Operation Henhouse: Seven arrested and another 11 interviewed as part of month tackling fraud
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The force has taken part in a national month-long operation taking action against those criminals suspected of fraud.
In Warwickshire, Operation Henhouse resulted in seven arrests and 11 people being interviewed under caution in connection to cases where victims were defrauded out of a total of more than £450k.
Detective Sergeant Paul Hainsworth from Warwickshire Police’s Economic Crime Unit said: “Fraud offences now account for more than 40% of all crime and over 80% of this is cyber enabled, meaning victims are persistently targeted whilst using technology, like their computers and mobile phones. Criminals frequently target some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The impact on these victims is often financially and emotionally devastating.
"Hopefully this month’s activity demonstrates that police are stepping up their efforts to punish fraudsters, seize their assets and protect the public.
"The public can take steps to help protect themselves from fraud by using strong passwords and 2-step verification where possible.
"If something seems suspicious or unexpected, such as requests for money or personal information, contact the organisation directly to check. Use contact details from their official website, not those given in a message, email or phone call.
"It is also important for everyone to talk to vulnerable and elderly family members and friends about these steps to help protect them.”
Details of arrests and interviews
A 47-year-old man from Birmingham was arrested on suspicion of fraud and money laundering as part of investigation into a courier fraud in Water Orton. It was reported that a male claiming to be from a bank contacted the victim telling her she needed to hand over her bank cards. Someone collected the cards and took more than £4000 from her accounts. A 43-year-old woman from Birmingham was also interviewed under caution.
A 27-year-old man from Warwick was arrested on suspicion of fraud following an allegation he submitted counterfeit documents to the DVLA to get a driving licence.
A 57-year-old man from Nuneaton was questioned about the fraudulent use of a bank card belonging to a man who had died to spend £1200 on.
A 19-year-old man from Leicester was questioned about a bank scam where a woman was defrauded out of more than £15,000. Fraudsters called the woman pretending to be from her bank telling her there had been fraudulent activity and that she needed to transfer her money to a ‘safe account’.
A 48-year-old man and 42-year-old woman, both from the Stratford area, were questioned following allegations they took payments from multiple victims of more than £37,000 for building and gardening work that was either incomplete or never started.
A 23-year-old woman from Exhall was arrested on suspicion of fraud after it was reported she fraudulently used someone else’s account to purchase £250 of gift cards from a shop in Coventry.
A 42-year-old man from Bedworth was questioned following an allegation he sold a stolen car.
A 62-year-old woman from Leicester was questioned over concerns about the way legal documents had been set up allowing her to potentially take ownership of a house in Rugby.
A 31-year-old man from Milton Keynes was arrested on suspicion of committing a romance fraud. It is alleged he befriended a woman online before telling her he need money for an operation. The victim, who lives in Leamington, transferred more than £50k to the fraudster.
A 19-year-old man from Rugby was questioned about a scam where an offender persuaded the victim to hand over the secure pin to his EE account. The details were then used to take out a loan for £5,500 in the victim’s name which was then transferred to the offender’s account.
A 37-year-old woman from Rugby was questioned about the fraudulent use of a bank card after it was dropped by the victim.
An employee at warehouse near Kenilworth was questioned about a fraud where he was ordering items online before illegally issuing refunds to himself.
A 27-year-old man from London was arrested in connection with a scam where the victim in Warwickshire was defrauded out of over £100k by someone claiming he could help with legal fees connected to an investment scam.
A 35-year-old man from Bulkington was questioned after a man handed over almost £5,000 to someone who contacted him claiming he was due a PPI refund.
A 39-year-old woman from Warwick was questioned following allegations she benefitted from payments for gardening work that was never completed.
Keys fraud prevention messages for the public:
Secure your email account
Email accounts store a wealth of personal and financial information.
If a criminal accesses your email, they could:
- access your other online accounts using the 'forgot password' feature (which often emails you a link to reset your password)
- access personal or business information and use this to scam you or people you know
Take 2 actions to instantly help protect your email
1. Your email password should be strong and different from all your other passwords.
- Combining 3 random words that each mean something to you is a great way to create a password that is easy to remember but hard to crack. Do not use words that can be guessed (like your pet's name). You can include numbers and symbols if needed. For example, “Hippo!PizzaRocket1”
2. Turn on 2-Step Verification (2SV) for your email
- 2-Step Verification (2SV) gives you twice the protection so even if cyber criminals have your password, they can't access your email.
- 2SV works by asking for more information to prove your identity. For example, getting a code sent to your phone when you sign in using a new device or change settings such as your password. You won't be asked for this every time you check your email.
Dealing with suspicious messages and calls
If you have any doubts about a message or phone call, contact the organisation directly to check. Use contact details from their official website – don’t use the numbers or address in the message. Remember, your bank (or any other official source) will never ask you to supply personal information via email.
Watch out for impersonation fraud
Banks or police will never contact you and ask you to move your money to a different account because your ‘money is at risk’. If you receive a call like this, it’s probably part of a scam. Remember, criminals can change the caller ID to make it seem like incoming calls and messages are from an organisation’s official number.
Reporting suspicious emails, text messages and calls
- Emails: If you’ve received a suspicious email, forward it to [email protected] to help stop criminal activity and prevent others falling victim to scams.
- Text messages: Always report suspicious text messages or scam call numbers free of charge to 7726. Your provider can find out where the text came from and block or ban the sender.
- Calls: If you receive a spam call on your iPhone, you can report it to your provider by texting the word ‘call’ followed by the phone number to 7726. If you have an Android phone, text the word ‘call’ to 7726. You’ll then receive a message asking you for the scam number.
Reporting Fraud and Cyber Crime
If you live in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101.
Link to new Stop Think Fraud campaign material:
www.gov.uk/stopthinkfraud