Local Crime

Rogue trader warning

Police are asking residents to be on their guard for rogue traders following an incident that happened in Hailsham recently. A man called at the house of an elderly lady in Sussex Avenue and offered to cut the garden hedge for £250. He also asked to go upstairs in the house – but this was refused and the man left.Rogue traders are callous individuals who often target the most vulnerable and elderly in our communities.Police advice is never, ever agree to works or services offered by doorstep callers who arrive unannounced. We would ask relatives, friends and neighbours of vulnerable or elderly people to keep an eye on them to ensure that they do not fall victim to criminals, and to report any suspicious behaviour immediately by emailing 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or calling 101. In an emergency always call 999.

Suspicious vehicle seen in Mayfield

Police received a report about a suspicious vehicle that was seen in The Avenue, Mayfield at around 8.15am on Tuesday 19 January.

The car is described as a scruffy looking pale blue Ford hatchback. The two men that were in the vehicle asked a person for the postcode of the area. They are described as both being in their early twenties. The driver is described as having thin black hair and wearing a blue scarf and dark coloured anorak. The car drove off in the direction of the High Street and then looped East-bound to travel down the High Street.

Anyone with information is asked to email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101, quoting serial 0596 of 19/01. Alternatively, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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This message was sent by Emma Fleetwood-Jones, Public Engagement Officer

Please do not reply to this email to report crimes or incidents. Contact us online here http://www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/report-something-online or call 101 when it's less urgent than 999

11th January 2016. We have been advised by a Willingdon resident of a phone call from someone purporting to be from a phone company stating that their bank had not paid a direct debit, and that their phone would be cut off.

They were asked for bank details to avoid this action, they were given a help line phone number to contact, when they tried to contact the helpline they realised that the fraudster was still on the line waiting for them to dial, and they REPLACED THEIR PHONE . Please take note of this SCAM...NEVER GIVE YOUR BANK DETAILS TO ANYONE!

Fraudsters are targeting classified advertisement websites like AutoTrader to advertise vehicles for sale. Buyers are then contacting these ‘sellers’ to find out more about the vehicles and are being told to pay for them via ‘Apple Pay’. In this case the fraudsters are not using the genuine Apple Pay service and potential victims pay money directly to bank accounts in control of the fraudsters. Individuals receive emails claiming to be from Apple Pay with a web link to a cloned website with false terms and conditions of the ‘escrow’ service. Any money remitted to the fraudsters is then unrecoverable and the vehicles are not delivered.

Protect yourself:

• Meet the seller ‘face to face’ and view the vehicle before parting with any money.
• Be cautious of web links in an email. They may not direct you to the genuine website.
• Report scam advertisements to the classified advertisement websites.
• If the vehicle is below market value, consider whether this is an opportunity too good to be true!

Sussex Police Eastbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team

Sussex Police are reminding all residents, especially the elderly and anyone living alone, not to be taken in by a new type of scam that has been reported in the West Sussex area. If you or any of your relatives or friends are (or have been) telephoned by the Ministry of Justice and told you qualify for a refund on payment protection insurance (PPI) this will be a scam. The scammer will ask that in order for your claim to be processed you have to pay a percentage of your payout up front and that this should be in the form of UKASH vouchers. They then send a courier to attend the home address of the victim and collect the vouchers or access the code for these vouchers in order to claim the money. These scammers may call you on more than on one occasion and be persuasive or persistent in their calls. They may also suggest you call them back in order to 'prove' their identification. Please do not be taken in by these tactics.To date there have been three reports of this particular scam; in Bognor, Littlehampton and Midhurst. If you have received a call of this nature or know anyone who has, please contact Sussex Police on 101 and report it to action fraud. In an emergency always dial 999.The members of the community who seem to have been targeted are the elderly. Please make sure that if you know of any elderly residents who may not receive messages through community messaging that you inform them to be vigilant of this particular type of scam. DI Jim McKnight of Sussex Police said: 

'These are wicked crimes that target some of our most vulnerable people. The impact on the victims is not only a financial one but can also have detrimental effects on confidence and physical well being. The contact between the victim and the criminal can be a one off or can be very regular covering days and weeks. Please be aware to any signs of this or similar activity taking place - bring it to a halt and contact Police who will investigate the matter whilst providing advice, and assistance.' 

Meetings, events and local officer details

For your local officer’s contact details, information about local events and meetings and actions being taken regarding your priorities click here http://www.sussex.police.uk/help-centre/your-local-district/eastbourne