News

IDENTITY FRAUD POSES DANGER TO VILLAGERS

Local residents are being warned that they must be extremely aware of the danger of identity fraud.

The warning from Neighbourhood Watch states that although so far there have been any reported incidents concerning this message in the Shepway area they feel that you need to be made aware so that prevention methods can be put in place as soon as possible.

Three weeks ago Neighbourhood Watch was informed that unknown people had been seen rifling through the landfill rubbish put out by residents the night before and the early morning of collection days in Guston near Dover.

About one week later they had a call from a resident of the village of Worth near Sandwich who experienced the same problem and actually saw three persons, two males and a European woman, going through the landfill rubbish put out for collection in their village. A local worker in the area at the time said that he had seen this group doing the same thing in Sandwich.

Neighbourhood watch have been informed that it is known that there is a European group targeting rubbish and landfill to steal identity information. This has serious implications on an individual if it should happen to them. 

Everyone needs to be extremely vigilant with their disposal of all correspondence containing names and addresses and/or banking details, and receipts from shopping. 

Although the majority of retailers do not print all the numbers on a credit/debit print-out if you go on a shopping trip and lay out all of the receipts you will find that unscrupulous people will have your full credit/debit card number.

Please think very carefully of the benefits of buying a cross-shredder - also please make your elderly and vulnerable neighbours aware of secure methods of disposing of personal information.