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DOORSTEP CRIME UPDATES Please scroll down to find required alert For Alerts appertaining to Preston Area Please Visit www.pnwa.co.uk |
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Please note: If you do decide to deal with tradesmen who cold-call uninvited, make sure you obtain full name, address and landline details, ask for identification, and do not let them in the house.
Please be aware that you will have a seven-day cooling off period to change your mind, cancel any purchases you have made over £35, and obtain a refund. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against you unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing.
Please refer any complaints to Lancashire Trading Standards Service, 56-58 Guildhall Street, Preston, Lancs via Consumer Direct tel 08454 040506. If there is any threat or fear of burglary contact the police at once.
Doorstep Crime /Scam UpdateGardeners/Roofers/Tarmaccers
7 November 2008
Residents are asked to be wary about three separate traders currently operating in the Preston, Fulwood and Chorley areas at the moment.
We have reports of a tree service company cold calling and leaving leaflets in the Chorley area (6 November 2008), the trader is believed to use insufficient safety equipment and precautions, and does not give required cancellation rights. He has recently dumped grass cuttings on the consumer’s drive when payment for work was refused.
There is also a trader with an Irish accent driving a plain white 55 registered van, working in the Fulwood, Preston area (6 November 2008) approaching and cold calling consumers and using pushy selling practices to sell allegedly left-over tarmac. He gives out a Liverpool (0151) landline number.
Finally, we have a roofing contractor in a white transit van cold calling elderly residents in the Ribbleton, Preston area, handing out paperwork with a 0800 number and a mobile number, and offering to replace or install plastic guttering and fascias. Again written cancellation rights are not provided and the traders appear to be uncontactable on the numbers we have.
Residents should be aware that several roofing companies are currently using the 131 Friargate address on paperwork, this is simply an accommodation address where mail may be collected from time to time, no roofers are actually based there. 28/10/08The Office of Fair Trading is today warning consumers about a sinister new twist to prize draw scams in which the victims are unwittingly being used to help defraud others. An investigation has uncovered a network of elderly prize draw fraud victims, some of whom have been groomed by the scammers into unknowingly acting as 'money mules' to launder other victims' money. The fraud involved consumers receiving telephone calls claiming that they had won an international sweepstake or prize draw worth up to £500,000. The victims were told that in order to claim their winnings they needed to pay 'refundable' taxes and insurance fees and were asked to send payments by money transfer to the scammer in Canada. The twist came when victims were later informed by the scammer that their prize had arrived at a UK airport but that further sums of money were required for its release. Victims were told to send personal cheques, often for thousands of pounds, to UK 'agents'. These 'agents' turned out to be other victims of the same scam who had been duped into acting as 'money mules', banking the cheques and innocently transferring the money to the scammer overseas. Victims receiving the cheques, who often had exhausted their own life savings, were told by the scammer that the money was from 'sponsors' to help pay the required release fee for their prize. None of the victims received any financial advantage for being 'money mules'. At least 22 elderly victims of the fraud have been identified to date, a number of whom were sending cheques to each other as well as to the scammer and who have collectively lost at least £350,000. Victims were encouraged by the scammer to borrow large sums of money once their life savings had been depleted and some have lost upwards of £50,000. In one instance, the scammers targeted the widower of a victim who had died. Trading Standards advice to anyone who receives a telephone call, letter or e-mail telling them that they have won a large cash prize is to stop, think and be sceptical. Remember a genuine prize draw, sweepstake or lottery would never ask you to pay taxes, custom duties, insurance, or any other fee before they release your winnings. Anyone who is contacted about an alleged prize draw or lottery win and suspects it may be a scam should immediately contact Consumer Direct for clear, practical advice on 08454 04 05 06 or http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.
Scam Update 22/10/08 'bogus caller' crime An elderly lady in Carnforth was confronted at 2pm Monday 20th October 2008 by two males. One told her they needed to check her water and it had to be switched off. They entered the house, one then turned off the stop cock thus distracting the aggrieved while his associate searched the entire house stealing personal property. The two men then left taking the property with them. The offenders are described as follows: Male, 5' 6" tall, medium build, round face with cropped dark brown hair
Male, white, mid 30's wearing a dark blue baseball cap with a motif on the front, black suit, white shirt, black shoes and red gloves with dark bobbles. This method of entry has been used in the past two weeks at other houses in Carnforth and Bolton-le-Sands. Please warn all your clients to rigorously check the identity of all callers to the door, no identity, no entry to their home and contact the Police immediately on the emergency system giving full details of the incident and as full a description of the persons involved. There have also been fish sellers in the area of Hest Bank, Bolton-le-Sands and Carnforth, the best answer to them is, 'NO THANK YOU' and close the door, and again contact the Police on 01524 63333. Any information should be passed to the C.I.D. office at Morecambe Police Station - 01524 63333. Counterfeit vodka
26 August 2008
THOUSANDS of potentially lethal bottles of fake vodka may be flooding the streets of Lancashire. Brands affected Kirov, Kremlin and Glen's vodka, sold in 70cl bottles, have been identified as the most common counterfeits, with a recent problem over Spar Imperial vodka sold at non-Spar outlets- it is stressed that there is no problem with the Imperial sold in Spar shops. Identification The counterfeit SPAR Imperial Vodka has a hint of acetone smell (similar to nail varnish). Bottles of the counterfeit samples are identified by the code QI:1445c and a smudged inkjet code reading that looks like 102234 04/08/02. Legitimate bottles are notated by 700ml66mm followed by two symbols and then the numbers 8809. There is no lot code present on the neck of the counterfeit bottle samples, whereas lot codes are present on all legitimate stock. The only legitimate outlet is a Spar store and if sold elsewhere they should be considered suspicious. Issues with methanol The bulk of the alcohol comes from Eastern Europe where counterfeiters often create a product containing levels of cheap, industrial chemicals such as methanol. Methanol is normally found in vodka at extremely low levels, but high levels should not be present. An excessive intake of methanol can cause poisoning and the effects include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness, and breathing difficulties. Counterfeit vodka seized in Lancashire has been found to contain up to 20 times the maximum legal limit of methanol. Anyone who may have drunk counterfeit products is advised to seek immediate medical advice.
23 July 2008
Residents in the Fleetwood, Thornton, Cleveleys and Poulton areas are asked to be wary about a number of cold-calling tradesmen who are currently targeting these neighbourhoods.
Lancashire Trading Standards Service has received information about a man who offers to power wash drives at a low price, then when the job is done states that the agreed amount was only a deposit and increases the price. Any further information would be gratefully received.
There are also believed to be several pushy broadband and electricity salesmen in the area.
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