Warnings issued over scammers
SCAMBUSTERS have warned Halton residents over the latest wave of attempts to defraud or rip them off.
A Halton Borough Council Trading Standards spokesman said they include slips being posted through letter boxes saying their windows had been cleaned and they need to pay.
The leaflets ask for a bank transfer rather than cash, due to Covid-19.
Residents said their windows had not been cleaned and no service had been provided.
Cllr Dave Cargill (trading standards) said residents who have not agreed to a service being provided have no obligation to pay.
Another scam reported in the borough involved an email claiming the recipient could be the beneficiary of the will of someone they do not know, often abroad.
Similar tricks claim the person has won the lottery.
Neither is genuine and residents are advised to beware anything that looks too good to be true.
Other fraudsters have posed as organisations such as British Gas and sent emails demanding a bill payment.
A Halton Trading Standards spokesman provided the Weekly News with a copy of a real scam email supposedly from
British Gas but sent by an account, with a fake email address in the place of the sender’s name, and their real and obviously nonBritish Gas email address in the email address section, so it appeared as: “From: bill@britishgas. co.uk British Gas
Another scammer posed as global financial services powerhouse JP Morgan, but was sent from the email address ‘davidm@ccrcollect.com’.
Detectives from Cheshire police have also issued a warning over a spate of phone and courier scams perpetrated by organised crime groups (OCGs) and which have defrauded victims out of thousands of pounds.
A force spokeswoman said a member of the OCG, known as the ‘victim communicator’, makes a phone call to vulnerable victims claiming to be a police officer or bank worker.
They then persuade the victim to co-operate with an ‘operation’ designed to gather evidence or identify offenders responsible for fictional offences.
The victims are asked to withdraw cash from their bank, and buy an expensive item or provide their bank details or card.
Cash, items or documents are then handed over to the ‘courier’, who attends the address of the victim or meets them nearby, on the promise that the cash or item will be returned or compensation provided.
Cheshire Constabulary has urged residents to beware the scams and alert vulnerable neighbours and relatives.
Detective Sergeant Chris Jacques from the force’s economic crime unit said: “These fraudsters are extremely convincing and can be very persistent especially when targeting vulnerable victims.
“Police officers, banks and other such services will never ask you to withdraw money or provide card details so please do not be taken in by these scams.
“It is important to remember that telephone numbers can be easily spoofed and you should never trust a number displayed on your telephone.
“They may also attempt to ask victims to call back on 999, 101 or 161 to verify that they are genuine but this is part of the scam and they keep the line open so that the victim continues speak with the scammers believing that they are genuine officials.
“Anyone who is receiving calls asking for money to be withdrawn and handed over to a courier should call 101 or report it to Action Fraud.”