Dear Neighbour
| Over 100 people were dealt with for not wearing a seatbelt during a recent week-long enforcement campaign in Suffolk – 48 related to cars, 47 vans and 11 lorries. Not wearing a seatbelt is one of the fatal four behaviours along with speeding, drink driving and using a mobile phone that makes you more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a collision. |
Neighbourhood Watch partner, Get Safe Online, is warning the public to be cautious when accessing private data on public Wi-Fi hotspots – particularly sensitive online information relating to bank accounts, payments and other personal data. The UK now has over 300,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, with more people than ever before potentially becoming the target of cyber criminals simply because they don’t know how secure the
networks they’re using are. To stay safe:
- Don’t use the public Wi-Fi provided in places such as cafes, pubs and hotel rooms if doing anything confidential online, including logging into online accounts. It’s OK to use public Wi-Fi hotspots for things that you don’t have to log into or aren’t confidential, like checking the news or planning (but not booking) your next holiday.
2. Remember that just being given an access code or being asked for your email address, doesn’t indicate that the Wi-Fi connection is secure. Instead of using premises’ hotspots, use a mobile broadband dongle that is set to ‘secure’, even if it’s slower, or wait until you can access a router you know to be secure.
Be aware of scams purporting to provide computer tech support. The scam works like this – the caller tells you that your computer has been sending error messages or that it has a virus. They may mention problems with your internet connection or your phone line and say this has affected your computer’s recent performance. They may claim that your broadband connection has been hacked. The scammer then requests remote access to your computer to ‘find out what the problem is’ using a tool called ‘TeamViewer’. They may try to talk you into buying unnecessary software or a service to ‘fix’ the computer, or they may ask you for your personal details and your bank or credit card details. If you are called, don’t give them any details and hang up.
Police officers are urging people to be vigilant following recent reports of rogue traders who offer garden maintenance services, such as lawn cutting and hedge trimming, and then deliberately overcharge for the work. Elderly and vulnerable people are typically being targeted and police are reminding residents to:
- never agree to buy goods from, or have work done, by someone that calls unannounced at your door
- always get a written quotation for any work to be undertaken.
Residents seeking reputable companies can access The Suffolk Trader Scheme which promotes the use of Checkatrade’s directory of local tradesmen who have been verified by Suffolk Trading Standards and are committed to treating their customers fairly. For further advise please see the website: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/community-and-safety/trading-standards-for-consumers/what-is-the-suffolk-trader-scheme/
Help us keep our communities safe by reporting any suspicious activity to Suffolk Police using
www.suffolk.police.uk/safetyadvice/reportacrime/tellthepolice.aspx, but in an emergency call 999.
Remember ‘crime cannot flourish in a community that cares’, so be on the alert and be watchful in looking after yourself and your neighbours.
Kind regards
Gerry Blake
Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator
Scheme 180: Dukes Meadow, Cockfield
