Watch out issue 3

WatchOutIssue 3 August 2014 Community safety news for Essex

By Peter FaulknerTHIS photograph shows the moment a 92year old woman is taken to the bank by arogue builder and becomes the latest victimof a £1m scam involving old people rightacross Essex.

Five members of the gang were jailed for a toalof 27 years following a 16 month investigation,but most of us should be outraged that our elderlyrelatives, our elderly friends and our elderlyneighbours are being targeted.

Which prompts the question: Are we all doingenough to safeguard elderly relatives and friends

from the clutches of crooks like this?This is not a new phenomenom and it is not just

doorstep callers and rogue builders we should beconcered about. Online fraudsters also have oldand vulnerable people in their sights and many arelosing their life savings.

Police and neighbourhood watch can only do somuch, but read what Essex councillor RogerWalters has to say inside and if it upsets you, thenmake a conscious effort to call on an elderly rela-tive or neighbour every week to make sure theyare not being fleeced. You can make a difference. See pages 4, 6 and 7

Produced by Who Can You Trust AUGUST 2014 edition

INSIDE

Councillor talksabout scamson the old - P6

War memorialsclean-up - P2

Gas survey isa shocker- P3

NHW newsfrom Essex -P8

This is the moment a 92 year old woman was being fleeced by a team of rogue builders

Now is the time toprotect our elderly

WATCH OUT If you wish to have an article included inany future editions email it to PeterFaulkner at peterfau67@gmailcom

2 www.whocanyout rust.org.uk

Help to keep old warmemorials in shapeCAN you help to identify war memorialsand keep them repaired? The WarMemorials Trust has put out a 'call toremember'

In 1914, Britain called men to war withan iconic 'Your Country Needs You' cam-paign.

Now, 100 years later, the War MemorialsTrust is asking for support again through its'call to remember' - a request for helprecording all the war memorials across thecountry and identifying those which needassistance with repair and conservation.

The War Memorials Trust has an onlinedatabase - War Memorials Online - whichmaps all 'known' memorials countrywideand it needs your help to update its infor-mation.

Essex only has 47 memorials listed butthere must be more commemorating thebrave men who fought in the Great War.

World War One had an impact on familiesacross Essex and the Essex Police familyextends across the county. Can we reach outand ask for help?

Are you able to volunteer and post anyupdates online, including details of previ-ously unlisted memorials, or can you passon the 'call to remember' to a neighbour-hood community or parish group?

War Memorials Online also hosts fre-quently asked questions about events. Go towww.war memorialsonline.org.uk

MP Priti Patel calls formore help for victimsVICTIMS of crime must have more rightsand be reassured that the justice system isfair, claims Witham MP, Priti Patel.

Ms Patel made the call after revealinghow a constituent only found out that adrug-addicted alcoholic who threatened his12-year-old with a knife had been givenbail when his local newsagent told him.

The MP, who recently joined the PrimeMinister's policy board, said her idea for a"Victims' Law" would strengthen the rightsof victims, and reassure them that the crimi-nal justice system is fair.

She has also highlighted the costs andproblems with access to information forthose whose are victims of crime abroad.

Ms Patel said: “At the moment, we meas-ure the success of the criminal justice sys-tem predominantly through examiningreductions in the crime rates. But we shouldalso examine the way victims feel about thejustice system and the services theyreceive."

Care home provider infight against scammersIN light of the fraudulent telephone callsthat have seen elderly residents on the Hertsand Essex border conned out of thousandsof pounds, the Sawbridgeworth branch of anational home care provider organised extraworkshops about staying safe against scam-mers.

Home Instead Senior Care ran two ses-sions last month, where each person whoattended received a fraud protection kit'.

David Bassett, organiser of the work-shops, said: “The faceless criminals whouse email, telephone and post to lure theirvictims into parting with their life savings,personal banking information and otherassets can prey in particular on the elderly,who they see as easy targets for theircrimes.

“These types of scams defraud individu-als in the UK of an estimated £3.5bn eachyear and have very serious consequencesfor the elderly, who can suffer devastatingemotional distress.

“Much of this could be avoided with bet-ter awareness and education - which is why

we're running the fraud workshops."For more information on future work-

shops, call 01279 721443 or visitwww.homeinstead. co.uk/ sawbridge-worth.

Safe As Houses projectwill help the elderlyTURNING Tides and Southend Associationof Voluntary Services have launched a newcrime reduction initiative called Safe asHouses which provides crime preventioninformation and advice to the elderly.

