Suffolk Connected advice, Scam & Fraud alerts

 Suffolk Connected is working with Neighbourhood Watch to issue advice. Up to date information will be posted here as it is received. Any up to date newsletters will also be published when available, although we are not certain if this service is continuing. You can register direct with Suffolk Connected by using this link:

The July Neighbourhood Watch newsletter is now available to read: July 2026

Update on Courier Fraud, July 2026:

Appeal for awareness after jewellery worth thousands stolen in courier fraud

Officers are urging families, friends and neighbours to make vulnerable members of the community aware of ever-changing courier fraud tactics after jewellery worth thousands was stolen. The incident took place in a village in the Babergh district, with the victim being called by two offenders. One offender fraudulently claimed to be from her bank while another said they were from the National Crime Agency. They claimed they were calling to warn of a spate of burglaries in the area and successfully convinced the victim, a woman aged in her 70s, to use a courier to send her bank cards and jewellery worth tens of thousands of pounds to them to keep safe.

Police are urging families, friends and neighbours to make elderly relatives or vulnerable members of the community aware of courier fraud and of the ever-changing nature of these crimes, including the requests for valuable items such as jewellery and the direct messaging of victims through methods such as the use of WhatsApp.

Courier fraud occurs when people are contacted by people pretending to be police officers or bank officials and convinced into handing over money, valuables or bank cards, which are collected from their home address, often by couriers. The criminals use a variety of different tactics, often claiming that there is a problem with your account and they need your help to catch the real criminals. Between February and May this year there were 14 incidents reported in the county, with around £160,000 stolen. One victim is believed to have had around £80,000 stolen after a fake company called ‘FCA’ contacted them. They stole from the victim via the online transfer of money, loans being taken out in the victim’s name and the collection of gold.

Other methods of theft included credit cards being collected from victims with amounts then spent using these, as well as the handing over large amounts of cash. Some tactics include being contacted by fake companies, pretending to be a police officer or pretending to be an official investigating fraudulent foreign currency.

Police are urging residents to share this warning with elderly and vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours – but stress that anyone can fall victim to these sophisticated crimes.

If you know of anyone that you feel might be susceptible to this, please help ensure they are aware of the dangers and consider measures such as call blockers.

Detective Constable John Payne of Suffolk Constabulary’s Fraud Assessment Unit said: “Sadly we have seen another case of courier fraud in our county where a vulnerable person has been defrauded out of thousands of pounds of what I can imagine are treasured possessions that hold decades worth of memories.

“Courier fraud is a cruel and calculated crime. Criminals who carry out courier fraud will exploit a number of tactics, preying on the vulnerable, the elderly, and those that trust services such as police and banks the most. However, this can happen to anyone. These criminals are highly convincing and will go to great lengths to make their story sound legitimate. Please share this important advice with your friends, your family and your neighbours and make sure they know what to do if contacted. Nationally 40% of all recorded crimes are now fraud.”

Officers have put together a list of some of the tactics used by the criminals to help advise members of the public:
The fraudsters are very convincing. They will use a variety of techniques to make themselves seem plausible. They often claim to be from the Metropolitan police and will provide a name that sounds legitimate, for example PC 85372 Barker or DC Colin Phillips from the Fraud Squad. They may even set up a password and say that it must be used in every conversation.
They are able to use technology that makes the caller ID look like a local or London number. They may call from a withheld number. 
On some occasions they advise that fraud has been occurring within their bank or their local police force and they need the person’s help to catch those responsible. Alternatively, they may say that there has been fraudulent activity on the person’s account. This may be alleged fraud by people dispensing cash from the banks, counterfeit money having been paid into someone’s account or large-scale fraud at a bank branch. 
They may advise the victim to hang up and then call police on 999 or 101 to check they are genuine. The fraudster will stay on the line when the victim hangs up and in some cases play a dialling tone so it sounds like they have hung up. When the victim dials 999 they are actually still speaking to the criminal or an accomplice. 

