10/07/2025
We had a very informative Cyber Security Talk with West Mercia Police. A big thank you to Toby from Bromyard Police Station. We learnt that half of all crime now is online so education of the dangers is very important. Here’s some of the points Toby covered:
* Many very large companies, including some high profile ones in the media recently, have had data breaches. If you have an account with these companies, it’s important to change your password.
* ‘Have I been pwned?’ Check if your email or phone is in a Data Breach (see flyer)
*Passwords: Make sure you are using difficult passwords with a mix of capital letters, numbers and special characters. Avoid dates of birth or pet names. Have different passwords for other items, i.e, don’t have the same password for your email and your social media.
* 2 Factor verification to access things like banking apps, adds an extra layer of security.
*You can report scam emails to Action Fraud: 03001233040 or www.actonfraud.police.uk
* Watch out for scam texts from fake HMRC or fake DPD, the texts will make you think it’s urgent and put pressure on you to act. This is a red flag 🚩
*Be very wary of QR codes in carparks, these are fake and pretend to be from the parking company. Take extra care to watch out for these when paying for parking.
*Remember the ‘ Hi, Mum’ text , this is a scam where they pretend to be your child who has lost their phone. Always ring them on their original number to check
*Romance fraud. Watch out for new friends, especially in military uniform, claiming to be stationed abroad and need money (often gift cards) for a sudden accident / business problem. / orphanage etc. This is a scam!
* courier fraud, they’ll tell you there’s a problem with your bank account then they come and pick up your bank card. A bank will never do this
*investment fraud, be very wary of too good to be true crypto investments.
*cold calls from ‘Microsoft’ , Microsoft would never do this
*online /marketplace fraud. Charging exorbitant delivery charges or showing you a fake bank transfer. Always check the money has actually gone into your account
Please see some flyers given to us by Toby, we’ll have these also at the hall.