This initiative is delivered throughTurning Tides; a project managed bySouthend Association of Voluntary Servicesand has been funded by the Police andCrime Commissioner for Essex.

The main aims of Safe as Houses is toensure accurate information about crimeprevention is given to hard-to-reach resi-dents and identify issues requiring support.

It will promote safety and security in thecommunities, particularly in high risk areasfor dwelling burglary and bogus callingwhilst raising awareness and engagementwith other services i.e. NeighbourhoodWatch, Message in a bottle, etc.

The home visits are delivered by a teamof 12 specially trained volunteers.

To arrange a visit from the team or to joinas a volunteer please call the Turning TidesTeam on 01702 220101 or alternativelyemail turningtides @savs-southend.co.uk

Plea to keep war memorials repaired

WATCH OUT

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By�Peter�Faulkner

AN urgent plea has gone out to Essexresidents - especially the elderly - to getgas appliances checked after a shocksurvey revealed that the majority ofgas consumers are unable to identifydeadly appliances putting themselvesand their families in danger.

And the Gas Safe Register, the UK'sgas safety authority, has also warned resi-dents to beware of cowboy fitters becausethe consequences could be lethal.

Gas Safe Register said residents mustget gas appliances - even barbecus at thistime of the year - safety checked aftertheir study discovered that more thannine in 10 gas consumers have no ideahow to spot a faulty or dangerous appli-ance..

Gas Safe Register showed 1,200 gasconsumers 10 photographs ofgas appliances. Eight were lifethreatening and two were com-pletely safe.

Worryingly, nearly all respon-dents (95 per cent) thought atleast one of the potentially dead-ly appliances was safe , whileone in 17 people (6 per cent)thought all eight dangerousappliances were safe. Only oneperson correctly identified all 10 appli-ances as safe or dangerous.

Six of the eight dangerous appliancesshown could have resulted in a gas leak,fire, explosion or carbon monoxide (CO)poisoning, but were safety checkedbefore anyone was hurt.

The other two unsafe appliances wereinvestigated by the Register after theyhad already leaked deadly CO fumes - inone case tragically killing the homeownerand, in the other, hospitalising a family.When gas consumers were shown a pic-

ture of the gas fire that resulted in a fatal-ity, nearly half thought it looked safe (48per cent).

Respondents were also asked if theywould get each of the dangerous appli-ances checked if they were in their ownhome. One in 11 people said they would,but only if it broke down, and one in 14wouldn't get it checked at all.

However, as GSR's survey shows, theonly way to know if an appliance is safeor not is to have it checked annually.

Sarah Hill, stakeholder manager for

Gas Safe Register, said: “It is vital to getyour gas appliances safety checked regu-larly by a registered engineer. <None>Even if an appliance is fittedsafely, it can become dangerous any num-ber of years following installation if it isnot maintained.”

To help you remember to get yourappliances checked every year, sign up

to the free reminder service at www.staygassafe.co.uk

Safety survey reveals

Gas�shocker

Tips to keep you and your family safeYou cannot always spot an unsafe gas appliance, have your gas appliances serviced and safety checked at least

every 12 months. Sign up to a free reminder service by visiting www.stay gassafe.co.uk.Always use a Gas Safe registered engineer when having gas work carried out in your home. You can find a regis-

tered engineer in your area by calling Gas Safe Register on 0800 408 5500 or by visiting www.GasSafeRegister.co.ukCheck the front and back of your engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card, making sure they are qualified to do the

specific type of gas work you require.Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm which will alert you if dangerous levels are present in your home.If you smell gas or think there might be a gas leak, call the free 24 hour national gas emergency number

immediately on 0800 111 999.

By Peter FaulknerFIVE members of an organisedcrime gang which preyed on vulnera-ble elderly people in Essex have beensentenced to a combined total of 27years and eight months in prison.

A further member of the group wasgiven a two year suspended prison sen-tence.

The men had all admitted fraud ormoney laundering offences against 18elderly victims who together had morethan £1 million stolen from them.

The six men were sentenced atChelmsford Crown Court on July 3.

Unemployed William Brown, 49, ofFriday Wood Green, Colchester was sen-tenced to seven years in prison afteradmitting conspiracy to commit fraud byfalse representation, conspiracy to con-vert criminal property and fraud againstAndrew Millar.

Company director James Brown Jnr,21, of Oak Road, Tiptree was sentencedto four years and eight months in prisonafter admitting conspiracy to commitfraud by false representation and beinginvolved in money laundering arrange-ments.Unemployed Peter Biddle, 66, of

Bromley Road, Ardleigh was sentencedto four years in prison after admittingfraud against three victims and convertingcriminal property.

