Surrey Police: Officers continue to spread the word about scams in East Surrey
 Uniformed officers, detectives from CID and Crime Reduction Advisors are continuing their fight against fraudsters targeting the elderly and vulnerable in East Surrey by educating shoppers in Leatherhead. Officers descended on various banks in the town including Santander, HSBC, Nat West, Nationwide and Lloyds TSB for several hours on Thursday, 22 January. During this time they spoke with numerous people and handed out leaflets and information booklets as part of the engagement event.Leading the operation for East Surrey, Detective Chief Inspector Antony Archibald, said: “Events like the one held in Leatherhead are an excellent way of engaging with the public and spreading the message about these despicable crimes. “Our officers and detectives were able to say ‘I’m a police officer and I would never ask you for bank security information or for you to withdraw money for me’ a message which I hope people took notice of. If someone does purport to be a police officer and asks these questions the answer is simple, it is a scam. “Thankfully we continue to receive calls from people who tell us they have received a call of this nature but they suspected fraud and did not hand over their details or money, we need everyone to hear this message, because just one more victim is one too many. “We all have a part to play in preventing these offences which is why we spoke to a range of people during our engagement day, we educated those likely to be a target as well as urging others to speak with their elderly relatives and friends about the dangers these fraudsters pose. “The media have been fantastic in helping us spread the message to their audiences and I hope we can continue with this coverage until everyone has heard this message and those responsible are caught. “I would like to thank all those who have assisted with our prevent advice including local organisations, businesses, banks and charities who continue to support our investigation.” Although the offender usually claims to be a police officer from a London or other local police station and of Detective Inspector or Detective Chief Inspector rank using various aliases to convince the victim. It is believed a number of groups of people may be involved in the offences. Last week (Monday, 19 January – Sunday, 25 January), five offences were reported in the following areas of East Surrey:
As part of their investigation into these offences officers are releasing a CCTV still of a woman they would like to trace as they believe she may hold valuable information. Anyone who can identify the woman in the attached image is asked to contact Surrey Police quoting reference 45140088013. Anyone who has information on any of the offences mentioned is urged to report these to Surrey Police online at
or by calling 101.
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Surrey Police: Purse thefts in Leatheread
There have been instances of purse theft out of handbags and pockets in Leatherhead town recently. It would seem that the victims had just taken out money from a cash point and were then followed and had their purse taken from their bag.
Please take every care when using cash points to obtain money.
Always be aware of people around you. If you think people are too close it is acceptable to politely ask them to move back. NEVER be distracted whilst your transaction is in progress. Put your money straight into your pocket or purse/wallet along with your card. If you place your purse into another bag such as a handbag always make sure your purse is put at the bottom of your bag and keep your handbag zipped up, or fastened at all times. If possible try to use cash machines inside your bank if they are open.
If you think someone is acting suspiciously or tries to distract you at a cashpoint, or, you have been the victim of a crime please call police on 999.
Surrey Police: Surrey Police detectives are continuing to urge members of the public to remain vigilant after scams.
Mole Valley residents urged to remain vigilant following attempted telephone fraud offences
Surrey Police detectives are continuing to urge members of the public to remain vigilant following several recent incidents where fraudsters have attempted to con Dorking residents into handing over cash or bank cards. The first incident occurred in a road off Holmesdale Road at around 12.40pm on Tuesday, 30 December, when a woman was contacted by a man requesting her bank details and asking her to go and get money out from her bank. The woman rightly had concerns about the authenticity of the call and contacted Surrey Police. Another incident took place at the Nat West Bank in the High Street, Dorking at around 9.50am on Wednesday, 31 December when a woman went to the front counter and stated that she had received a phone call asking her to take out £10,000. The bank quickly phoned the police and the fraudulent request was prevented. On some occasions victims report they have received telephone calls from someone claiming to be either a police officer or bank worker who then tries to convince them to hand over large amounts of cash and bank cards. The victims are often told that their bank cards have been used by somebody who is in custody and the fraudsters then ask the victim to phone the bank to cancel the card and say they will send a courier round to collect the card. Meanwhile the fraudster stays on the line and obtains the victim’s bank details whilst they think they are phoning the bank. A courier then calls at the victim’s address saying they have been sent by the police to collect a parcel – the envelope containing the cards or cash. Richard Hamlin, Inspector for Mole Valley Safer Neighbourhood Team says: “Thankfully on both occasions in Dorking recently, the victims did not fall foul to these fraudsters and did not hand over any cash. “But we would like to highlight the fact that people should never give out their personal bank details over the phone or believe they need to get money out of their bank account at the request of a telephone caller. “It is concerning that we are seeing continuing fraudulent attempts to con people to hand over their cash across the county and we are again urging residents to report any suspicious calls from people claiming to be a bank worker or police officer as a matter of urgency. “The callers will often sound very genuine and the version of events they describe might seem plausible but I would like stress that these requests are not genuine and that no police officer or bank would operate in this manner and would never require a customer to confirm their PIN details or withdraw money over the phone. “Fortunately on both occasions the potential victims did not end up losing their cash or bank cards but others have not been so lucky and have ended up losing significant sums of money, in some cases savings which they had spent years accruing, as a result of this scam. We need the public to help us prevent this happening in the future.” People are reminded to protect themselves using the following advice: If you have any information relating to these or similar incidents in Dorking please call Surrey Police on 101 and quote ref: 45140110325. Alternatively please call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or you can report the incident online by visiting: http://www.surrey.police.uk/ |
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AGENDA FOR OPEN SOCIAL EVENING 8/12/14
Surrey Police: Roadside Petrol Scam
Motorists warned of roadside petrol scam
Surrey Police is warning motorists to remain vigilant following a recent spate of people being conned into giving money for petrolwith the suspects pretending to be drivers in need.
