Neighbourhood

Alerts

Your Safer Neighbourhood

Police Officers are:

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team: PC James Long 1316 is now the designated officer for Dorchester Rural Neighbourhood Policing. PC Long will be working alongside Police Community Support Officers 5301 Hart and 6500 Alison Donnison. Contact them on 101 or on their team mobile: 07500 816291; please only use this number for non-emergency calls. If a crime is in progress or life is in danger, please dial 999.

Please only use the numbers above for non-

emergency calls. If a crime is in progress or

life is in danger, please dial 999.

Dorchester Safer Neighbourhood Team

are now Tweeters - follow them on

@DorchesterSNT for updates and

information relevant to our area.

Meet the Team Buckland Newton Old Chapel Stores: Every third Wednesday of the month from 3.00 pm to 3.30 pm.

The Neighbourhood Alerts scheme is about bringing people closer

together and involving them in local village life. It plays an important part in making

the community safer and one of the most important things that scheme members

can do is to look out for activity that seems suspicious or unusual and report it to

the police. It may help solve or prevent a crime! Any messages received from

Dorset Police regarding Neighbourhood Alerts will be posted here as soon as we

receive them. If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it

online at: www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone on: 0300 123

2040.

Rural Crime Prevention Leaflet

Click for more details 27th January 2025. Valentine’s Chocolate Scam. 18th January 2025. Be aware of HMRC Scams 15 January 2025. Booking.com users targeted with scam messages. Postal Parcel Scams. If you are expecting a parcel please independently check your order number on the relevant online account for tracking information. Never click and submit your personal details on a received link. Even if they don't initially ask for money the scammers are likely to be FISHING for information to CATCH you out later. Never submit bank card details for payment of small delivery charges via received links. Royal Mail Group gives some good examples of typical scams they see, at:. https://s-url.co/qaYYAA Please remind family members who may not shop online throughout the year. Beware of Amazon Scams. Scammers posing as various organisations like Amazon may send you calls, texts, and emails with various tactics to try to deceive you to provide personal information or sign-in credentials. What to watch out for? Scammers may tell you there is a fraud investigation and you must “verify” your account or claim there is an unauthorised or fraudulent activity on your Amazon account. How can you avoid being scammed? Amazon will never ask you to share your password, account sign-in One-Time Password (OTP), or verify sensitive personal information over the phone. Visit the Message Centre on Amazon.co.uk or on our app to review authentic emails from Amazon. Go directly to the Amazon website, and go to Your Account to make changes to your billing and account information. Customer Service is available 24/7 to help with any questions you may have. If you receive communication — a call, text, or email — that you think may not be from Amazon, please report it at amazon.co.uk/reportascam. 16th November 2024. Winter Fuel Payment Scam. Scammers are promoting fake 'Winter Fuel Payments' on social media, claiming people of certain ages can receive £500 or £575. These payments do not actually exist. If you are eligible for the legitimate UK government Winter Fuel Payment, you would have received a letter in October or will get one in November stating your payment amount. Be cautious of any ads or posts on Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms offering 'winter fuel payments'. These are scams designed to steal your personal and financial information. To spot these scams: • The Winter Fuel Payment is administered by the UK government, not private companies • Legitimate payments come via letter, not unsolicited online offers • The amounts being advertised (£500, £575) do not match actual payment amounts If you have any concerns, contact the UK government's Winter Fuel Payment Centre. Do not provide any information or make payments in response to suspicious online ads. If you have been a victim of fraud contact Action Fraud and call your bank fraud department on 159.

Country Watch Dorset

Dorset Police have launched Country Watch Website, a one-stop rural resource centre for all things rural crime related in Dorset. #CountryWatch Check out the website here: http://www.countrywatchdorset.co.uk/

Missing Persons with Dementia

When a person goes missing, it is very distressing for family and friends and can be even more worrying when the missing person has dementia. Click on Herbert Protocol for more information on how to report a missing person with dementia.