Builder Van Purdy, aged 60, ofBromley Road, Ardleigh was sentencedto two years in prison after admittingconspiracy to convert criminal property.

Builder James Brown Snr, aged 45, ofDuffield Drive, Colchester was sentencedto 10 years in prison after admitting con-spiracy to commit fraud by false repre-sentation, conspiracy to convert criminalproperty, fraud relating to loans, and twocounts of fraud against Andrew Millar.

Self-employed Anthony Symes, aged59, of Clacton Road, Weeley Heath wassentenced to a suspended prison sentenceof two years after admitting fraud againsttwo victims and converting criminalproperty.

Kent and Essex Serious CrimeDirectorate (SCD) began a joint investi-gation with Essex County CouncilTrading Standards in November 2012,following intelligence received by EssexTrading Standards.

The six men were arrested in June lastyear when a series of warrants was exe-cuted at addresses in Colchester and

Clacton. A total of 80 detectives, policeofficers and Essex Trading Standards staffhave worked on the investigation.

Detectives built the case around com-plaints from 42 victims whose agesranged from 65 to 99 years old. 22 ofthese have since passed away.

Detective Chief Inspector KeithDavies, of the Kent and Essex SeriousCrime Directorate, said: “The sentencingmarks the end of a 16-month investiga-tion into this gang which targeted andgroomed a series of elderly victims inorder to steal their life savings.

“They left many of their victims penni-less and they have shown no remorsewhatsoever for the suffering and hardshipthey caused in order to line their ownpockets.

“I am pleased with these convictionsbut we are already aware of other gangsseeking to move into Essex and carry outsimilar offences.

“There can be no complacency aroundthe scale of this type of fraud and I wouldurge the friends and family of any vulner-able elderly people to help protect themfrom these predators.”Cllr Roger Walters speaks out P6-7

Evil gang who preyed on theold and the vulnerable...

Sent to prisonPeter Biddle Van Purdy James Brown SnrWilliam Brown

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£10,000�eachBy Peter FaulknerUK consumers have lost more than £21mto "social engineering" scams wherefraudsters impersonated bank employeesand tech support since the beginning ofthe year, according to GetSafeOnline.

A range of tactics including phishing emails,fraudulent phone calls asking for personal orfinancial information or phone calls fromfraudsters impersonating computer technicalsupport agents have been used to defraud pun-ters. So-called voicemail phishing (or visiting)in particular is having a big impact.

According to Financial Fraud Action UK,approximately 23 per cent of people in the UKhave received a cold call requesting personalor financial information.

In the first five months of this year alone,some of the UK's main high street banks havereported losses of over £21m from voice phish-ing (or "vishing") attacks on their customers,with over 2,000 attacks resulting in an averageloss of over £10,000 per victim, according toGetSafeOnline.

The UK gov and industry-backed non-profitis seeking to raise awareness of these scamsthrough a new campaign, launched this week,

featuring videos and tips on how consumerscan avoid becoming a victim of social engi-neering.

Elsewhere new statistics have revealed thatone in four UK consumers (28 per cent) haveexperienced card fraud in the last five years -the highest in Europe.

The figures comes from a survey of 6,100 in20 countries by payment processing firm ACIworldwide.?

The study, run by ACI and industry analystAite Group, found that 23 per cent of con-sumers changed financial institutions due todissatisfaction after experiencing fraud.

Nearly half (43 per cent) of cardholders whoreceived replacement cards as a result of a databreach or fraudulent activity in the past yearused the new card less than they did the origi-nal, another statistic that suggests fraud hurtsbanks as well as hugely inconveniencing theindividuals stung by all-too-commonplacefinancial scams.

The UAE has the highest rate of fraud over-all at 44 per cent, followed by China at 42 percent and India and the United States at 41 percent each.

WATCH OUT

The cost of scamming

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Be alert to somelegal servicesthat are a scamTRADING Standardswatchdogs have issued analert over legal servicesscams, after a spate ofcomplaints from local resi-dents.

Complaints have beenmade about unsolicitedtelephone calls offeringvarious legal services,including wills, power ofattorney, and asset trusts.

The businesses attemptto sign you up to theseservices at a high cost andmay not deliver the servicethey have promised. Someof the services offered maybe unsuitable or unneces-sary.

If you are interestedobtaining a legal servicesuch as this we wouldadvise you visit a local,qualified solicitor who canoffer a professional serv-ice.

