News

In this edition we highlight scams affecting young people, the Oasis ticket problem and a parking fine scam that leads to official looking websites designed to steal your money.

All this as well as up to date food and product recalls!

You can read the newsletter here: Trading Standards Newsletter 

We also have a webinar coming up. We are hosting it with Surrey Police and it's on the topic of doorstep crime.

It could be someone knocking to say that they've noticed a loose tile, or they are just working down the road and offering to jet wash your driveway or even someone trying to sell you household goods - we let you know the reality of rogue cold callers and how to spot and report them.

Sign up to the webinar on 24th September here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-safe-from-doorstep-crime-tickets-999315297957

Please remember that from today the 420 bus route no longer serves the Whitebushes estate with the nearest stop being the hospital.

For us to fight for improvements to bus services please if using the 460 use the stops at Bushfield Drive or Spencer Way where possible to generate the documented demand for more than just an hourly 460 service in each direction.

Dear all, 

Please find the August 2024 edition of the Surrey and Sussex Police Fraud Newsletter below. In this month’s edition, we focus on fraud recovery fraud, financial abuse by a known person, and telephone number spoofing. 

“Each month we see many incidents of fraudsters targeting our residents in an attempt to defraud them. We’re working hard to prevent this and support vulnerable victims of fraud or scams. By following our tips and encouraging family, friends and colleagues to do so too, you can reduce the risk of becoming a victim.”

T/Detective Chief Inspector Antony Leadbeatter, Surrey Police & Sussex Police Economic Crime Unit

Fraud recovery fraud 

Sadly, we have seen an increase locally across Sussex and Surrey in criminals contacting previous fraud victims and presenting them with an opportunity to retrieve their lost funds as a sort of recovery scheme, typically from an investment fraud. The victims are frequently being asked to pay an advanced fee for this service and are suffering huge financial loss and repercussions for being repeat victims of fraud. 

Case Study 

Earlier this year a 61-year-old female from East Sussex was looking to invest some money she had recently inherited. She saw an advert on Facebook with Martin Lewis talking positively about investing in Crypto currency and recommending a specific company for doing this (this advert had used deepfake software to give the impression that Martin Lewis was recommending this company when in fact this was all a hoax).

Once on the website she filled out a questionnaire and was then subsequently called by someone representing the company claiming to be a financial advisor who will help her invest in Bitcoin and manage her portfolio. The financial advisor instructed her to transfer money to them to invest in Bitcoin. She would get daily calls from the advisor asking to invest more and more money, while also seeing that reports emailed to her showing her investment growing quickly. 

She had invested over £40,000, before she realised this was all a scam.

Last month she received a call from some claiming they could recover her lost money for a fee.  So she began transferring cash to a nominated account and using a variety of different payment methods and transfer services. Sadly, this was actually a second fraud and she went on to lose yet another substantial amount of money. 

• If you have lost money to a fraud in the past, be wary if you’re contacted by an agency that knows a lot about the money you lost…. but they want a fee first. 
• Genuine agencies never ask for fees to recover money lost to fraudsters.
• Challenge any calls, letters, or emails from people you don’t know or companies you’ve never contacted.
• The fraudsters may also ask you to provide details of your bank account so they can pay your money into it. They will use this information to empty your account.

Financial abuse by a known person 

Financial abuse is most frequently carried out by a person who is trusted by the victim. This can include family members, friends and neighbours, care workers and other professionals. 

This can also relate to fraud by abuse of position of trust, which applies when someone has been put in a privileged position, and because of this position, is expected to safeguard another person’s finances. 

There are also individuals who target and befriend vulnerable adults with the intention of exploiting them.

Disabled people are disproportionately affected by this despicable crime compared to the non-disabled population. The risk is increased due to them often being more in need and reliant of others supporting them and a higher likelihood of social isolation. 

Reporting a fraud by abuse of position of trust can be increasingly difficult if the suspect is a family member, carer, or friend as the victim may not have an alternative support network and there may also be a fear retaliation or further victimisation.

So far this year we have seen 201 reports of financial abuse by a known person across Sussex and Surrey with an average age of the victims being 67 years old.  The total loss experienced amounted to £3.9 million.

