| Keep Your Home Secure This Autumn and Winter |
 Dear Resident,As the days get shorter and the evenings get darker, now is a good time to think about keeping your home safe and secure. Start with a few simple checks:Lock doors and windows whenever you leave your home.Secure garages, sheds and side gates.Keep keys, jewellery and other valuables out of sight.Use timer switches & external lighting to help your home appear occupied after dark.If you’re going away, ask a trusted neighbour to keep an eye on your property. Reporting InformationIf a you believe a crime is in progress, call 999 immediately. For non-emergency information or to report suspicious behaviour:· Call 101· Report online via the Thames Valley Police website.Information from residents plays a vital role in helping us identify and apprehend offenders. Please share this advice with neighbours, friends and family members, particularly those who may be more vulnerable.Don’t Give Burglars an Opportunity. Lock Up Before You Step Out. |
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| Courier fraud alert: Over 70s targeted as courier fraud exceeds £21 million in 2025. |
City of London Police are issuing a renewed warning to the public as courier fraud continues to evolve across the UK, with criminals using increasingly sophisticated and persistent tactics that are driving significant financial harm to victims. New figures show reports increased by nearly 10 per cent year-on-year, rising from 1,721 in 2024 to 1,891 in 2025. Over the same period, total losses climbed from £19.5 million to more than £21 million, with the average amount stolen per victim now standing at £15,311.08, underlining the significant financial harm caused by each offence.A key feature of this threat is the disproportionate targeting of older people, particularly those aged 70 and above. This group makes up majority of victims, with those aged between 76 and 96 alone accounting for around 62 per cent of all reports.Fraudsters often deliberately focus on older victims, exploiting trust in institutions such as the police and banks, as well as using pressure tactics, fear and urgency to manipulate them into complying with instructions.A growing trend identified in 2025 involves the use of jewellery and gold to carry out high-value frauds. In many cases, victims are persuaded to visit multiple jewellers to purchase expensive items over a period of time before handing them to a courier. This method often results in the highest amount stolen and can involve repeat victimisation, with offenders maintaining contact to extract as much money as possible.How to spot the signs of courier fraud Courier fraud typically begins with an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer or bank employee. Victims are told their account is at risk or that they are assisting with an investigation, before being instructed to withdraw money, purchase items, or disclose sensitive information. A courier is then sent to collect the items such as jewellery, cash, bank cards and PINs. In reality, this is the work of criminals and anything handed over is lost. How to protect yourself from courier fraud: Transferring money: Your bank or the police will never ask you to transfer money to a safe account. Couriers: Your bank or the police will never send a courier to your home to collect bank cards, cash, or other valuables such as jewellery. Check if it’s genuine: Contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on official websites, the back of your card or by calling 159 for your bank. Caller ID: Don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID. Report suspicious calls: You can report suspected scam calls by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the caller’s number.If you think you have been a victim of fraud contact Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via the website: reportfraud.police.uk. |
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| Bogus Phone Calls |
| This is a message from Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch Association. The advice to us from the police is to report bogus phone calls to your telecom supplier. You may need to dial 1471 on landlines to get the caller’s number and its time. An example of where to report bogus calls is: http://bt.com/consumer/edw/scams/Doubtless, other telecom suppliers will have similar pages on their websites. You can also report bogus phone calls to the police body, Report Fraud:Email : https://www.reportfraud.police.ukTel : 0300 123 2040It is hoped that, because of such reporting by you and by others, these reported phone lines may be withdrawn. We would also encourage you to sign up for BT’s Call Protect, TalkTalk’s Call Safe, and Sky’s Shield which are free of charge and which can block future calls from unwanted callers. Doubtless, other telecom suppliers will have similar facilities. If you are using mobile phones for calls, text messages and internet access, you will be able to see the caller’s number. We would then suggest you might find the following links to be useful: Vodafone O2 EE ThreeIf you are registered with the Telephone Preference Service, nuisance phone calls can also be reported to them. Thank you. |
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| Lost / Stolen Bikes |
| This is a message from Wycombe District Neighbourhood Watch Association.As Thames Valley Police no longer accept bikes that have been found by a member of the public or take reports of lost bikes, the Police use The National Cycle database – www.bikeregister.com to check bikes known to have been stolen and repatriate the bike to its legal owner. If you find a bike, please check this website to see if has been registered and reported as stolen.Please register your bikes on this same website.There is also IMMOBILISE NATIONAL PROPERTY REGISTER where bikes and other items can be registered on www.immobilise.com |
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| Safe online dating, ticket scams & more |
| Dear resident, According to recent research, more than one in four people say that they or someone they know have been approached by an AI chatbot posing as a real person on a dating app or social media. Even if AI isn’t involved, it’s still easy to get taken in by a scam if you’re really keen to start a new relationship. Whether you’re trying online dating for the first time or a regular, please take time to read our safe online dating top tips (and e-leaflet attached).Safe online dating – Get Safe Online If you’re looking to buy resale tickets to an event, try our new Safe Ticket Buyer Tools page launched by our Get Safe Online ticket expert, Nick Hawe – it has easy to use tools to check if the online tickets you’re buying are legit or not before you commit. Safe Ticket Buyer Tools – Get Safe Online Finally, if you work or volunteer with children you may be interested in a new Cyber Trauma course now offered by one of our experts, Dr Cath Knibbs. She’s a highly experienced child psychotherapist and cyber trauma expert & you can learn more about this here: https://www.childrenandtech.co.uk/cybertrauma-certificate-course-2026 Many thanksthe Get Safe Online team |