Staying safe from e-mail scams

Just been told you won that social media giveaway you entered a while ago? #StopChallengeProtect to make sure it isn’t a scam. Criminals will try and trick you to make you believe you’ve won something. They want you to hand over your personal or financial information, make a payment, or click on a dangerous link. You can report suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (spells out the word ‘spam’ on your keypad). A useful article from Neighbourhood Watch - worth reading.

Crime Prevention Visits

Did you know that the Dorset Police Rural Crime Team offer free of charge crime prevention visits to farms, smallholdings and equine premises and other rural businesses? On these visits we have a walk around premises and find out any weak points and any existing security measures and then advise on security measures that would suit the solution. We will also bring with us a pack containing useful guides and products which might be of interest to you and officers can discuss with you any concerns or product ideas you may have. We can also offer property marking while we are at the premises and offer lots of crime prevention signage. More crime prevention advice can be found here: https://www.dorset.police.uk/help-advice-crime-prevention/rural-crime/ If you would like a visit to your farm, smallholding or other rural business from the Rural Crime Team or for further crime prevention advice please send an email to the team at ruralcrimeteam@dorset.pnn.police.uk

Staying Safe Online

Click here for Staying Safe Online and Staying Safe on Social Media information from the police. Do It Online is a contact portal that can be found on the front page of www.dorset.police.uk. Here you can select the service most appropriate to your enquiry and complete the form as directed. Please give as much information as you can to help the police answer your enquiry. The Do It Online function enables you to make enquiries without the need of calling 101, therefore saving your time and any unnecessary expense. Call Protect This is a new service offered by BT called Call Protect and which is free. When you receive a call, you just dial 1572 and follow the instructions and hopefully this number will be barred in future. Its very easy to set up online through BT and can be done from your own computer to cover any landline – useful to help with elderly relatives who may not be so computer literate. Shed, Outbuilding and Garage Security Advice Many people take a great deal of trouble securing their houses and property within, however leave valuable property in a shed or outbuilding, which is either unlocked or so old and run down it proves no obstacle for a thief. Attached is a poster displaying more useful information and simple tips to make yourself secure; click on the image at left for full details. Ensure that your shed and outbuilding is in a good condition and if not take steps to improve it or don't leave valuable items inside. Once the fabric of the building is secure, you can then look to improve the physical security. Consolidate all your valuable tools into one very secure place. This may mean bringing your power tools into your home when not in use. Please make a note of any serial numbers as this is crucial for us to reunite you with your stolen property. When we seize suspected stolen property, we need to prove where it has come from. We also suggest that you reverse all vehicles so that the rear doors face against walls or garages/outbuildings. If you discover that your shed or outbuilding has been broken into, please leave the scene untouched and call us on 101 soonest. This will help our Crime Scene Investigators look for fingerprints, footprints as well as any fibres or tool marks on point of entry such as locks and windows. This will give us the best chance of a positive outcome. We also suggest:

•

Put away all tools and lock them up. Remember these tools could be

used to break into your home. Don't leave ladders outside, or chain them up

if you have to.

•

Replace standard hinges with strap hinges secured by coach bolts or use

security screws (’clutch’ screws) on existing hinges.

•

Use good quality locks to secure your gates and doors. A tough pad bar

(also called hasp and staple) fitted with a strong padlock and secured with

coach bolts is the most effective way of securing a door.

•

Some standard locks fitted to up-and-over garage doors are easily

overcome. A padlock with a hasp and staple fitted on each side is very

effective. Specialist locks for such doors are also available.

•

Double garage doors with a rim latch should be supplemented with a

mortice deadlock. If the garage is attached to the main building ensure that

connecting doors are secure.

•

Install outside security lighting operated by either movement sensor or

photo-electric cell (Dusk till Dawn light).

•

Check that your household insurance covers theft from your garden and

outbuildings.