During the month of August, the Digital Safety and Fraud Prevention Team at West Sussex County Council have been collaborating with other partner agencies who are also members of the Fraud Prevention Working Group (FPWG) to raise awareness around Financial Abuse by a known person.

By producing a series of awareness messages, scheduled at specific dates across the month and shared across the social media platforms of all the FPWG members, these messages have raised awareness of this fraud type and also focused on what to look out for if you believed a loved one was experiencing financial abuse. Links to resources and signposting to support agencies were also included within these posts.

Telephone number spoofing 

There have been an increased number of victims reporting receiving fraudulent communications from phone numbers, falsely identifying as their banks. 

These authentic looking numbers allow suspects to impersonate bank officials, conducting scams by calling on what seems like a legitimate number and following up with an official looking text message.  These can appear in an existing message chain, which seemingly adds further credibility. 

Calls with spoofed numbers can come from all over the world and are used in a growing proportion of nuisance and fraudulent calls.

• Never give out your personal information in response to an incoming cold call, 
• Do not rely on the caller id as the sole means of identification - particularly if the caller asks you to carry out an action which might have financial consequences.

Taken from Facebook please find attached the list of events ar Salfords Village Hall

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council are operating normal waste collections for the August Bank Holiday week.

All teams will be visiting on the usual day.

The Council’s Executive agreed last night to focus on options for a medium-term cultural offering for the borough (based in Redhill if possible) to be reported to the Executive in early 2025.

The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema’s interim leisure and cultural provision, put in place while the building cannot be used due to RAAC, will cease. 

A community event for local people to get involved is planned for the autumn.

You can read the full statement here: https://orlo.uk/Qqx11

Our neighbours at Salfords and Sidlow Parish Council have shared the following that might impact those who enjoy walking:

The footpath from Monotype to Salfords train station is going to be closed for a period of up to 5 months from 16 September 2024 to 19 February 2025 whilst Network Rail replace the steps at the station.

U7-U10 GIRLS TEAM SPACES

We are thrilled to invite young female footballers to join our club for the upcoming season (24/25).

Come and be a part of our growing female football community!

We are looking for girls who will be in Years 2, 3, 4 & 5 from September 24.

Teams will play in the Epsom & Ewell Saturday league and Surrey Girls Sunday League for U10 age group.

Open sessions continue throughout the remainder of the Summer:

Thursday 5-6pm at New Pond Farm

We have teams ready to go with kit, league registrations in place some great players and experienced coaches.

Please register via the QR Code or contact Chris Rowe 07785 274757 / femalefootball@redhillfc.co.uk

For U10s please use the QR code in this photo.

Following the boundary changes across the eastern part of Surrey the 2024 general election results are now in.

Congratulations to all those MPs that were elected or re-elected. Also thank you to all those candidates that put themselves forward to stand for election that on this occasion were unsuccessful.

The results for the new Dorking and Horley constituency which covers Salfords are:

Lib Dem gain from Conservative: 

• Chris Coghlan (Lib Dem) 20,921
• Marisa Heath (Conservative) 15,530
• Craig Young (Reform) 6,898
• Nadia Burrell (Labour) 4,053
• Lisa Scott (Green) 2,563

• Lib Dem majority: 5,391
• Turnout: 72.7%

Constituency boundaries have changed for this election 

The results for the East Surrey constituency are:

Conservative hold: 

• Claire Coutinho (Conservative) 17,502
• Thomas Bowell (Labour) 10,052
• Claire Malcomson (Lib Dem) 8,833
• Chris Scott (Reform) 8,380
• Shasha Khan (Green) 2,957
• Judy Moore (Independent) 1,145
• Martin Hogbin (Loony) 327

• Conservative majority: 7,450
• Turnout: 67.1%

Constituency boundaries have changed for this election:

The results for the Epsom & Ewell constituency are:

Lib Dem gain from Conservative: 

• Helen Maguire (Lib Dem) 20,674
• Mhairi Fraser (Conservative) 16,988
• Mark Todd (Labour) 8,325
• Mayuran Senthilnathan (Reform) 5,795
• Stephen McKenna (Green) 1,745
• Gina Miller (True) 845
• Damon Young (Soc Dem) 153

• Lib Dem majority: 3,686
• Turnout: 70.3%

Constituency boundaries have changed for this election: