Arthritis scam

[Bruce Bower]

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

[RINGMASTER COMMUNITY MESSAGING - SOMERSET EAST - FN017 200213]

Be wary of phone callers targeting the elderly and enquiring if the householder suffers from arthritis. They will offer to visit you and demonstrate something that can help with the pain. A local female resident received such a call recently from a very plausible female caller which was then followed up by a male caller asking if the lady was on her own.

Please decline any visits offered by unsolicited callers and report any such calls to the police. Never give any personal details or any information about who lives at the property. If callers say that they will visit and give a time, please call us and we will endeavour to attend your address at the appointed time.

If you have any information about suspicious incidents or activity Please telephone the police on 101.   Please remember to ask the call handler to mark, or tag, your call `NHW' (Neighbourhood Watch). NHW office 01823-363348 Reference message FN017 200213

[Anthony Palmer]

I was rung last week by someone asking me whether I had paid £600 to Western Union.  I hadn't made such a transaction  but they told me my account had been hacked and I had to change my account. They said they would check my computer to try and find the hacker. They were very credible and when I told them I would not give them any details and rang off they rang me back to say they were genuine and that if I didn't do something quickly my account would be emptied. I rang off (again!) and rang my bank who confirmed it was a scam. What I didn't realise was that a bank will never give an amount (ie £600 in this case) when requesting information. Anthony Palmer