NHW in Spain

CAMPOVERDE NHW AGM At the NHW AGM held on 30th March the committee were unanimously re-elected to serve for another year. HOME SECURITY Burglaries of houses within the Pilar area have greatly increased over the past few months but not here in Campoverde, this is very much due to the vigilance of the residents together with NHW. By taking the following simple precautions we can ensure that we keep the thieves out of our properties. 1. Alarms. Fit an alarm and ALWAYS set it when leaving your property unattended. If you can zone your alarm arrange it so you can alarm the unused parts of your property when retiring for the night. 2. Gates. Keep your gates shut and locked at all times and when outside lock any doors not in full view. Do not go into the house and leave valuables outside on a table or loungers beside the pool. 3. Lighting. Use timers on table lamps so that they switch on at dusk and off late at night. When away from your home leave a hall or passage light on so that it shines through a window. 4. Windows. By all means sleep with your window open but make sure that items such as handbags or keys cannot be ’fished’ this also applies to any windows not fitted with security locks. 5. Patio Doors. Patio doors are an easy access point for thieves so fit them with a security bolt that prevents them being slid open. 6. Handbags and Wallets. Ladies! Think twice before going out with your handbag, and Gentlemen make sure you keep your wallet in a secure pocket. Only carry sufficient cash that you will need for the day, but above all remember – IF YOU DO NOT NEED IT, DO NOT TAKE IT WITH YOU. Campoverde Policia Local Mobile: 696 962 343 NHW - Ray Marsh: 966763258 NHW - James Herbert: 659 88 35 16

SCAMS The internet has provided us with an amazing tool to transfer information around the world; unfortunately it has also given crooks an easy means of relieving innocent people of their hard earned money. There are hundreds of different scams but most rely on one thing, the victim of the scam must supply the crooks with information about either their bank or credit card details, the others require the victim to send them money. Information recently released shows that every year one person in 14 in the UK falls victim to a scam and that thieves make £3.5 billion from scams every year. DO NOT JOIN THE LOSERS – NEVER EVER RESPOND TO A REQUEST BY MAIL OR INTERNET FOR MONEY OR YOUR BANK OR CARD DETAILS. Only give your details or pay for transactions that you have initiated with organisations you know and trust. THE CREDIT CARD SCAM. This is an old one where a person rings up saying that they are from your credit card fraud section. They suggest that a fraud has been committed using your card then proceed to give you all the details on your card, (this is easily obtained from somewhere you have used your card), this lulls you into a false sense of security as they have not asked you for any information. Finally to prove that you still have the card they ask you to quote the three numbers on the back of the card. After promising that you will get a rebate on your next statement they say goodbye and proceed to use your card using the security numbers you have just given them. THE COMPUTER SCAM. This is a fairly new scam but we have had many reports from the public and even coordinators in Campoverde have been targeted. You receive a telephone call from someone pretending they are from Microsoft and telling you that your computer has been infected by a virus and it is causing damage to computers on your email address list. They then say that this can be fixed for a certain cash payment, there are several variations on this scam but they are all basically the same.

Press release: Watch out on the AP7 – Consulate in Alicante warns of motorway robberies 23rd July 2012 British holidaymakers taking their cars to Spain this summer are being warned of the threat from motorway thieves who rob foreign-registered vehicles and hire cars of their possessions, passports and money. British-registered cars using motorways in Spain are proving an easy target for gangs who use a wide variety of scams to distract unsuspecting holidaymakers and then steal their bags and belongings from their vehicles. The worst blackspot is the AP7 motorway between the French border and the Alicante region in southern Spain. More than 60 cases of robbery on this motorway were reported to the British Consulate in Alicante last year, and so far this year the number of reported cases is increasing. It is believed that there are hundreds more cases of thieves using distraction scams to rob British motorists across Spain that go unreported to Foreign Office staff because victims generally only contact a British Consulate if their passport has been taken. Foreign motorists are tricked by loud bangs, apparent accidents or vehicle problems, supposedly punctured tyres and pretend requests for help in motorway service areas. “We are warning drivers of UK-registered cars and hire cars to be on the alert on motorways in Spain, both while driving and taking a break”, says Paul Rodwell, British Consul in Alicante. “We also hope that Brits living in Spain will help us to get the message out to any friends and family who may drive to Spain this summer for visits. “The most important thing is to on your guard against anyone who attempts to stop you or ask you for help – they may well be part of a gang operating a scam in which an unseen accomplice will rob you of your things.” The Consulates in Barcelona and Alicante have jointly designed a leaflet called Driving safely and avoiding roadside scams in Spain that can be downloaded from UKinSpain travel advice webpage. It provides useful advice that will help drivers to plan their journeys, stay safe and avoid common problems. Stephen and Helen Robinson from Leicestershire were between Barcelona and Valencia when they stopped at a service area to exercise their dog. Both were at the boot of the car when they were distracted by a man apparently on the phone, asking them how to say something in English. Meanwhile their bag was taken from the front, despite the dog being inside. “It was quick and slick”, says Mrs Robinson. “Remember that on the second day of driving down from the UK, you may be more tired and therefore more vulnerable. Separate your valuables into different places in the car, and when you stop be aware you may be being watched. You won’t see the accomplice of the person who is distracting you.” In another robbery, Joy and Alan Horton from Suffolk were aware of a vehicle close to them on the motorway, then heard a loud bang and pulled over. The other car stopped in front of them and while the driver talked animatedly to them, his passenger accomplice grabbed their belongings unseen. “Keep all jackets, bags and valuables in a locked boot and not on the back seat where they can be seen”, says Mr Horton. “If you think your car may have been in a collision and you pull over, lock the car as soon as you get out and mount a guard on both sides of the vehicle.”