Warning after scam attempt on Facebook
AHALTON resident narrowly escaped being scammed when she received a Facebook friend request from someone claiming to be a distant relative.
The woman has a cousin who lives in America, with whom she occasionally has contact.
Halton Trading Standards said the intended victim thought the request was strange because they were already Facebook friends, but she accepted it again.
Her supposed cousin then became a lot more active, sending messages asking about how the family was.
They chatted for a while but the Halton resident became suspicious that all was not right, some things they wrote sounded odd and the grammar was poor, but she continued to reply.
The ‘cousin’ then said that she had landed a big cash prize in a company that she had seen the would-be victim also win and that she should contact them to claim her winnings.
At this point the Halton resident stopped replying.
A Halton Trading Standards spokesman said scammers sometimes pose as friends, family and acquaintances in an attempt to obtain personal information.
He said: “If you receive a friend request from somebody that you’re already friends with, ask the person you’ve already accepted as your friend if they have created a new profile.
“If they didn’t, then the request will be from a scammer so do not accept it.
“Your friend will want to know about the fake profile so they can warn their friends not to accept new friend requests in their name.
“If you believe the profile is fake, mark the user as spam.
“Let Facebook know that the profile is pretending to be somebody else.
“Go to the profile of the impersonating account. If you can’t find it, try searching for the name used on the profile.
“Click on the cover photo and select ‘report’.
“Follow the on-screen instructions for impersonation to file a report.”
Cllr Dave Cargill (Trading Standards) said: “If you or somebody you know has been caught out by a scam please contact one of our specialist officers, Linda or Sue on 0151 511 8785 or 0151 511 8775, who are already working with people in Halton who have lost thousands of pounds to scams.”
For other advice call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or 0345 404 0506 EMERGENCY services in Cheshire pledged to support residents living with dementia.
Police, fire and ambulance staff gathered to sign the Emergency Services Strategic Commitment On Dementia, a national initiative run by the Alzheimer’s Society.
The pledge’s goal is for emergency services to work together to improve the safety of residents with the condition and to support their families and carers.
A Cheshire police spokesman said they will ensure that all officers, firefighters and paramedics have the awareness, skills and understanding to recognise and support those affected.
David Keane, Cheshire Police And Crime Commissioner, said the issue can affect victims, witnesses, offenders and missing people.
As part of the commitment all three agencies said they would work with the Alzheimer’s Society to develop more dementia-friendly neighbourhoods across the county.
The announcement coincided with World Alzheimer’s Day.
Janette McCormick, Acting Chief Constable of Cheshire Constabulary, said: “Dementia touches the lives of millions of people across the UK, and many of these people come into contact with the police, whether that be as a victim, a carer or a member of staff.
“That is why we have already undertaken a large amount of work to support people living with the condition.
“This includes a scheme which aims to give our officers and staff the specialist knowledge they require when dealing with people living with dementia.
“We have also rolled out the Herbert Protocol, a scheme specially designed for people who live with dementia, many of whom often start to wander and sometimes go missing. The scheme works by encouraging their carers to complete a simple online form listing all vital information which can be easily accessed should they ever go missing.
Paul Hancock, Chief Officer of Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service, said: “Cheshire Fire And Rescue Service carries out thousands of visits each year to the homes of vulnerable people, including those with dementia, as part of our Safe And Well visit strategy.
“Firefighters and specially trained advocates help fit smoke alarms in the homes of vulnerable people but also carry out safety assessments to try and stop people falling and injuring themselves in their own homes.”
Derek Cartwright, North West Ambulance Service chief executive, said: “Dementia touches so many lives and can have a devastating effect on patients and their families and our front-line crews are often the first point of call when people simply do not know where else to turn.”
To find out more about the work Cheshire police has undertaken to support people with dementia, or to register a friend or family member on the Herbert Protocol, visit https:// www. cheshire. police. uk/ advice- and-support/ missing-persons/herbert-protocol/