A resident in Bodicote recieved a call during the evening of the 9th November from a male caller purporting to be from NPOWER. The caller asked for bank details, which was refused. The caller persisted by asking for bank details to be sent by email, again this was refused.
It has been confirmed that NPOWER would not ask for bank details over the phone.
The resident states the caller was very persistant and is worried that vulnerable people may be tempted to give out the details.
Please make your neighbours aware.
9th November '06 - The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam
A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911 (a premium rate number). DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize. If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £15 for the phone call.
If you do receive a card with these details, then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator) at www.icstis.org.uk
9th November '06 - Ringmaster to Banbury Rural
Another burglary took place last night at around 6.30pm at Oxford Road, Adderbury.
If you live in Addebury, did you see anything suspicious?
With reference to yesterdays appeal for information of Antique dealers in the area. We have had a very good response from Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators regarding a man distrbuting lealfets and knocking on doors around 2 weeks ago. Our Priority Crime Team are following up the information and will be questioning the person concerned. If you have any information that you feel could help with police enquiries, please contact the police on 08458 505 505 and ask for your information to be passed onto our priority crime team.
If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person, saying
that, he or she is a company engineer, or telling that they're checking
your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number.
End this call immediately without pressing any numbers. There is a fraud
company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access
your "SIM" card and make calls at your expense. Forward this message to
as many colleagues, relatives and friends as you can, to stop it.
31st August '06 - Increase in Offences
Please be aware that there has been an increase in the number of offences in the area north of
Banbury especially in the Little Bourton and Great Bourton areas.
Thefts from five motor vehicles have occurred and the villages have been subject to eight
burglaries. Amongst the Items that are being targeted are SAT NAVS and mobile phones.
Please warn members to secure there vehicles and to remove valuables from view.If you have a
removal SAT NAV remove the holder also.
Any information regarding these offences please contact the priorty crime team on 08458505505.
27th June '06 - Can you help?
About 1015 this morning, 23rd June, two teenagers were seen to be acting suspiciously in the
village of Hornton. They were seen walking round a property in Horton trying the doors and
ringing the door bell.One youth described as dark haired the other wearing a grey hood, both
wearing tracksuit bottoms.
Any sightings or information please contact the police on 08458505505 quoting URN 426 of 23
June 2006
Thankyou.
If you have any information about the above message that is of an urgent nature please contact
our central enquiry centre on 0845 8505 505 or if non urgent and you are a registered
Ringmaster Recipient click on the link below, (you will need your login details) and leave
your reply:-
And please do report anything you see that strikes you as being odd: this information exchange
does work. We recently received this message from Banbury:
Over the weekend we had a good result in the village of Great Bourton, due to a member of the
public informing the police of a suspicious vehicle in the village. This then led to a pursuit
and the arrest of two males, enquiries are ongoing at this time.
15th June '06 - Neighbourhood Watch BBQ
The Neighbourhood Watch annual (or bi-annual!) BBQ is set to take place on Sunday 16th
July 2006 between 6pm and 8pm on the village green (weather permitting.)
It is a chance for newcomers in the village to get to know people and for existing villagers
to say hello over a glass of wine.
14th January '06 - Message from Banbury Neighbourhood Watch
In the last 3 weeks there have been 21 car arsons throughout Banbury Sector. There is an
incident room set up at Banbury Police Station to investigate. Can you please inform your
members that it is important to be vigilant and report anything suspicious as soon as
possible. Any information please contact DS Ian Hunter on 08458 505505. If the incident is
immediate ring 999.
10th Novemeber '05 - Friendly warning
We have had an increase in burglaries during the last two weeks particularly in the early
evening. This coincides with the clocks changing and the evenings being darker earlier.
Bretch Hill, Easington and Ruscote have been the areas hit and the majority of the entries
to houses have been via unlocked rear doors. Please ensure that you lock your doors even
when at home and leave a light on when out to give the appearance of your home being
occupied.
Items stolen include Playstations, Playstation Games, Mobile Phones and an X Box. Anyone
being offered these items for sale is urged to contact the police.
There have being varying descriptions of suspicious persons including two white males
aged late teens seen acting suspiciously. We appeal for any information you may have,
please telephone the police on 08458 505 505 and ask for your information to be passed
onto the Priority Crime Team here at Banbury Police Station.
We have also had a spate of cycle thefts from sheds in the same areas, please ensure you
lock and secure all out buildings.
10th November '05 - Buying Online
In recent years, there has been a huge growth in e-commerce across the world, but reports
of problems have put people off.
