Item added 26th May 2002
FROM EMAIL FROM WATCHLINK UNIT:
Premium Rate Phone Scam:

Please note that following suggestions that the following warning was a hoax, the Watchlink Unit has contacted Bedfordshire Police and confirmed it is genuine. All messages posted here are attributed to their source. Hillside Watch has no resources to check them and publishes them in good faith.

Picture the scene:
You are sitting at home and there is a knock at the door. On answering it you are confronted by a respectable looking woman in a suit, who is slightly distressed. She explains that her car has broken down further down the road and she needs to contact her husband to come to her aid. Is it at all possible to use your phone to call him? You allow her to use the phone, but being the suspicious type you stand with her as she makes the call. She dials the number, and asks to be put through to Mr Smith or whatever. She holds the line for about thirty seconds. She continues, "In that case can you ask him to leave the meeting for a minute I need to speak to him quite urgently." She apologies again and explains they are getting him out of a meeting. After a few minutes of waiting and then a short conversation, she put the phone down, and thanks you ever so much for your kind assistance, even offering you a pound for your trouble, but of course you decline, it's no trouble. She leaves and everything is fine. Or is it?

The day or week before knocking on your door she set up her own premium rate line with a telephone company at the cost of about £150, and she has dictated that calls to that number should be charged at £50 per minute. She has dialled that number. The conversation she has had with her "husband" is entirely fictitious; there is a pre-recorded voice message on the other end to give you the impression she is talking to someone. She has been on the phone for about five minutes, that call just cost you £250, the majority of which goes into her pocket, and the first you know about it is when you get your bill a month later. To rub salt into the wound, she hasn't even committed a criminal offence because you've given her permission to use your phone.

In Luton this has been reported 5 times in the last couple of weeks. BT has now blocked the premium-rate line, but there is nothing to say that criminals will not set up this scam on a telephone system in another country. If someone calls at your door asking to use the telephone you can always refuse. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!

Item added 22ndMay 2002
FROM EMAIL FROM WATCHLINK UNIT:
Balham & Tooting Crime Update 20th May:

STREET CRIME
Thieves have been fairly busy in the Balham and Tooting areas this weekend. Some of the robberies and snatch crimes could possibly have been avoided if the victims had taken a few simple precautions. Once again handbags and mobile phones have been the favourite target for the thieves.

ROBBERY
1. At 11.35pm on Wednesday 15 May 2002 near TOOTING BEC BR STATION in BALHAM HIGH ROAD, three black men came out of the shadows and confronted their male victim. They held his arms behind his back, searched him and made off with his mobile phone.

2. At 6pm on Saturday 18 May 2002 in BALHAM NEW ROAD, several suspects jumped their victim and robbed him of personal property.

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY
1. At midnight on Wednesday 15 May 2002 in ROSENEATH ROAD, Battersea, a man grabbed his female victim from behind and placed a hand across her mouth. He was eventually frightened off by the victim's struggles.

2. At 4.50pm on Wednesday 15 May 2002 in MITCHAM ROAD another attempted robbery took place.

3. At 3pm on Saturday 18 May 2002 near FURZEDOWN ROAD, a male suspect chased his victim, hit and slapped him several times in the head, causing the person to believe he was going to be robbed.

4. At 11pm on Sunday 19 May 2002 in BOUNDARIES ROAD, Balham, was by suspects assaulted a man and attempted unsuccessfully to steal his mobile phone before running off.

THEFT PERSON
1. At 9.15pm on Thursday 16 May 2002 in THURLEIGH AVENUE, a male suspect approached his female victim and snatched her handbag, causing the strap to break. He ran off and got into a red vehicle.

2. At 4.15pm on Saturday 18 May 2002 in ST JAMES'S DRIVE, Balham, the suspects drove past and snatched property from the front basket of the victim's pedal cycle.

3. At 5.30am on Sunday 19 May 2002 in BALHAM HIGH ROAD, suspects followed the victim and then snatched personal property from her.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

Nine residential and two non-residential burglaries have been reported to the police in the last four days.

1. On Thursday 16 May 2002 at 9pm in LOUISVILLE ROAD, an suspect gained entry to a flat and stole a pedal cycle from the front hall.

2. At midnight on Friday 17 May 2002 in Tooting High Street suspects smashed the rear door of a flat and removed property from the bedside table whilst the occupants were asleep.

3. On Friday 17 May 2002 at 1.30am in GASSIOT ROAD, suspects entered a house and stole items of property.

4. On Friday 17 May 2002 at 1.30am in VERONICA ROAD, a flat was entered and property stolen by a burglar whilst the victim was outside loading her vehicle. Remember: Never leave your front door open - even for a few seconds when you are loading or unloading a vehicle - or even just putting your rubbish out.

5. On Friday 17 May 2002 at 3.30pm in CROCKERTON ROAD, an unknown suspect gained entry to the communal hall of a maisonette and removed itemsfrom a rucksack.

6. On Friday 17 May 2002 at 6.30am in DINSMORE ROAD unknown suspects forced the front door lock of a flat to enter and stole a number of items.

7. On Friday 17 May 2002 at 7am in TOOTING HIGH STREET, an unknown suspect forced entry to a bed-sit by and stole property.

8. On Saturday 18 May 2002 at 6am in CATHLES ROAD, a male suspect entered the house by slipping the Yale lock, then went into the rear bedroom on the ground floor and took a handbag. As he did so he awakened the occupier, who told him to leave.

9. On Sunday 19 May 2002 in TREVELYAN ROAD, a suspected entered a house by forcing a window open and reaching into the house before being disturbed by the victim.

Proper home security and common sense would have stopped some of these from happening. In few all it took was bodily pressure to force entry. The best advice is to seek advice from a crime prevention expert now if you are in any doubt as to the adequacy of any form of security.This can be obtained, FREE OF CHARGE, from:

1) Wandsworth Crime Prevention Centre, 17 Arndale Walk, Wandsworth Shopping Centre (formerly the Arndale Centre), London SW18, (telephone 020 8871 0803), open to callers between 9am and 5pm Mondays to Saturdays.

2) Putney Crime Prevention Shop, next to the Odeon Cinema in Putney High Street, (telephone 020 8785 8874). The shop is open to the public between 10am and 5-30pm, Mondays to Saturdays.

NON RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

1. On Thursday 16 May 2002 in MALWOOD ROAD, a male suspect walked into a classroom at a college, reached behind a counter and stole a bag.

2. At 7am on Saturday 18 May 2002 in UPPER TOOTING ROAD, suspects forced the shutters open of a restaurant and removed the door. They then entered the property, caused further damage and stole goods.

If you have information on the above incidents - CLICK HERE

For local places to get Crime Prevention Advice - CLICK HERE

Information on crime in other parts of Wandsworth can be found under ‘crime bulletins’ on www.wandsworth.gov.uk