Beware Credit Card Con

An elderly resident received a phone call from someone purporting to be a Police Officer. The resident was told that the police were investigating a credit card crime and needed her credit card for finger printing. She was asked to leave the card in a envelope in her letter box and 'undercover officers' would collect it. When she questioned this, the 'officer' was abrupt with her suggesting her questions were delaying an investigation and that she should just do as asked ASAP.

The elderly lady did do as asked and shortly after, the envelope & credit card was collected. She soon received a call from the same person thanking her for her cooperation. Another phone call, this time from 'Barclays Bank' stating there had been some unusual spending on her card and the bank had cancelled it. The thieves then spent the rest of the evening spending the victims money at leisure!

This is being investigated, however, I pass on this 'scam' or M.O so that you, your family and neighbours are alerted to it's existence.

PS 65YE Dave Walker
Cockfosters Safer Neighbourhood Team
020 8721 2688
cockfosters.snt@met.police.uk

Barnet Police Arrest Burglars

Barnet police have charged two men aged 16 and 21 from Archway on suspicion of burglary after a swift response to a 999 call.

On Monday 5 October 2009 at 0147 hours Barnet police received a call from a woman who was at home with her child stating that she could hear voices downstairs. She told officers that she could see the suspects passing her television through an open downstairs window and loading it into their car.

Units responded swiftly, and upon arrival found one man fleeing the scene in a previously stolen Mercedes A class, which he crashed, while another two men made off in an Audi A4 stolen from the property, which was used to ram a police car to escape. The officers arrested the driver of the Mercedes on the site while other officers engaged in a lengthy pursuit of the other car into Harringey borough. The two men left the vehicle and one of them was found and arrested after a search of Highgate cemetery.

DI John Cracknell said "We treat burglary very seriously on this borough and to arrest two suspects through swift action is a really positive result. Much of the victim's property has been recovered unharmed and with further enquiries we hope to find out the identity of the third suspect.

I am also very pleased that no one was injured by the dangerous and criminal actions of these three men in which a police vehicle has been taken out of service and two stolen vehicles have been severely damaged.

Barnet police wants to help residents protect their own homes by making sure their premises always look occupied through the use of timed lights and/or radios and that all windows and doors are kept secured when you are either out or asleep."

Paul Hammond, Barnet Boroughwatch