Mobile Phones & Driving Safety. Signal Blocker

Despite a £200 fine and 6-points on your driving licence if caught, it is still commonplace to see drivers holding a mobile phone whilst driving. Statistics show that the physical use of a mobile phone whilst driving increases the risk of having an accident four-fold. Not only is your attention distracted but your control of the vehicle is significantly reduced with only one hand on the steering wheel. Remember what your driving instructor told you – both hands on the wheel at a quarter to three or ten to two! Even holding a conversation using the ‘hands-free’ facility fitted to many cars these days is a distraction.

SIGNAL BLOCKER available through WDNHWA is a special pouch made from RFID material that will block all incoming calls and notifications to your phone when stored in the pouch whilst driving. Visit the WDNHWA web-site for details of how to obtain: (Click on the link below)

Phishing & Vishing, Cons & Scams

Several Phishing emails have been received over the last month. Examples are: Package delivery claiming to be from Morrison’s, requiring ‘missing personal details’; Reward|Tesco – thank you for your loyalty, again requiring personal details; Tesco Voucher – share your opinion and claim your gift; – all came from false email addresses. The latest one from ‘TSB’ attempted to cash-in on the recent TSB problem, and looked quite convincing but was full of links to a non-TSB web address.

A ‘popular’ Vishing call claimed to be from HMRC threatening all sorts of dire consequences if you failed to respond – or offering you a refund! This sort of call can be stopped in its tracks by employing one of the various call-blocking services offered by phone providers. I personally use TalkTalk’s ‘Call Safe’ (dial 1472) and it has proved to be very effective.

WDNHWA have also been awarded ‘Organisation Status’ by ‘Friends against Scams’ a national Trading Standards initiative, for their work against ‘Cons & Scams’. Well done Geoff Pegg – who is now acknowledged as a SCAMbassador!

Visit: https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk

WDNHWAssociation AGM

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this year’s AGM. However, my colleague Geoff Pegg reported that those who attended found the invited speakers to be very interesting. Nicola Bell, Manager and lead for Adult Exploitation and Modern Day Slavery at the RAHAB organisation, described the various crimes they covered, many of which were very concerning. Examples were modern day slavery of people hand washing cars in inadequate clothing and paid below the minimum wage, and people trafficked in from abroad and exploited in domestic servitude or the sex industry. Inspector Peter Wall, Wycombe LPA, praised the work of the NHW Movement and its contribution to crime reduction, and would support our activities whenever possible. He picked up on the presentation by Nicola as he had been involved in such activities earlier in his career. He described the new structure in the Wycombe Police Area that had been proposed to make the best use of the reduced resources, although it had been recognised that Wycombe needs more staff and recruitment is under way. Crime has risen this year compared to last year but is still relatively low.

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For further information about any of these topics or about Neighbourhood Watch, contact:
David Gresswell – Scheme Co-ordinator, Flackwell Heath
(Tel: 525019 e-mail: flackwell-nhwatch@talktalk.net)

Police General & Non-emergency number: 101
Community Safety Team (Anti-social behaviour): 01494 421 087
Crimestoppers (Anonymous): 0800 555 111
Trading Standards (Consumer Direct): 0345 4 04 05 06
Cyberaware – http://cyberaware.gov.uk
ACTION FRAUD: 0300 123 2040 (http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/)
The Information Commissioner’s Office: 0303 123 1113
NHS: 111

  • Post published:02/06/2018
  • Post category:NH Watch