Trading Standardswould like to remind peo-ple that you should neverdeal with anyone who coldcalls by telephone or at thedoor and you should neverprovide personal informa-tion/bank details to coldcallers.

If you have received coldcalls either by phone or atthe door, and felt pres-surised in any way, youshould report it to theCitizens Advice ConsumerService on 08454 04 05 06.You can also visitwww.adviceguide.org.ukfor advice.

You can register bothyour landline and mobilenumbers with the follow-ing free services and areadvised to do so on a year-ly basis: The TelephonePreference Service - 0845070 0707; Silent CallGuard - 0844 372 2325.

How to protect the elderly by

Cllr Roger WaltersBy Peter FaulknerAS Cabinet Member for TradingStandards at Essex County Council, Iget to see a great deal of differentexamples of scamming and doorstepcrime.

Doorstep crime is something that TradingStandards takes very seriously. Not only arevictims of this crime fraudulently connedout of large sums of money, they arebetrayed by people their thought they couldtrust. They lose dignity and feel embar-rassed at being taken in by these criminalsand this can lead to tragic consequences.

On occasions I think this aspect of thecrime is missed by the public or is over-powered by concentrating on how muchmoney was scammed and how much jailtime the criminals will serve.

The real damage done from this crime isto those victims who now live in fear and Ibelieve that no one should feel this way.

The relationship between victim androgue trader generally starts with a knockon the door and an offer of work to be doneat a low cost or perhaps even for free inorder to instil trust.

Typical examples of work would be offersto fix roof tiles, chimneys, driveways orperhaps simply to cut back a tree. Theywould make it very clear to the victim thatthis work is urgent and if it's left it willbecome dangerous.

Obviously the best course of action inthese cases is to say 'no thank you' andclose the door; however scammers are veryadept at instilling doubt in the minds of thevictim. They are so convincing that the vic-tim agrees.

They get a sense that this person is doingthem a favour, but are in reality starting thefirst step towards larger criminal activity.

If successful these scammers return to domore work and at highly inflated prices.They can in some cases befriend the victim,the stronger the relationship the greater trustis instilled between victim and rogue trader.

There are examples of these tradersescorting elderly victims to the bank towithdraw large sums of cash for work. Inthe majority of cases, the victims areunaware they're being scammed or thinkthat this person is a friend and do not wantto disappoint them by questioning what theyare doing.

There have also been cases where victimsare aware they're being scammed but,through fear and intimidation,carry on pro-viding money for poor quality work.

This is how it began for those victims of arecent doorstep crime case;the scammersbuilt trust which enabled them to befriendtheir victims. They then did more and more

work at highly inflated prices, with the vic-tims not realising they were beingscammed.

The six members of this organised crimegang managed to scam 18 elderly victimsout of around £1 million. They were sen-tenced to 27 years and eight months forfraud and money laundering offences, withthe lead member getting 10 years. It is sus-pected that there were over 140 victims ofthis gang.(See page 4 for court case)

As victims do not generally report thesecrimes, mainly due to the embarrassment ofbeing scammed, it isn't always easy to get aconviction from such cases. This is wherethe vigilance of relatives, neighbours andfriends can play a major role in bringingthese criminals to justice.

If you notice for example that your elder-ly neighbour is having her drive done, eventhough it looks fine, it's worth just enquir-ing with your neighbour and making surethat everything seems ok.

If you are worried then the best course ofaction is to call the Citizens AdviceConsumer Helpline on 03454 040506 orEssex Police via 101. Or if you have anyintelligence that could help us tackledoorstep crime in Essex please e-mail [email protected]

You can also check whether a trader is a'Buy With Confidence' trader, which areapproved by Trading Standards. You canfind the three nearest to you by calling theCitizens Advice Consumer Helpline on03454 040506 or by visiting the websitewww.buywithconfidence.gov.uk

WATCH OUT WATCH OUT

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IN addition to doorstep crime residents also need to be vigi-lant against mail and telephone scamming. These are gener-ally scams that are designed to obtain your personal details,to get you to respond to offers with money or to gain accessto your bank account.

To put this into context, 34% of scams reported during2013 were over the phone, 24% were through website visits,15% through letter and fax scams and 10% were via email.

You should never give out your card details if a companyhas rung you up, always make sure you hang up first andthen ring the official company number to check that you aredealing with a legitimate business.

Be careful when buying online and always try to buy fromcompanies you trust, make sure that the payment page issecure and has a padlock symbol on your browser. Alsowhen receiving emails be wary of emails offering tax rebatesor asking for financial information. The tax office will neversend you an email asking for this.

