when it’s unattended.
• Park in a well-lit secure location in a locked garage or on a driveway if possible.
• Consider investing in additional locks that you can fit to your van.
• Consider investing in CCTV and sensors which alert you when someone walks near your vehicle or enters the driveway.
• Have valuables `security marked’ so it makes them harder to sell on if they are stolen.
• Report anyone acting suspiciously.

Anyone who saw the men or who has information that may help is asked to contact Kent Police on 01622 604100 quoting reference YY/020019/17.

Alternatively contact Kent Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

North West Kent Neighbourhood Watch give the following advice following a recent spate of robberies by rogue traders

Lock your back doors and windows before answering your front door. Never leave your front door unattended. If you need to get something, close it until you return.

·         Use a spyhole and ask who the caller is through the door first, then keep the door on the chain.

·         Check their identification, even if they have a pre-arranged appointment.

·         If you are not expecting the caller and they do not carry an ID card, do not let them in.

·         If you have any doubts about whether the caller is genuine, ask them to leave and come back at a time convenient to you and when you've had a chance to ask someone to be with you. You can also contact Trading Standards with their vehicle details, company name, contact details and any other information you have.

·         Before allowing any work to be carried out, it is best to obtain a quote or get a second quote from a recognised firm.

·         Do not pay anyone for work before it is carried out, and certainly never go to the bank to draw out cash if a lift is offered by the people who knock on the door.