If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of the call please contact the police, ideally via another phone line or other method, to verify the details of the officer provided in the call.
The fraudster will usually ask the victim to withdraw a large sum of cash from the bank to ‘test the system’ or ‘reveal the fraud’. Victims are told that they will get the money repaid, sometimes with a reward as well. They may ask for a credit card and PIN. They will say that the victim must not tell anyone else what they are doing as this is a secret/covert operation.
They will often provide a cover story for the victim to use at the bank, for example they are having building work done and the builder will only accept cash, or that it is for a grandchild who is getting married.
They may tell the victim that they need to keep their phone with them when visiting the bank and on to remain on a call to the fraudster to provide ‘evidence’ of the offence taking place as a reassurance for the victim. They will say the phone should be out of view. Once the cash has been withdrawn, they will often send a courier to collect it. This is sometimes via a local taxi firm or other transport service such as Uber. The courier will provide the password and take the cash/card. Sometimes people are asked to leave the cash/card hidden somewhere close to the house. They may call back and ask for more cash. They perpetrators can become threatening. Victims have also been asked for gold, jewellery or gift vouchers.
 
Police officers and other professionals will never:
Ask for bank details or PINs
Request cash or bank card handovers to couriers
Demand money transfers to other accounts
Ask for payment of fines or fees over the phone
Request access to your computer or passwords
Ask you to 'assist' in an investigation by doing any of the above
 
If you have any concerns or feel you or someone you know may have been targeted, please report it.

Reports can be made to both the police and to Report Fraud, while further advice on this and other scams is available on the Report Fraud website: Courier fraud - Report Fraud.   In an emergency or for a crime in progress you should always call 999.

Rise in heating oil theft, security advice.

Since the recent price rise in heating oil there has been a surge in heating oil theft. Oil is a prime target for thieves at rural properties, businesses, transport depots and farms. Take the following steps to secure your heating oil. Alarm and regularly monitor your heating oil tank, hiding if from view, within a secure perimeter area. Also making sure it is easily accessible for delivery drivers

The position of your oil tank can have a significant effect on how difficult it is for a thief to target. Ideally it is best to have the oil tank close to your house with one or more windows overlooking it. 

The perimeter around the oil tank can be secured by keeping gates locked, with walls and fences in good repair. 

Install movement sensitive CCTV that can immediately alert and allow you to view that movement. Back it up with CCTV warning signage. Further enforce CCTV with good security lighting. 

If possible, enclose your tank either in a stand-alone building or fenced off area. Any enclosed area must be ventilated. Again, advice should be sought from either OFTEC or your oil company. 

Install a good alarm, preferably a movement activated alarm to deter the offender before they have accessed the oil tank. Or use a Sonic alarm with a mobile application that can immediately alert you of a change in fuel level. 

Thefts from vehicles - security advice from your CPT

Having your car broken into and losing your things to thieves can be very distressing. Here are a few simple steps you can take to keep your vehicle, and what’s in it, safe.
Most car thieves are opportunists. By taking a few simple steps, you can drastically reduce the chance of becoming a victim. Help us keep our community safe!

Here are three golden rules from the Community Policing Team (CPT) to follow every time you leave your vehicle:

• Lock it : Always double-check your doors and windows are secure, even if you're just "running in for a second". A surprising number of thefts happen through unlocked doors.

• Light it : Park in well-lit areas or near streetlamps whenever possible. Most vehicle crime happens at night, and good lighting is a great deterrent as well as good CCTV .

• Empty it : Never leave valuables, bags, or even loose change on display. If a thief sees something worth taking, they might break in to get it. Take your belongings with you or hide them completely out of sight.

Bonus Tip for Keyless Cars:

If you have a keyless entry fob, store it in a signal-blocking pouch (a "Faraday bag") when you're at home to prevent "relay theft".

Share these tips with friends and family to spread the word! 

Preventing theft from a vehicle >> Prevent theft from a vehicle | Crime Prevention | Suffolk Constabulary

Fraud! Spot it and Stop It!