How to spot a scam It could be a scam if the call, letter, email or text has

arrived unexpectedly It could be a scam if you've never heard of the lottery or

competition they are talking about and you didn't buy a ticket They are telling you that you have to respond quickly,

meaning you don't have time to think about it properly You are being asked to send money in advance (e.g. to

release unexpected funds) You are being told to keep it a secret You are being asked to invest money in stocks, shares or

products - this iscalled boiler house fraud Your bank and/or the police will never collect your bank,

credit or debit card, ask for PIN numbers or come to your home Clairvoyant scams prey on residents by telling them that

they will suffer bad luck if they do not pay a contribution or fee It could be a scam where you have to call a premium rate

telephone number You have received a text that asks you to respond Make sure websites are secure, if you are buying online -

check for the padlock or "https" next to the web address whenmaking payment You shouldn't have to pay anything to get a prize. Computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to

help you fix your computer Don't suffer in silence - tell others about scams

If you have been a victim of a scam and need advice andguidance call 03454 040506 or report scams or suspected scamsto Action Fraud (the National Fraud Authority - a Policeagency): www.actionfraud.police.uk Tel: 0300 123 2040

Please be aware

Councillor Roger Walters is an Essex County councillor, andCabinet member for waste, recycling and trading standards

“There are exam-ples of thesetraders escorting

the elderly victims to thebank to withdraw largesums of cash for work.In the majority of cases,victims are unawarethey're being scammed.”

“

The victims get asense that this personis doing them afavour, but are in realitystarting the first steptowards larger criminalactivity.”

“

The real damagedone from this crimeis to those victimswho now live in fear and Ibelieve that no one shouldfeel this way.”

“

As victims do not

generally report

these crimes, due to

the embarrassment of

being scammed, it isn't

always easy to get a

conviction from such cases.

“

WATCH OUT

8 www.whocanyoutrust.org.uk

Watch newsWe want to encourage NeighbourhoodWatch groups to submit articles and pho-tographs so if you have anything of inter-est it should be emailed to Peter Faulknerat [email protected]

Dog owners recruitedfor new paws watch DOG owners are being recruited for aneighbourhood watch scheme inCambridgeshire called Paws on Patrol.

Cambridgeshire Police hopes the dogwalkers will become its "eyes and ears"while they exercise their pets in the Fenlandtown of March.

Neighbourhood watch organiser GwynethParker said she would expect recruits tofocus on reporting vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Police said 32 dog walkers have beenrecruited so far.

Mrs Parker said they were "not going tosnoop" but instead "report anything that issuspicious".

The first recruitment session was held atWest End Park.

Officers gave the advice on what to lookout for and information on who to call ifthey have concerns.

Cambridgeshire Police said the patrols arenot intended to replace officers but areinstead "another form of neighbourhoodwatch".

PCSO Rachael Cheverton said: "Dogwalkers spend a lot of time in their commu-nities at different times of the day andevening so are very likely to spot whensomething out of the ordinary is happen-ing."

She added that it was "not about peoplestepping in and taking action themselves"but about providing the police with infor-mation.

Police said if the scheme in March is asuccess it would be extended to other townsin the county.

Helping hand for thevulnerable and disabledA SCHEME to help vulnerable and disabledpeople in Norwich was launched in June..

The Norwich Safer Places projects helpsto give vulnerable and disabled peoplesomewhere to go should they need a help-ing hand whilst out and about in the city.

The scheme is being run by the NorwichEast local policing command, with supportfrom Norfolk’s Police and Crime

Commissioner, Norfolk County Council,and charities Opening Doors, MIND, theBuild Charity, NANSA and the Norfolk &Suffolk Dementia Alliance.

Twenty seven premises are supporting theproject so far and will display a sticker intheir window to show they are a ‘saferplace’ and staff there will have some basictraining to help them identify the needs avulnerable person may have.

Meanwhile, vulnerable or disabled peoplewho have signed up to the scheme willreceive a yellow card with their name andthe telephone numbers of two nominatedcontacts, which could be a friend, relativeor carer.

Butcher signs up andpays for campaignBILL Farnham Chairman of South WalesNeighbourhood Watch AssociationCardiff reported at the AGM of theAssociation that 2014 had been one of themost successful in their history.

The Association had taken part in numer-ous activities including very successfulNeighbourhood Watch Week, participationin joint campaigns with South Wales Police,the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, South Wales Fireand Rescue Service and Trading Standards,to name but a few.

In addition Mr Farnham said that whilst

Neighbourhood Watch had played a majorpart in helping to reduce Crime throughoutCardiff it was also becoming more involvedin other activies within the Community.