The first incident was reported to police on Thursday, 6 November. The victim, a 64-year-old man from Walton-on-Thames, had been driving along
The rings have since been established as being worthless and the business card fake.
The two suspects have been described as being smartly dressed, dark skinned, possibly of Arabic origin, having a large build and being around 40 to 50 years old. Their vehicle is believed to be a black Mercedes saloon car.
Two further incidents took place on Saturday, 15 November between
One victim, a 54-year-old man from Byfleet, stopped to assist a man who flagged him down at the slip road of the A3 by the Cobham roundabout. The suspect said he needed petrol to get to
The victim declined the rings but drove to the Sainsbury’s petrol station in Cobham whilst the suspect followed in his car. It is believed that the suspect had four passengers in his vehicle.
Having arrived at the petrol station the victim handed the suspect £240 for fuel. The suspect took the victim’s mobile phone number, gave him a business card which was later established as fake, and promised to contact the victim to repay the money when he reached his destination. He then got back in his vehicle and left the scene.
The suspect has been described as having an Asian appearance, being around 40 to 45 years old and having a stocky build. He had a moustache and short, dark well-kept hair. He was wearing a white shirt and dark coloured trousers and tie. It is possible that he understood Arabic.
The other men in the suspect’s car, which is believed to be a Mitsubishi, have been described as being of a smart appearance and of similar ethnicity to the suspect.
The other victim, a 58 year old man from Farnborough, was flagged down by two men who also stated that no money to get to
The suspects have been described as being Asian or Eastern European and having foreign accents. It is believed they were driving a dark blue Saab.
They followed the victim to the BP petrol station on
Investigating officerPolice Constable Dave Atkinson, said: “These are despicable offences where innocent people have had their goodwill taken advantage and they have been conned out of money by bogus motorists in need when stopping to help.
“I urge anyone who comes across people acting suspiciously at the roadside or trying to flag passing motorists down for assistance to call 101.
“Similarly, there is a strong possibility that these crimes may be linked and other incidents may have taken place in other parts of the county. Anyone who has been offered jewellery in exchange for money for petrol should contact Surrey Police. Any information, no matter how small it may seem, could prove vital to the investigation and bring those responsible to justice.”
Anyone who has information is urged to contact Surrey Police either by using our online reporting system found at http://www.surrey.police.uk/ or calling 101 quoting reference 45140096483.
Alternatively Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Surrey Police: Country Watch Update
This is a Country Watch message that we send out out on an occassional basis that I hope you may find interesting.
However please don,t feel you have to forward it on as it’s just to give those of you who are not Country Watch members a feel for some of the rural issues we are dealing with. For more information regarding Countey Watch please read our link:-
http://www.surrey.police.uk/
Report as soon as possible with as much detail as you can provide. Tell us if suspects are alone or in a group; if they are trespassing and whether they have equipment, dogs or firearms with them. Tell us where you think they may be heading and where they may have been. What do they look like? Have they any vehicles? Can you safely note the model and registration number(s)? Can you safely photograph the suspect(s)? Always consider personal safety before approaching any individuals. Call 101 to report crime, or dial 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.
Surrey Police: Update from our local Crime Reduction Advisor
Update from our local Crime Reduction Advisor Mr Neil Clarke. To book a free crime reduction survey for your property or business give us a call via 101.Brake Road Safety week – 17 to 23 November
This week is Brake Road Safety week (17 to 23 November). Surrey and Sussex Road Policing Officers, in conjunction with the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership will be supporting this week of action by conducting educational and enforcement activities across the force areas. During this week, Brake is asking everyone to look out for each other on the roads, particularly calling for drivers to protect people on foot and bike, by slowing down to 20 in communities, looking twice, taking it slow at junctions and giving people plenty of room.
For further information on Brake Road Safety week, please visit the website: www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk
The Brake team will also be using #RoadSafetyWeek, throughout next week to raise awareness of the campaign.
https://twitter.com/MoleValleyBeat
www.facebook.com/MoleValleyPolice
Leatherhead Hospital Leach Ward to close by December 1st
I was not intending to post again on this Blog, but I feel I must bring this to the attention to LRA members.
I conducted the act of worship at Leach Ward this morning and talked with some of the patients afterwards. The patients are always very appreciative and I normally come home thankful that we have been of service to them.
But this morning I came home somewhat shocked and saddened. I heard from patients that the ward is to be closed by the end of this month; one of the nurses confirmed this. When I got home I looked on the Internet and found this article.
Staff and patients have been given precious little notice – presumably to minimize time for any opposition; but, understandably, they are worried. Not a nice Christmas present!
Whenever I have taken services there or taken communion to individual patients, I have always heard nothing but praise from patients at the way they are looked after in Leach Ward. I have always found a friendly atmosphere there and never ceased to be impressed at the dedication of the staff. This is something Leatherhead should truly be proud of.
I am aware that the Dorking & Leatherhead Advertiser article says health bosses deny the closure will be permanent; but as many of us know from experience, temporary closures have a nasty habit of becoming permanent in the end. In my opinion the short notice given to staff and patients in the run-up to Christmas is shabby. I hope the LRA takes up their cause and that readers will write to their councillors and MPs.
