23 Nov 2015 - Message sent by
Youth Engagement & Crime Prevention Team (Police, PC Carrick - School and Youth Engagement Coordinator, Hampshire Constabulary)

Social Media 'Friend' Requests from Extremist Groups
We have been made aware by education establishments and young people in Hampshire and IOW of suspicious 'friend' requests being made through social media accounts; describing those making contact as being from 'ISIS'.

Recipients of these 'friend' requests have reported that the names of those making contact are 'unusual' and have 'funny' symbols It is not yet clear if these requests are specifically intended to target young people or that this is an issue being encountered by people of all ages??

In response to this information, safeguarding young and vulnerable people is our priority; raising awareness of the matter both directly, and through parents, carers and relevant professionals.

Our advice to you is to make young and vulnerable people aware of this risk; speak to them, reassure them that they can speak to you, and warn them NOT to accept friend requests from ANY person they don't know, particularly from those who appear to be linked to extremist groups.

This message is one step of a broad plan to ensure we raise awareness in order to keep young people in Hampshire and IOW informed and safe; our plan includes further investigation and ongoing communication of information as it becomes available

If you have any concerns or require further advice, please contact us:
schoolyouthengagement@hampshire.pnn.police.uk

Thank you for your support

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25 August 2015 - Message sent by

Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

Action Fraud has noticed a rise in reports concerning the purchase of pets, in particular puppies, advertised for sale via popular online auction websites.

The fraudsters will place an advert of the pet for sale, claiming to have recently moved abroad and the need to re-home the puppies. 

Once a sale is agreed and payment is made, usually by money transfer or bank transfer, the pet does not materialise. The fraudster will usually ask for further advanced payments for courier charges, shipping fees or vet bills.

Protect yourself:
Stay within the auction guidelines. Be wary of paying fees via a Money Service Bureau, such as MoneyGram and Western Union.

Consider conducting research on other information provided by the seller; for example a mobile phone number or email address used by the seller could alert you to any negative information associated with this number online.

Request details of the courier company being used and conduct enquiries regarding the company.
Agree a suitable time to meet face to face to agree the purchase.

Be wary. If you think the purchase price is too good to be true then this is probably an indication that it is!

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online at http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone on 0300 123 2040.

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Thomas Harries (Police, PCSO, Basingstoke District) 

Following an incident within Basingstoke I wanted to share the following message, as.temperatures start to rise so too can insecure burglary rates due to people leaving windows and doors open when they have gone out or are in the back garden. 

Hampshire Constabulary wants to remind residents to consider the following as the temperatures start to warm up: 

Remember, insurance companies often will not pay out if a burglary is a result of an insecure door or window.

If you are carrying out DIY to your home, don't leave ladders and tools out. Keep them locked up.? Make sure you lock side or rear gates.

Do not do business at the door. Often companies who tout at the door for gardening and home improvements turn out to be bogus.

If you are in the back garden having a barbeque, don't be tempted to leave the front door open for your visitors to let themselves in.

Message from me, ladies hide away your handbags. 

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16 July 2015 - Message sent by

Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has received intelligence regarding two new Lottery Fraud letters/email attachments (Scam 1 & Scam 2) using the 2016 Rio Olympics as a theme

The scams try to trick people into believing they have won the following:

Scam 1: An online lottery prize of £650,000 and a trip to Brazil to watch the Olympics as the recipient’s email address was chosen out of a possible ten million at random.

Scam 2: An online lottery prize of £820,000 and a trip to Brazil to watch the Rio Carnival and the Olympics as the recipient’s winning numbers 8 17 34 38 42 and 51 were selected.
In order to collect the winnings the recipient is requested to contact:

Scam 1:

Mr Dima Robert
MillMan Street, WC1N 3JB. London A5200.
Tel: +447035973561
Email: RioOlympics2016@represnetative.com

Scam 2:
‘UK Pay out Officer’
Email:paymaster-office@bol.co.br
+44 7937428753

Protect yourself from lottery fraud
Never respond to any such communication. If you have not entered a lottery then you cannot have won it.

Official lotteries in other countries operate in much the same way as the UK’s National Lotto.
No official lotteries that we know of contact people to tell them of their win.

We do not know of any official lottery operators who ask for fees to collect winnings. Any request for a fee payment is a good indication that someone is trying to defraud you.
Never disclose your bank details or pay fees in advance.

If they have provided an email address to respond to, be very suspicious of addresses such as @hotmail.com or @yahoo.com or numbers beginning with 07 because these are free to get hold of.

Genuine lotteries thrive on publicity. If they ask you to keep your win a secret, it is likely to be a fraud.

Many fraudulent lotteries have bad spelling and grammar – see this as a warning that fraudsters are at work.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it onlinehttp://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.