Neighbourhood Watch

REMEMBER

POLICE - EMERGENCY - 999 CRIMESTOPPERS - 0800 555 111

Ringing 999 from your mobile sometimes routes through the Staffordshire switchboard. Be careful when giving location instructions.

PC ANDY McGILL - NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH OFFICE - 0845 7 444 888 -ext. 3253

Beware - Now that the Holiday season is upon us, avoid this 'scam' ..

HOTEL KEY CARDS - A Word of Warning
Ever wondered what is on an hotel magnetic key card?
According to the Pasadena Police Department it is:-

a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!

When you return the card to reception your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.

Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically "overwritten" on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process but until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!

The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or estroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER hand them in when you check out. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.

For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport waste bin. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip! If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.

Previous announcements

A 'Distraction Burgler' has been working our area.
A young man, smartly dressed, driving a very clean, shiny. black 4x4, and asking, with a 'Dutch' accent .. for directions .. to sell you Bulbs .. to sell you kitchen equipment .. etc, etc.

STAY IN YOUR HOUSE - DO NOT LET HIM IN - NOTE THE VEHICLE NUMBER - REMEMBER HIS DESCRIPTION

THEN PHONE US OR THE POLICE

    Michael Bird
777 728

March 29th
A garden shed in Bluntington was recently broken into and an expensive lawn mower taken. 
Prior to this a van was seen in the locality containing 'some rather suspicious characters' but - no registration number was noted nor any descriptions taken!

I have had report of 'distraction burglaries' taking place close to 'our patch' so, if you have any concerns at all, please make a note of all you can, and phone it through to your Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator or to the Watch Officer.

Michael Bird
777 728

Feb 8th.
A Neighbourhood Watch member was called recently by telephone by a lady purporting to be from BT.
She was offering greatly reduced telephone line rentals.
She asked for the member's bank details and, when told that they would not be disclosed, immediately terminated the call.
BT have confirmed that they just DO NOT operate that way.
In any case, BT usually have your banks details if you rent a line from them.

The advice is NEVER to give out your bank or credit details over the telephone unless the caller in known to you.

Michael Bird
777 728

Visit the West Mercia Police site

This link has been withdrawn as a method of reporting crime

"Ev'ning All !"

We are grateful for the co-operation of the following  area co-ordinators _

John Berrow
Cindy Black
Mark Edwards
Barbara Evans
Margaret Green
Tom Grove
Barbara Hurdman
Dial Park
Mustow Green
Harvington
Dorhall
Drayton Road
Morton Road
Woodrow
Mary Kearne
Jeff Mason
David Meredith
Jo Powick
Ann Ripper
John Savage
Worcester Road
Bluntington
The Holloway
Hemming Way
Brockencote
Barnett Hill

Michael Bird - Chairman        01562 777 728        michael.bird@which.net

Gillian Fry, Karen Bartleet & David Goodman - local Co-ordinators 

Rosie Cheeseman - Contact    01562 700 780    tim@cheesemant.freeserve.co.uk

Geoff. Elwell - Contact           01562 700 548    geoffh@elwell.fsbusiness.co.uk

http://www.neighbourhoodwatch.net

 

Welcome to Chaddesley Corbett