National Campaigns
Crimestoppers Most Wanted Website
Gloucestershire Constabulary has joined the Crimestoppers National Most Wanted website www.mostwanted-uk.org. Most Wanted is the first national and local appeals website where the police can post appeals to the public about the most wanted crime suspects in the country. It receives on average between 2 - 3 million hits a month and has led to 24 arrests for crimes such as murder, rape, assault and burglary. Most Wanted is the top result in Google's search engine and BBC online,and attracts widespread interest in the national press.
Most Wanted was developed because historically there was no single place for the police to continuously share information with the public about wanted suspected criminals. Crimestoppers was able to meet this need by developing a complete online facility for the public to view people who the police are currently looking for across the country.
Most Wanted is a secure and trusted source where people can view photos, watch CCTV footage and read descriptions of suspects. People will be able to view pictures of the Most Wanted in their local community and take action if they recognise any of the individuals listed. Visitors can search by area or carry out a detailed search with information such as hair and eye colour.
You can view the latest individuals wanted in connection with crime in Gloucestershire on www.mostwanted-uk.org
Don't Stand 4 Fraud
Don't stand for fraud is an initiative launched by the UK banking industry, retailers and police to encourage retail staff to increase their vigilance when checking customers credit and debit cards.
http://www.apacs.org.uk/
http://www.cardwatch.org.uk/
http://www.dcpcu.org.uk/
Crimestoppers Tackles Identity Fraud
Gloucestershire Crimestoppers and police in Gloucestershire are warning members of the public to do more to protect themselves from falling victim to identity fraud.
Fraud has become a far bigger problem in recent years and that complacency among members of the public is making it easy for criminals to profit from the growing crime.
We investigate approximately 700 to 800 incidents of identity fraud every year, primarily the use of stolen payment cards, use of stolen cheques and the fraudulent use of card details.
The impact on victims can be severe. There is not just the financial loss and inconvenience to consider, there is also the fact that privacy has been invaded, which leaves many people suffering lasting effects.
The scale of identity fraud in this country now is immense, and it is something police forces are battling hard to stamp out.
We obviously cannot do it all though, and while we do our utmost to arrest those responsible, the public have their part to play in making life difficult for the criminals. This is why we welcome National Identity Fraud Prevention Week and hope it has an impact on reducing levels of ID fraud crime.
The ID Fraud awareness drive has been put in place by an expert group of public and private sector partners, including the Metropolitan Police (and other regional police forces), Crimestoppers, The Identity and Passport Service, CIFAS - The UK's Fraud Prevention Service, Fellowes, the Federation of Small Businesses, Callcredit, Equifax and Experian.
Bin-raiding research* commissioned by Fellowes for the campaign reveals:
A staggering 97% of households, representing over 21 million homes in the UK, regularly dispose of materials stating their full name, sex, title, address and postcode
30% had thrown away their whole credit/debit card number
46% of households had thrown away an item that contained their bank account number and sort code and 73% had thrown away documents with their name exactly as it appears on a credit or debit card
48% had thrown away everything a fraudster needs to steal a person's identity
These figures, up by over 20% on last year's bin-raiding research, also revealed that not all people in one house behave in the same way. Instead, individuals living under the same roof often take a completely opposite approach in how they dispose of personal information, often putting their family, and themselves, at risk.
Also exclusively for the launch of the week, one of the world's leading experts in identity fraud, Professor Martin Gill, completed a study into the offender and victim perspectives of identity fraud, to understand more about the motivations of identity thieves. Professor Gill and his team at Perpetuity Research and Consultancy International (PRCI) Ltd, found that offenders in this study adopted a range of approaches to commit identity fraud using paper based documents including:
- personal information being removed from dustbins
- stealing personal documents as part of other crimes e.g. burglaries
- stealing post from people's front doorsteps
- stealing ladies' handbags and men's wallets
- impersonating the dead, using birth certificates of the deceased
- redirecting post to obtain people's personal details
The study also showed that documents featuring personal details proved valuable to identity fraudsters who used the stolen identities to apply for credit cards, mobile phone contracts, and in some circumstances, higher level fraudulent activities e.g. opening bank accounts. These documents were also vital in helping offenders to 'prove' who they said they were.
As part of the national drive to make the public more aware of the dangers of identity fraud, and the simple steps they can take to protect themselves, the campaign has set up a dedicated website - www.stop-idfraud.co.uk, with a test to highlight 'how at risk you are' - and put in place a free-phone number - 0800 1810 1810 - that members of the public can call to receive a free guide to 'Protecting Your Identity' guide.
Steps the public can take to protect themselves include:
- Keep your personal and confidential documents secure
- Always shred, using a confetti cut shredder, before disposing of documentation - bank and credit card statements, utility bills, receipts, direct mail containing any personal information, mortgage applications etc
- Regularly check your bank and credit card accounts for unusual transactions
- Regularly obtain a copy of your credit report from credit reference agencies Callcredit, Equifax or Experian, and monitor it for discrepancies
- When you move home, redirect your mail to your new address by contacting Royal Mail Redirection Service on 0845 7740 740, visiting your local post office or www.royalmail.com
- Never give out any personal information to unidentified individuals or organisations who contact you by phone, email or face-to-face
- If you have been a victim of identity fraud contact your nearest police station
If you think you have been a victim of identity fraud you should consider subscribing to the CIFAS Protective Registration service. A notice will be placed on your credit file indicating that documents have been stolen and that you may therefore be at risk of identity fraud.
To register by telephone call 0330 100 0180 or view the following website >>>
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