Despite these many concerns, some now argue that it is actually safer to buy online than
buying over the phone or handing your credit card over to someone in a shop. This is
because if the online payment is handled properly your banking details will be "encrypted",
which means they cannot be viewed by anyone other than those handling the transaction -
usually the banks.
If you're still unsure, Card Watch, the UK banking group that works with the police and
retailers to stop credit card fraud, offer the following "top ten tips" when buying online:
1. Make sure your web-browser (that's the software that you use to view websites,
most commonly Internet Explorer or Netscape) is set to the highest level of security
notification and monitoring. These options are not always automatically activated when your
computer is set-up, so check your manual or the "Help" option.
2. Check you are using a recent version of your web-browser as they often include
better security features - up-to-date versions can be downloaded free from the Microsoft
or Netscape websites. If you have a different browser or use on-line services such as AOL
or CompuServe, contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) or software supplier to find
out how to activate their security features.
3. Before purchasing from a website, make a record of the retailer's contact
details, including a street address and landline phone number. If these details are not
available on the website, consider going elsewhere to buy, do not rely on the e-mail
address alone.
4. Do not enter personal details unless the security icon is displayed (this is a
small padlock that normally appears at the bottom of your browser when you begin your
transaction over the Internet). You can click on the padlock to see if the retailer has
an encryption certificate. This should explain the type and extent of security and
encryption it uses. Only use companies that have an encryption certificate and use
secure transaction technology. The address of the page where you enter personal details
should also start https://.
5. If you have any queries or concerns, telephone the company before giving them
your card details to reassure yourself that it is legitimate.
6. Print out your order and consider keeping copies of the retailer's terms and
conditions and returns policy. Be aware that there may well be additional charges such as
postage and VAT. When buying from overseas always err on the side of caution and remember
that it may be difficult to seek redress if problems arise.
7. Check statements from your bank or card issuer carefully as soon as you receive
them. Raise any discrepancies with the retailer concerned in the first instance. If you
find any transaction on your statement that you are certain you did not make, contact your
card issuer immediately.
8. Ensure that you are fully aware of any payment commitments you are entering into,
including whether you are instructing a single payment or a series of payments.
9. Never disclose your card's PIN number to anyone, including people claiming to be
from your bank or the police, and never write it down or send it over the Internet.
10. If you have any doubts about using your card, find another method of payment. On the other hand, if you're someone
who doesn't have a card and you're looking for one, it would be best if you do a little research from online money
management websites like lovemoney.com for tips and pointers. This can be a good
option because these websites may have all the resources that you need.
Moreover, remember: do not enter personal or payment details unless the web address of the
page starts https:// and there is a small padlock displayed at the bottom of the window.
Simple steps can be taken to make houses less vulnerable
to anyone who might want to help themselves to our possessions. We can:
Lock doors and shut windows when we go out
Put items such as handbags or car keys out of sight
instead of where they can be seen and picked up
Lock sheds and put tools – especially ladders –
away
Alarms are a good deterrent but these simple steps save
things disappearing with the opportunist thief.
Marking property is the surest way of claiming it back:
ultra-violet pens, engraving and best of all, Alphadot registration is available
at a reduced rate. (How - info needed)
Personal Security
Anyone who might be nervous at opening the door to
strangers might consider fitting a chain to the door. The number of people
doorstep selling has almost completely disappeared but there are still people
with loads of tarmac to offload or offering garden services.
Do not be afraid to ask callers to produce an Identity
Card or to call their office for verification. Genuine callers won't
object. Did you know you can arrange a private password with the
electricity or water company representatives so that they can identify
themselves before being let in?
Vehicles
Be aware of the steps we can take to protect our cars.
Where possible, leave cars off the road, preferably
in a garage or, if this is impractical, under a street light.
Possessions should be removed or be put out of sight before
arriving where the car is to be left.
Thieves expect to find handbags under the passenger
seat.
Contact your Watch Guardian for help you with any of the
above.
This is a two-way street. From time to time the police
send us messages which warn of situations to be aware of. Details are put on the
notice-board and the Church-room door and will be posted to this web site.
In addition, anything you might regard as out of the
ordinary or a bit suspect in any way can be reported to the Watch Office in
Banbury directly or via your Watch Guardian. Little bits of information are like
parts of a puzzle and can be put together to form a picture. Things like
unmarked vans cruising round the village, people nosing about . . .Note the make
and registration number of the vehicle, and description of people.
This is the main point of Hornton Neighbourhood Watch.
No longer is it regarded as ‘nosy’ to note what is
happening around you and making sure that it is in order; this is being
neighbourly. We try to make people welcome and keep an eye on each other.
