Village Voice August/September 2012 | Page 21

SCAMS WARNING Hampshire County Council has issued the following Trading Standards report, which we pass on to you. Be warned! Catalogue delivery fraud This is a form of identity fraud. Mrs A, an elderly lady living alone in Farnborough was surprised to receive a Sony PC from a reputable catalogue company. She had not ordered the goods. Shortly afterwards, a male phoned her and asked if she received the package “which had been delivered to her in error”. He informed her he was outside and could pick it up so she handed it over to him. A few days later she received an invoice for the PC. The whole matter was a fraud which has now been reported to the Police. Report to: Hampshire Police on 101 Church fund scam We have been asked to pass on a scam which is currently doing the rounds of Hampshire churches: A man has been visiting churches / clergy claiming his mother or father has died suddenly in Jersey and stating that the chaplain of the hospital has asked him to come over to identify the body. He asks for the ferry fare to get to Jersey. He has used a variety of names – John Robbins / John Smith / John Tudor / James Gunner. Physical description: height 5ft 10ins, slight build, black wavy hair aged late 30s to early 40s and well dressed in leather jacket (old, but tidy) open necked shirt and jeans. Reasonably well spoken with a Hamps