As a result of this Whitchurch ButcherMartin Player sponsored 10,000 recruitingleaflets for the Association.

Martin who is strong supported comment-ed: "I am a strong supporter ofNeighbourhood Watch and know first handthe good work it does in the Communityand I am delighted to sponsor the leaflets."

Slow down becausewe are watching youIN conjunction with the local police force,Needham Market NHW team ofSpeedwatch volunteers are now up andrunning.

Needham NHW often get complaints ofvehicles speeding into town and now theiraim is to monitor the Stowmarket Road,Ipswich Road, Barking Road and theCoddenham Road leading into the town.

The sites along these roads we will beoperating from have been surveyed andpassed by the Police.

With the support of the County, Districtand Town Councils they have been able tosecure the funds to purchase the camera, thehigh visibility jackets and signs necessaryto carry out this project.

Butcher Martin Player of Whitchurch paid for 10,000 leaflets

WATCH OUT�� Haven�House�charity�spotlight

www.whocanyoutrust.org.uk�� 9

real passionSUE Irwin was a woman of passion andvision. She realised a dream on behalf ofmany hundreds of families of childrenwith life-limiting conditions when shefounded Haven House Children's Hospice.

Sue had a wide range of experience work-ing with children; she was a registered gener-al nurse, a registered midwife and a healthvisitor.

It was while she was working as a healthvisitor in Dagenham in the early 1990s thatshe became aware of the need for a localchildren's hospice.

In particular she worked closely with ayoung boy, Gary, who had severe disabilities.Sue recognised that he and his mother need-ed respite from the rigorous demands of carethat were placed on them.

There was nowhere close to home thatcould offer this kind of support.

Sue, a committed Christian and a womanof faith, prayed about her concerns. The moreshe prayed, the more she realised that Godwas calling her to set up a provision to carefor sick children and their families in ourlocal area.

With passion and commitment, Sue pur-sued a dream to provide an environment thatcould offer dignity and care to both children

and young people and their families. She realised the isolation that resulted from

caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition and sought to provide aplace of beauty and tranquillity that couldoffer professional support for all the family.

In January 1999, Sue suffered two severestrokes which made the fulfilment of hervision even more challenging but she was notdeterred. Sue was able to see Haven Houseemerge as a place of excellence serving chil-dren in North and East London and WestEssex.

Haven House remains indebted to her andimmensely grateful for the love and care thatshe showed right up until her final days.

Sue's husband, John, her three sons,Matthew, Marc and Ben and their familiesremain stalwart supporters of all that theHospice continues to do.

Haven House Children's Hospice providesspecialist care for children and young people(birth-19) who have life-limiting and life-threatening conditions and who are unlikelyto reach adulthood.

They also provide a range of support tofamilies; including day, short break and end-of-life care, as well as a number of servicesdesigned to improve emotional wellbeing,

both in the hospice and in the local commu-nity.

They look after children and their familiesacross North and East London, West Essexand East Hertfordshire and provide specialistcare for children and young people (birth-19)who have life-limiting and life-threateningconditions and are unlikely to reach adult-hood.

They also provide a range of support tofamilies; including day, short break and end-of-life care, as well as a number of servicesdesigned to improve emotional wellbeing,both in the hospice and in the local commu-nity.

Haven House Children's Hospice is basedat The White House, High Road, WoodfordGreen, on the borders of NE London andEssex. It was built in 1906 and is set in abeautiful and peaceful woodland setting.

Every month we will feature adifferent charity that youmight want to support. Thismonth Haven House Hospice

Sue Irwin, a woman of...

Ray Winstoneand othercelebrities mixwith patientsand parents

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BASILDONBillericay EastTel: 07969 365610

Billericay WestContact: PCSO Lauren Bryant onTel: 07969 365610

Langdon [email protected]: 07875 003517

Pitsea [email protected]@[email protected]: 07969 365721

Vange Contact details: 07969 365721Email contacts as above

[email protected]@[email protected]: 07969 365721

Pitsea South East [email protected]@essex.pnn.police.uk

[email protected]: 07875 003290

Wickford Castledon, Wickford Northand Wickford Park [email protected]: 07875 003503

BRAINTREENotley & [email protected]: 07792814495

HARLOWStaple TyeContact details: PC Kevin Mayle ,PCSO Tony Gibson. [email protected]: 07710016031

Great PardonPC Rob Hance, PCSO Elizabeth [email protected]: 07710016031

MALDONMeetings at One Place, 1 High Street, Burnham on Crouch 19.00-21.00Contact: [email protected]

ROCHFORDHockley & Hawkwell West Contact details: [email protected] details: 07710046161

Wakering Action PanelContact details: 07710046161

THURROCKGrays CentralContact: 07802799193

OckendonContact: Fr Peter RabinTel: 01708 854393

South West Thurrock Forum andNAPContact: PCSO Linda Ovel [email protected] Sheri [email protected] Kelly-Marie [email protected]

Purfleet Contact: Details same as South WestThurrock Forum.

