The local Police teams have recently reported incidents in Kiln Lane and Sumner Road. They are asking for information and providing advice about how to avoid a new email scam.
Thefts from vehicles in Kiln Lane
On 23rd January 2017 between 10.00am and 12.30pm there were three vehicles parked along the Kiln Lane area of Buriton and left secure whilst the owners went for a walk. Two of these vehicles had their rear window screen smashed and then one was entered and a bag was stolen from the boot area. The third vehicle then had its door lock tampered with. On the same day a fourth vehicle in a rural car park in this area also had its rear window smashed but no entry was gained. If anyone has any information relating to any of these incidents or see or hear anything suspicious please contact the police on 101
Theft of property from Sumner Road
Overnight on the 16th January 2017 a 101 Mini Digger, which was red and grey in colour, was stolen from the front of a property in Sumner Road, Buriton. A white van was seen at the time with possible red sign writing along the side panel. If anyone has seen or heard anything suspicious relating to this incident please contact the police on 101 and give the crime reference number as 44170019584
Payment diversion alert
Fraudsters are emailing members of the public who are expecting to make a payment for property repairs. The fraudsters will purport to be a tradesman who has recently completed work at the property and use a similar email address to that of the genuine tradesman. They will ask for funds to be transferred via bank transfer. Once payment is made the victims of the scam soon realise they have been deceived when the genuine tradesman requests payment for their services. To protect yourself:
- Always check the email address is exactly the same as previous correspondence with the genuine contact.
- For any request of payment via email verify the validity of the request with a phone call to the person who carried out the work.
- Check the email for spelling and grammar as these signs can indicate that the email is not genuine.
- Payments via bank transfer offer no financial protection; consider using alternative methods such as a credit card or PayPal which offer protection and an avenue for recompense.
If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud or by telephone 0300 123 2040.
For crime prevention advice please refer to http://www.hampshire.police.uk/internet/advice-and-information/crime-prevention/
