What an excellent & informative talk by Bob Walker from the Office of Fair Trading regarding scams at our June meeting. There are some hints printed on this newsletter to try and steer you away from getting taken in-sad tale is that so many people are but as usual if it seems too good to be true it usually is. Don’t fall for greed, sob stories or contact from the criminal element out there - many of them are in far away places so beware!
In addition to the Crime stats shown over-leaf there seems a worrying trend relating to other theft offences at the Julie Street area of shops with a higher amount of shoplifting - if you see this happening please alert the shopkeepers - it is their livelihoods & you will only end up paying higher charges for goods to cover the losses. Stealing is stealing. There were also additional offences of Handling Stolen Goods which normally do not appear on our list - again a worrying trend so if you are offered something for a lot less than it would cost retail, just think - is it worth the risk??
Our next Bunnings BBQ is on Sunday 24th August & we will also be at the BBQ in Pinnington Park on Saturday 30th.
Please be advised that the JP service at Crestmead Police station will not be avail-able on Monday but is still there on Wednesday & Friday.
I hope you find the insert from the PCYC interesting & that you will be able to sup-port some of the events. Take care Geoff
CRESTMEAD WEEK OF ACTION
August 25th - 30th
Crestmead NHW is pleased to be joining with Queensland Police Service & Logan City Council in a new initiative to be held at the end of August. There will be a range of free & exciting activities for residents with something to interest everyone.
During the week there will be stalls at the Waratah Drive & Julie Street shops manned by representatives from various organisations including Crimestoppers, PCYC, QPS & Logan City Council to enable you to make yourself & your property safe and secure.
Volunteers in Policing will be available to fit Safe PL8 screws to your cars & give out very handy hints regarding security at home.
On Saturday 30th August there will be a free picnic in Pinnington Park which will be an opportunity for families to come together & enjoy a range of free entertainment & activities.
MUSIC AND YOUR NEIGHBOURS
It is worth remembering that your taste in music may not be the same as that of your neighbours so there is no need to play it so loudly that they can hear it. At any time of the day if your neighbour thinks it is too loud they can report it to police & you could be given a direction to turn it down. Police can direct you to not play music for 4 days & should you ignore that the police can seize your stereo & send you to court. We should all try to show courtesy to our fellow residents
SCAMS—FACTS AND HINTS
- 1 in 20 people will fall victim
- Almost 52% of scams are by phone
- Most scams will involve funds between $100—$499
- Ensure that websites have the locked pad-lock logo and if site is prefixed by https:// that shows it is a secure site
- Charity scams will not provide much if any money to the charity itself and many scam-mers will sell lists to other scammers so if you are sending a message on to other peo-ple ensure that you bcc the email rather than just forward it—everyone who is al-ready included in the address part of the message has the possibility of infecting YOUR computer or you doing that to THOSE people
- In 2013 losses were reported to the ACCC of over $89 million—the true figure would be at least twice that amount
- Upfront fee scam—normally for a share in money or a fake inheritance
- Lottery, sweepstakes & competition scams—if you have not entered how could you possibly win?
- Dating & romance scams—don’t let love byte you online
- Computer hacking—get the best firewall & anti spy software that you can buy
- Online shopping, classifieds & auction scams—you may not get what you have paid for so check if reputable
- Banking, credit card & online account scams—keep all your financial details secure & your money safe
- Small business scams—false bills, office supply, directories or fax back scams
- Job & employment scams—if big income is guaranteed then beware—do your research
- Golden opportunity & gambling scams—is it really risk free investment? Why would a stranger share it with you & others?
- Charity & medical scams—check with the charity first & there are no miracle cures
