Todwick Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter
March 2020
Welcome to all those villagers who have signed up to the Todwick Neighbourhood Watch since our last newsletter in December 2019. We hope that you find these newsletters informative and useful and we always value your information and feedback and questions. We never publish anyone’s name or address.
Scams and cold calls
Scams continue to abound in the village, surrounding area and – well, worldwide.
For anyone who subscribes to “Three phone” you may get a text message about an outstanding balance on your account requesting you update your payment details. This is a scam. The strangest one to come to light recently is the Covid-19 (coronavirus) scam. Norton, the antivirus company, inform us that cybercriminals are attempting to steal personal details or infect devices with malware when people are trying to get information about the Covid-19 issue. It is recommended that such information is sought from the World Health Organisation website. Sometimes, even I am surprised by the audacity of scammers!!
Late January I received a telephone call saying an attempt had been made to transfer £600 from my bank account to an overseas account. Press 1 to get help. The fact it was a recorded message gave me a clue it was a scam.
Be aware of any contact which is unexpected that asks you for personal details or talks about security risks, account problems etc. Whenever I get contacts of this type, I always ask the caller to identify themselves as they are making the call. More often than not it is not what they expect. If necessary, curtail the call. Then using a telephone number from an independent source, ring and ask if the call was genuine. Remember, you do not have to give any personal details to any cold caller.
As we approach the Spring, this tends to the time when we emerge and start looking at work to be done outside. Be aware of the ‘travelling salesmen’ cold calling to tell you that you have a problem with your roof tiles, dry verges, guttering, double glazed windows not up to modern specification and other similar maladies. Some may be genuine in which case they will not be annoyed if you check them out. Use an independent source to find the telephone number to confirm who they say they are. If in doubt... keep them out.
One last scam that has not hit us (as far as we know) but you need to be aware of it. We have been made aware that scammers telephone members of the public claiming to be High Court Enforcement Officers, County Court Bailiffs or Certified Enforcement Agents. A bit scary? The caller claims that the person owes money and demands that they transfer funds into a bank account. They talk about a “warrant of control” and offer to take debit or credit card payments over the phone. Unless you know of such action, please do not be intimidated by such a call. Under no circumstances give your bank or card details. Make contact with your local county court or the company for whom the caller claims to work.
Burglaries
It is acknowledged that homes with no security measures are FIVE TIMES more likely to be burgled than those with even simple security. Many burglaries are opportunist acts.
Statistically using information supplied by South Yorkshire Police, Todwick had 18 burglaries in 2018 and only 10 in 2019. These relate only to reported burglaries that are actually investigated. So, what tips do we have to minimise your risk of burglary?
- Always lock the doors and windows when you leave the house, even when you are just out in the garden. AND be aware of distraction burglaries?
- Remove keys from the house locks when you arrive home.
- Make sure your locks (especially on uPVC doors) are up to current specifications.
- Don’t leave car keys near an unlocked door especially one that has a letterbox. If the car is keyless, take precautions to prevent an outsider cloning your car key fob.
- Install a visible burglar alarm complemented by good outside PIR controlled lighting. Get rid of that old rusty dummy alarm box, it’s a give-away to burglars.
- Often burglars approach through the garden because fences are broken / insecure / too low. Have a look to see what yours are like.
- If you have bicycles, mopeds, scooters make sure these are out of sight of passers-by and firmly locked away at night.
- Don’t leave ladders, steps, tools unattended outside as these can be used to break in. Also be careful where you leave rubbish bins as these can be used to get over fences or walls or even gain access through an open window.
- Mark your property with a marker pen or Smartwater. At the moment we are unable to get a free supply of Smartwater (sorry) but it is still available through outlets.
- Valuables! Keep valuables out of sight to passers-by. Ensure things like jewellery, watches, passports are locked away preferably in a secure safe. Many banks no longer provide this facility. Be aware of idle chat in public places.
- Let your trusted neighbours know when you are on holiday and leave a contact phone number... just in case.
- High hedges provide good cover for burglars. Have a look at your hedges and decide for yourself?
- If you have side gates, are they lockable? And if so, are they locked?
These are just a few of the things that we can recommend to help keep you safe. Burglary is a nasty thing to find on your return home. Your privacy has been violated by an unwelcome person. Your personal (sometimes very personal) property has been either damaged or stolen. And it is often irrecoverable.
We have contact details of a number of trusted, professional local people who can help if you have a problem. Please just ask us. My contact number is at the bottom of this newsletter.
You may wish to look at a guide for minimum domestic security on https://www.soldsecure.com
Crime statistics
The crime statistics for Todwick for November 2019 to January 2020 are as follows:
Burglary |
4 |
Other theft |
2 |
Public Order |
2 |
Antisocial behaviour |
7 |
Criminal damage |
2 |
Vehicle crime |
3 |
Violence & Sex |
3 |
Contact information
S. Y. Police non-emergency phone calls to report crime or give information dial 101.
S. Y. Police / Ambulance / Fire & Rescue EMERGENCY ONLY dial 999
Crimestoppers to give information about crime (you do not have to give your name) dial 0800 555 111 freephone
Action Fraud this is the government run reporting centre for fraud. Calls can be made on 0300 123 2040 anonymously or text on 0300 123 2050
Streetpride part of Rotherham Borough Council. For most general problems with bin emptying, damaged bins, street lighting, potholes & other problems associated with roads & pavements telephone 01709 336003
Electricity emergency 0800 375 675
Gas emergency 0800 111 999
Victim Support 0300 303 1976
Thanks to all the villagers who have provided details of incidents and issues.
Thanks also to Sheila Pantry for ensuring that our village website www.todwick.org.uk shows our newsletters as well as details of upcoming village events and for supporting our village Neighbourhood Watch scheme particularly with the Tote bag scheme which is still running. We also thank the Co-op at Kiveton for their financial support of Todwick Neighbourhood Watch.
Thanks also to Cream Creative for their professional services in printing your newsletter.
Norman Anderson – chairman.