Hacking
of businesses’ and other organisations’ telecoms is a costly fraud that
has impacted on numerous Hertfordshire businesses. It can happen at
any time of the year, but systems are particularly vulnerable during
periods when phones are left unmonitored for extended periods, such as
the Easter break, bank holidays, summer holidays, and Christmas.
This
crime happens when an unmonitored company telephone system (e.g. office
phones set to an automated attendant over a long weekend) is hacked and
calls are routed through the victim’s telephone system to International
premium rate numbers. This earns the criminals a revenue share on every
call, and leaves the victim organisation liable for each of those
premium rate calls, resulting in a huge telephone bill – sometimes
hundreds of thousands of pounds.
The National Fraud Intelligence
Bureau, in conjunction with other partners, has produced the attached
guide, which provides advice and guidance about how to protect your
telecoms system from fraud. Organisations may wish to flag this
document to relevant colleagues, and consider your organisation’s
resilience to such attacks.
Download Associated Documents
Documents
accompanying this message are linked below. Click to download and open a
file which use the popular PDF format. If you experience problems
downloading or viewing a file please visit this help page
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• Security and Hacking Prevention Guidance (103 KB)
If you need to reply regarding this message, click on this email address: derrick.sweeney@herts.pnn.police.uk
Regards,
Derrick Sweeney
Watch Liaison Officer
Business Watch
Email: derrick.sweeney@herts.pnn.police.uk
Tel: 01707 355841
Hertfordshire Constabulary and District Councils are urging local businesses to stay alert following a number of scams involving a man falsely claiming to be from the local council’s licensing department. Three recent incidents occurred in Hemel Hempstead town centre, where a man has visited three different Eastern European supermarkets, falsely claiming that the store had unpaid alcohol licence fees. He demanded immediate payment.
Similar offences have happened in neighbouring counties.
Where premises licences require an annual fee to be paid, this will only ever be requested by way of an official invoice, posted to the licence-holder. Licensing officers will never request a cash payment to be made to them during a visit to a licensed premises. Council officers will also carry and produce ID during any visit, which can and should be checked by contacting the Local Council’s Licensing Office.
Any business that is approached by a person asking for immediate payment of a licence fee should call police immediately on 999.
Anyone who has any information about these incidents should contact PC Miles on the Hertfordshire Constabulary non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference D1/16/4610.
Alternatively, if you have any information about this or any other crime, you can contact the independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or through their Anonymous Online Form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. No personal details are taken, information cannot be traced or recorded and you will never need to go to court.
Police investigating the incidents have also released an image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the incident.
Please click on the link below to see the image:
http://www.herts.police.uk/hertfordshire_constabulary/latest_news/news_articles/010716_-_0461_d.aspx
The High Street, Rickmansworth will be closed this coming Sunday – 3rd July between 09:00 & 18:00 for a gas and water service connection.
Access to Marks & Spencer and Businesses in the High Street to be maintained and a one way suspension in operation to allow local traffic to access the main highway via Wensum Way.
VMS & Twitter have been implemented.
The public car park will be accessible via Parsonage Road and two gatemen will be on site to manage the small length of carriageway between Wensum Way and the closure.