Listed below are the contact details for Essex Neighbourhood Action Panelstaking place throughout the County. The meetings are an opportunity for you tochat to the teams and discuss any issues or concerns you have. If anyone wants toadd dates to this list please email Peter Faulkner at [email protected]

WATCH Out magzine is publishedbi-monthly by Who Can You Trustorganisation and is a free onlinepublication for anyone interested incommunity safety and the safe-guarding of the elderly and thevulnerable.

We welcome enquiries from adver-tisers and sponsors.

Address110 Clifton Ave, Benfleet, SS7 a5QU

ContactTel: 01268 566 743 Mob: 07958 475 392

[email protected]

Web address

www.whocanyoutrust.org.ukAll material used in Watch Out is

the property of Who Can You Trustand cannot be reproduced withoutprior permission.

If you wish to use any of the mag-azine articles kindly email us at theaddress opposite.

NEIGHBOURHOOD Action Panels, some-times called NAP s, are regular meetingswith members of the community where theissues raised by the community arediscussed and prioritised.

The aim is to agree priorities and decideon a realistic and achieveable course of

action to address them. These priorities arepublished within each neighbourhood webpage.

A NAP consists of people who live orwork in the neighbourhood or those whoprovide a service to the local community.

The issues raised will be those identified

through various methods of engagementcarried out by the policing team, or thoseidentified to the other members of the NAPthrough their own consultation. Prioritiesare set by the community without influencefrom the police.

WATCH OUT�

www.whocanyoutrust.org.uk�� 11

THE Germans may have proved them-selves masters on the football field, butthere’s another team targeting your busi-ness. And it could cost you a staggering£2,400 over the next three years.

We received an official looking letterfrom the UK Corporate Portal based inHamburg, headed Publication ofCompanies and VAT Registration Numbersin the UK Corporate Portal 2013 whichlooked like the sort of correspondence youwould receive from the Inland Revenue orCustoms and Excise.

It asked for confirmation of my VATnumber as "part of the changes to the EUeconomic package" as this was now obliga-tory.

Because it looked so official many com-panies in Essex and surrounding areas havecompleted the form without reading thesmall print. And the small print clearlystates that completion ofthe form means youagree to a fee of £797 -payable every year for aminimum of three years.

As my Who Can YouTrust organization is notVAT registered I wasready to throw it in thewaste bin, but becamesuspicious about the wayit was worded and decid-ed to do an online inves-tigation.

From all corners of theUnited Kingdom therehave been businesses falling victim to thisadvertising scam despite warnings fromacross the country by different TradingStandards offices.The actual content of the letter reads:As part of the charges to the EU economicpackage, obligating all companies to pro-vide their Vat Registration Number on vari-ous documents since 2010, we as a publish-er of leading Internet portals are requiredto update our database.

We therefore request that you check theinformation on page 2 relating to your com-pany and provide us with your VATV regis-tration Number.

Please be aware that your data will bepublished as an entry in the UK CorporatePortal. Should the details proposed by usnot be correct or be incomplete, you have -for your own benefit - the possibility to cor-rect your data as a basic data entry (name,trade, postal code, town, internet address)under www.uk-corporate-portal, menuitem:update. No costs are incurred for youhere. If you wish the publication of furthercommunication data which go beyond the

basic data entry, please use tAs we operate independently of trade

organizations and public authorities, thispublication I due to costs. Please take notethat in this case all details provided shouldbe signed by the general manager or hisauthorized representatives.

The application for the database entry inthe UK Corporate Portal is addressed tocompanies, self-employed persons, institu-tions and public authorities - not to privateindividuals.

The signature of the alleged managingdirector is not decipherable and and at theend it says that if you do not wish any pub-lication of your data, please delete your dataon www.corporate-portal.com, menu item:blocking data.

At the end of the day the easiest and wis-est thing to do is ignore this cheap rip-off.

The form, which bears a close resem-blance to those issued by scam guides tack-led by the Spanish and Swiss authorities,carries small print detailing costs of £797annually for a single advertisement whichgoes on to state that those who sign will be

liable for £797 a year every year unless theagreement is cancelled..

