Click here to download the full Croydon Cyber Crime Summary pdf file.

Croydon is currently being targetted by fraudsters, so please take note of the advice provided!

Due to unforeseen circumstances the cuppa with a coppa event due for Thursday 01/05/2025 has had to be postponed.

Once a new date has been selected we will communicate the details of the next event.

Should anyone wish to speak with us this can be done by emailing the SNT team at SNMailbox.-ShirleyNorthSNT@met.police.uk.

Alternatively if you wish to report a crime this can be done online or by calling 101, and as always in the case of an emergency please dial 999.

Click here to download the full Croydon Cyber Crime Summary pdf file.

Croydon is currently being targetted by fraudsters, so please take note of the advice provided!

We have been made aware that fraudsters are targeting the areas of Croydon, Bromley & Sutton, particularly using the technique of Courier Fraud.

What is Courier Fraud?
Courier fraud is a crime in which the criminal attends the home address of the victim to collect various things of value.

The criminal usually targets the victim’s debit cards, credit cards, cash and/or jewelry. Alternatively, criminals will often look to obtain any personal information they can from their target that they can use for further criminal activity.

The criminal often calls ahead and introduces themselves to the victim to convince them there is some sort of ‘problem’ which the victim can avert by giving over the aforementioned goods.

How do these criminals operate?
Most courier frauds usually begin with an unexpected phone call. The suspect will usually claim to be from one of the aforementioned professions. The phone call will normally concerns one of two scenarios:

Criminal Investigations – This will usually take the shape of a police officer telling their target that they are investigating some form of crime committed by bank staff, potentially staff trying to steal funds from the victims account.

Alternatively, this could take the shape of accusing the target of money laundering and requiring access to their account for proof of their innocence.

If someone calls you claiming to be a police officer, ask for their name and a warrant number. Hang up, call 101 on a different phone if you were called on a landline and check with the operator.

If a police officer attends your home, ask for their warrant card and check the back of it – a legitimate warrant card will have a hologram which is difficult for criminals to replicate.

Security Breach – This normally concerns criminals masquerading as bank staff, informing their target that their funds in their account are insecure and a third party is attempting to access them.

If the bank truly believe a customers account is being accessed by someone else, they will immediately lock the account. They do not need any personal information, or permission to do this.

Banks do not send members of their staff to go to your house to collect your cards/cash. Police do not offer this service, either.

How do I Protect Myself?

• Do not give out any information – Do not tell the individual anything about yourself or your passwords.
• Put down the phone – Do not engage further
• Call your bank on a number you know – Check the back of the card. If you received a call on your landline, call on a different phone. Criminals will often remain on a landline phone – they will not hang up and disconnect the call, so use a different phone to call your bank.
• Report the matter to police/Actionfraud. Use the ActionFraud website to contact them and report the fraud.

To protect vulnerable members of your family, TrueCall Secure Call Blocker has various levels of protection against receiving unwanted calls.

• Unlimited control for blocking incoming calls
• Can also block certain outgoing calls
• Can be setup to record all incoming telephone calls
• Control every aspect of the unit remotely using the web app, including listening to voicemails

Designed for older customers, it protects from nuisance and scam calls immediately.

If you have lost money/personal information

• Do not panic
• Inform your bank
• Contact police/actionfraud
• Cancel cards if necessary

Stop! Think Fraud is a new national campaign against fraud and has been developed by the Home Office, National Crime Agency (NCA), National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and in consultation with a wide range of other partners and external stakeholders.

It supports the delivery of the Fraud Strategy with a multi-channelled campaign aiming to increase the likelihood that people will take action and adopt behaviours that will prevent them falling victim to fraud.
Fraudsters aren’t fussy. They’ll pick on anyone.

Find out more at gov.uk/stopthinkfraud

The Little Media Series – A collection of books and videos created by the Metropolitan Police to explain some of the most common types of fraud and gives advice on how to avoid becoming a victim. https://www.met.police.uk/littlemedia/

Fraudulent Insurance Brokers on Social Media
“Ghost brokers” often sell false policies to drivers on social media, manipulate
information given to genuine insurance companies, or take out insurance and cancel it straight away. This leaves people without valid car insurance, which is illegal.

Victims are lured in by genuine-looking websites and are sent professional-looking invoices. They receive insurance documents that appear to be real.

Police say young drivers are most likely to be targeted by ghost brokers, partly because they are often looking to reduce their insurance costs.

People only discover they are uninsured when they either try to make a claim or police check the insurance details.

Detective Superintendent Tom Hill, head of the City of London Police’s Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, said social media is behind this increase: “There are limited barriers to entry for social media accounts to be set up so people can take out car insurance and spread the word quite widely.
“Do your research and make sure you’re dealing with a genuine broker or genuine insurance company. If the conversation has been moved on to WhatsApp, for example, alarm bells should be ringing”.

In 2024, victims of ghost broking lost an average of £2,206. Victims lose money to the scam and then have to pay additional costs to repair their cars after an accident. They could also face criminal charges, a fine or licence points if found to be driving without valid insurance.

Source article from Sky News – link below:
‘Ghost broking’: Reports of scammers selling fake car insurance rise by 30% over five years | UK News | Sky News

• Please ensure the company you are dealing with is genuine.
• Avoid adverts that pop up on social media.
• Use well known comparison sites to get quotes for insurance.

If you have been scammed or duped into contracting with a business or a trader and parted with money, please report to Citizens Advice Consumer Advice Line on 0808 223 1133 or go to the following website to report online: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/