•

Mark your power tools with your postcode and house number or the first

two letters of your house name. Alternatively, permanently mark them by

scratching or painting: this will also reduce their value to the thief.

•

Fit a battery-operated alarm. These can cost less than you think.

•

Fit a window grille and/or frosted window film to stop a thief seeing into

your shed or garage.

•

Chain tools, cycles and other valuable equipment together using high

security chain or cable and a good quality padlock.

•

Photograph valuable and unusual garden ornaments and keep these in a

secure place.

Doorstep Crime

Doorstep crime - where criminals trick their way into peoples’ homes or con people to having work done - causes great distress to the victims who are often the most vulnerable members of society. In no circumstances give your bank account details or Personal Identification Number (PIN) to anyone – over the phone or on your doorstep. Our message is simple; ‘be sure who is at your door’ and never accept work from anyone who tries to sell you services at your door. Never let anyone into your home if you don’t know them. Don’t be rushed into accepting a quote or believing scare-stories peddled by doorstep callers. Take some advice. Friends and neighbours can check things out, and our Buy with Confidence scheme will find you trusted and reliable traders. Crime Prevention Guidance: • If you are not sure who is at your door – don’t open it. • Remember to use your door chain if you have one before you open your front door to strangers. • Always check the identity of all visitors if they are not known to you before opening your door. • Always look up telephone numbers for yourself – do not accept numbers provided by callers as they could be bogus. • Beware of common tricks such as being asked to make a telephone call, wanting to retrieve a lost ball (even if it is a child) or being asked to check your water, gas or electric. If in doubt keep your door secure. • Always keep doors and windows secure – it is easy for strangers to enter the rear of your home when you are busy answering the front door to their accomplice. • Don’t keep large quantities of cash at home. Put it in a bank or Post Office account. • To find an approved trader, call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0345 404 05 06 or visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk. • If you think a friend or relative has been victimised call the police on 101 or 999 if a crime is in progress.

TPS (Telephone Preference Service) Scam

The telephone preference service (TPS) is a valuable resource and is supported by the Dorset Police but instances have occurred where members of the public have registered on the TPS website and have later received a telephone call from a person who stated they are responding to the TPS registration and asking for a fee to complete the registration. This is a scam and you should not pass on your bank or credit card details. If you have been contacted by a person stating they are from the Telephone Preference Service and have paid money for this free service it is strongly advised that you report the incident to ACTION FRAUD on 0300 123 2040 as well as contacting your bank as soon as practical.

Silent phone calls

It is usually companies that telephone-sell goods using multiple dialling, which phones 20 lines simultaneously, and as soon as one person answers, all the other phone lines are cut. You can stop at least some these unsolicited calls easily by registering with the Telephone Preference Service. The number to stop these sales calls is 0845 070 0707.

Thefts from churches...

...particularly lead from roofs, are an increasing problem. There have been several incidents in West Dorset. Buckland Newton has therefore joined the police initiative 'Church Watch', and those living around that part of the village are asked for their support. If you see anyone acting suspiciously around the Church, or anywhere in the village, the police would like to know straight away. Better a false alarm than missing a wrongdoing. Dorchester Police 01305 222222.

Scams: Don't get caught out

Scams – if you are scammed it is worth reporting as all the information is collated and investigated. Report it on Action Fraud or 0300 123 2040. Every day tens of thousands of people across the UK open their post to find that they have apparently won money in a lottery or have a special parcel awaiting delivery on receipt of a delivery fee or following a premium rate telephone call. Many others receive phone calls telling them similar stories. DON'T BELIEVE THEM Watch out for these warning signs: • You must send a fee to make your claim • The company is based overseas or has a PO Box address 3H_ • You are asked for your credit or bank account details • You must call a premium rate telephone number (090...) • You must respond immediately to claim your prize It's an unsolicited letter, phone call or e-mail In short, never spend any money in response to these scams...