Few people have heard of a victim suc-cessfully cancelling either the original orextended order, even when they have triedto do so although no-one has heard of any-one who has have fallen foul of the formsbeing taken to court by any of the scamcompanies for non-payment.

Such has been the problem with scamguides that websites such as stopecg.orghave been set up in the past to campaignagainst them. The European Commissionhas consulted widely on the issue with aview to introducing legislation to tackle it. Facts about European City Guides

The number of trick contracts mailed inthe last six years...32m.

The approximate number who havesigned ECG contracts…250,000.

Estimated number of people to never paythe ECG. = 80% or around 200,000 people

The number of people reporting havingbeen taken to court for refusal to pay…0

Amount in fines levied against the ECGso far …580,000 Euros

ACHTUNGThis German team mayhit you for £3000

Produced by Who Can You Trust August 2014 edition

WatchOutIssue 3 August 2014 Community safety news for Essex

Exposed - the illegal tradein fake driving licensesDRIVING test fraud hassurged to 'terrifying' levels,putting millions of innocentlives at risk an investigationhas revealed

Fraudsters are 'systematical-ly targeting' test centres toobtain the driving licences,which allow them on thecountry's roads unskilled andhighly dangerous.

The highly-prized docu-ments also unlock the door tothousands of pounds ofGovernment benefits, creditcards and bank accounts.

Illegal immigrants and othercriminals use easily-forged IDto book a test, then pay alookalike up to £1,500 to pass for them.Experts say the driving licence they receiveallows them to 'wreak havoc'.

Home Office Minister Baroness Scotlandsaid it was clear the public was being put at'substantial risk'.

The terrifying scam, which puts othermotorists at enormous risk of injury ordeath, had been thought to be limited to ahandful of cases.

But a national newspaper discovered thatthe shock case of a Somali bus driver con-victed of helping 200 of his countryment toillegal driving licences is common.

In the last year alone - an astonishing4,830 practical tests had to be halted overdoubts about the driver's identity. A similarnumber of theory tests are also understoodto have been halted - pushing the totaltowards 10,000.

Experts say even this is just the 'tip of theiceberg', with many more bogus driverslikely to have slipped through the net.

Terrorists may even be using the trick to

open bank accounts needed to move moneyin and out of the UK as they plan atrocities.

The investigation follows the convictionof Somali bus driver Deeg Mohammed. Hewas jailed after admitting taking the drivingtheory test for 200 other Somali candidates.

The 27-year-old took the tests using theapplicants' provisional driving licences andrelied on the examiners not recognising thathe was not the person in the photocard.

Of the 200 drivers that Deeg Mohammedimpersonated, police only managed to trace15, meaning he alone helped 185 unsafedrivers onto the road. He charged £500 atime for the service and carried it out acrossthe country, netting more than £100,000before he was caught.

It has since emerged, following the news-paper investigation, that the number of sus-pected impersonators turning up at testscentres has almost quadrupled over the pastthree years.

In 2003, the Driving Standards Agencydetected only 87. It then soared to 158 in

2004, and 303 last year. Again,this is believed to be only the tipof the iceberg.Applicants for a driving

licence do not have to provetheir residency status and canprovide foreign proofs of identi-fication, such as a forged pass-port. They are then sent a provi-sional driving licence whichcontains the applicant's photo-graph.

This provisional drivinglicence is used by the lookaliketo carry out the driving tests.

When both tests are passed,the original applicant is ablesend his provisional licenceback to the DVLA who will

replace it with a full UK driving licence.It unlocks the door to many potential riches,Peter Hurst, chief executive of fraud pre-vention service CIFAS said.

"The driving licence is widely recognisedas identification and is extremely sought-after as a result,” he went on.

"You can use it to open a bank account,get a credit card and start to obtain credit.You can also proceed to use the licence toget other documents, such as an NHS card,a bus pass to build up an identity.

"If you got a driving licence to which youwere not entitled to, then you could wreckhavoc."

The full scale of the problem is unknown.Theresa Triggs, the head of the DSA's anti-fraud team, said: "We don't believe that wehave uncovered the true extent of the prob-lem."

Richard Grindrod, chairman of theDriving Instructors Democratic Union, said:"It is something everyone knows is happen-ing, mainly in London and the South East."

Provisional driving licencesare used by lookalikes tocarry out the driving testgiving them a passport tountold State benefits.

Full story below

Watch out issue 3

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Transcript of Watch out issue 3