Steve White, Acting Police, Crime and Victims' Commissioner update

Steve White, Acting Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner update Whist meeting with the Chief Constable at one of our regular meetings, I was pleased to learn that Durham Constabulary had fulfilled the HMICFRS recommendation from the ‘Time to Choose’ report from HMICFRS that by the 31st March 2020 Chief Constables should ensure that forces have processes in place to accurately and effectively report Fraud outcomes to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.  Durham Constabulary not only fulfilled this recommendation but, positive feedback has been received to say that they achieved top marks and were one of only 14 forces with a perfect return.

During this ongoing COVID-19 Crisis and whilst we are all using online shopping more, I don’t want to alarm people but criminals will continue to use every opportunity they can to defraud innocent people. Law enforcement, government and industry are working together to protect people, raise awareness, take down fraudulent websites and email addresses, and ultimately bring those responsible to justice. So I ask people to remain vigilant.  You can find more information on how to protect yourself at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk    

If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via https://www.actionfraud.police.uk  

You can report suspicious texts by forwarding the original message to 7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad.

You can report suspicious emails by forwarding the original message to report@phishing.gov.uk  An automated system will scan the email and if malicious links are found, the associated website will be taken down.

Victims can also seek support through the Victim Care and Advice service at https://victimcareandadviceservice.uk/ or by telephone on 0303 040 1099

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