Warwickshire Police Highlight Increase In Unusual Crimes

Warwickshire Police are warning the public to be vigilant against less usual crimes that are occurring in the county.

An increase in crimes like Phishing and documentation theft has been highlighted in a report by force analysts into criminal behaviour during the last financial year.

1. ‘Phishing’, the process of using fake but credible e mails and websites to deceive recipients into divulging personal data, increased from 21 incidents reported up to November 2003 to around 2000 by July 2004.
2. Documentation Theft is increasingly being targeted during house burglaries with passports, driving licences, as well as bank and building society books being stolen.
3. ATM crime is believed to be the fastest growing type of card fraud (85% rise nationally), with the majority of fraud occurring through counterfeit cards, cards not present during the transaction and the fraudulent use of lost or stolen cards.
4. Theft of vehicle spare wheels stored on the outside of the car has become more common and theft of number plates has risen by 16%.

Chief Inspector Mike Slater from the Crime Reduction unit said: "This report provides valuable indicators to help tackle crime. Phishing and identity theft are on the increase and the public should be wary of any unexpected and unusual telephone calls and e mails. It is also advisable to follow basic crime prevention advice to avoid becoming a victim."

Personal Information can be stolen from documents thrown into rubbish bins or by criminals gaining personal details by telephone or through e mails. These people often appear very credible. They claim to be from legitimate organisations or sometimes offer a reward for divulging personal information. Theft of personal information can lead to fraudulent use of personal financial details and which may lead to difficulty in obtaining financial services in the future.

It is advisable to:

• Shred or burn unnecessary documents, never put them in the rubbish bin - even old passports can be sold on for criminaluse
• Consider storing valuable documents with your bank
• Regularly obtain a copy of personal credit files from one of the three credit reference agencies
• Alert the Royal Mail if you suspect your mail is being stolen and when you move house inform all necessary organisations immediately
• Never respond to telephone calls asking for personal information
• Never divulge information following requests made by e mails
• Never release personal information or payment details via insecure websites that do not display the official padlock
• Cancel lost or stolen credit cards, passports, driving licences, immediately and never carry them unnecessarily.
• Use different pin numbers and keep reminders of pin numbers secure. Do not carry them with the credit card in a purse or wallet.

It is difficult to prevent the theft of number plates and spare wheels but general vehicle crime prevention advice is advisable:

• park the vehicle as securely as possible, in a garage if available
• if parked in a public location always choose a well lit location
• always use security locks and alarms.
• if possible, keep spare wheels inside a lockable container and etch the vehicle registration number on the container.