News | Highley Parish Council

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FREE GIFT OFFERS

22nd May 2025

In recent weeks, there have been an increasing number of Emails, claiming to be from major retailers, that are landing in consumer’s Inboxes and telling the recipient that they are about to receive a free gift.

These Emails can look very convincing, with logos and images to reassure the recipient they are genuine. Is that offer of a “free Afternoon Tea Letterbox Hamper” too good to be true?

The short answer is usually “Yes” so how do you check if the offer is really genuine?

First of all, you can check the sender’s email address at the top of the email, which will bear no relationship to the genuine email address for that company. The email may also just address you generically rather than by name.

Also look for spelling and grammatical errors, blurred images and logos which have been copied into the email to make them look genuine. The message will also have a sense of urgency saying you must act quickly – limited time only.

There will usually be a clickable link to take you to the next stage. However, you must never be tempted to click that link as it will only lead you to a malicious website that will ask for your personal and financial details to defraud you now or later. These details can may also be passed on to other criminals.

So these are just another example of criminals using phishing emails to trap the unwary, and should be reported by forwarding that email to report@phishing.gov.uk

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Please feel free to share this information with any family, friends, or neighbours that you think it may be able to assist

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If you’ve fallen for fraud

Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk

Fake Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report fraudulent mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudster’s phone number.

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FREE GIFT OFFERS

20th May 2025

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM

In recent weeks, there have been an increasing number of Emails, claiming to be from major retailers, that are landing in consumer’s Inboxes and telling the recipient that they are about to receive a free gift.

These Emails can look very convincing, with logos and images to reassure the recipient they are genuine. Is that offer of a “free Afternoon Tea Letterbox Hamper” too good to be true?

The short answer is usually “Yes” so how do you check if the offer is really genuine?

First of all, you can check the sender’s email address at the top of the email, which will bear no relationship to the genuine email address for that company. The email may also just address you generically rather than by name.

Also look for spelling and grammatical errors, blurred images and logos which have been copied into the email to make them look genuine. The message will also have a sense of urgency saying you must act quickly – limited time only.

There will usually be a clickable link to take you to the next stage. However, you must never be tempted to click that link as it will only lead you to a malicious website that will ask for your personal and financial details to defraud you now or later. These details can may also be passed on to other criminals.

So these are just another example of criminals using phishing emails to trap the unwary, and should be reported by forwarding that email to report@phishing.gov.uk

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Please feel free to share this information with any family, friends, or neighbours that you think it may be able to assist

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MOBILE PHONE THEFT

13th May 2025

Criminals used to steal mobile phones for the value of selling the handsets on to anyone who was willing to pay. However nowadays they are much more likely to be stolen for the value of the contents, and the access they can get to your personal and financial information, and so we see a rise in mobile phone thefts.

For example, many users have their Banking Apps or banking card details in a “Wallet” on the phone, and if they are not securely protected then the criminal has a rich source of information to use and can empty your bank account very quickly. Also remember never to keep any physical bank cards with your mobile phone.

Criminals often work in groups with one person distracting the victim, whilst another person tries to observe the passcode being entered and a third person may then actually steal the phone. The criminals often take advantage of the victims late at night, when venues are closing, and the victims may not be so alert to their surroundings.

So how can you protect yourself?

Never leave your phone. iPad or Tablet unattended, out of your sight or visible on a table in a public place
Make sure your phone is not visibly protruding from your pocket where the opportunist can grab it.
Never handover your phone to anyone you do not know, who may ask to “borrow” your phone to call a taxi for example.
Be aware of your surroundings and only use your phone if it is safe to do so; in public places try and keep your back to a wall when using the phone, so no one can come behind you and grab the phone.
Watch out for anyone behind you on public transport “shoulder surfing” to discover your PIN. Use of stronger passwords make it more difficult to “shoulder surf”.
On busy city streets watch out for anyone on bikes or mopeds following you
When you have finished using it, make sure you put it away, out of sight.
Never store Passwords on your phone

Further steps to take in case your phone is stolen.

Secure your phone by making best use of its security features with a strong PIN, Passcode or Password which can stop anyone using it if stolen.
Get your IMEI number which is unique to your phone and can help to locate it if lost or stolen – dial *#06# on your keypad then keep a note of it in a secure place.
Use a Tracking app – you can set this up on your phone so you can then see where it is quickly from your laptop or other device.
Turn off message previews so thieves will not be able see any messages with reset or login codes when your phone is locked.
Contact your bank as soon as possible to prevent any transactions being made from your stolen phone
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Please feel free to share this information with any family, friends, or neighbours that you think it may be able to assist

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If you’ve fallen for fraud

Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk

Fake Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take prompt action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report fraudulent mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudster’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number - 159 - to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.

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Community Right to Bid Moratorium Notice The Bache Arms, Highley

29th April 2025

Please find attached a copy of the Moratorium Notice that is currently published on our website and displayed in the local area in accordance with Section 95 of the Localism Act 2011. The relevant dates will be added to the entry on the List of Assets of Community Value. . I also attach a plan of the listed area for the avoidance of any doubt as to the area referred to. Please note: Any written request to be treated as a potential bidder by a valid body cannot be treated as confidential and the name of the organisation registering an intention to bid would be made available to any person requesting it.

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WORLD PASSWORD DAY

29th April 2025

WORLD PASSWORD DAY

World Password Day is marked each year on the first Thursday in May – i.e. May 1st this year – to raise awareness of the importance of using strong Passwords to keep your personal online details safe and secure.

With the increasing occurrences of online security threats, and the opportunities to steal your identity, creating strong and diverse passwords is essential. You would not leave your house unlocked, or leave the key under a flowerpot, so in the same way your passwords are the key to all your online accounts and need to be secure.

So, what better time to check out your online accounts and make sure your passwords are strong and secure to keep you and your personal information safe online.

4 simple password management tips

Use strong passwords - the longer the better but at least 12 characters – these should be a mix of letters, numbers and symbols and the use of 3 random words can also create a stronger password which can be made more complex by adding numbers or symbols. Birthdays, family and pet names or your football team names are too obvious and should never be used.
Use unique Passwords for each account – whilst the easy way is to use the same password for multiple accounts you are only making the criminals work easier since once account is hacked, they have access to any other accounts with the same password.
Use two factor authentication - where available use this tool to confirm that you are really you. This is usually shown as 2FA – 2 Factor Authentication, 2SV – 2 Step Verification or MFA – Multi Factor Authentication. The site you are logging into will send you a PIN by email or text which you need to enter in order to gain access.
Never share your Passwords - it may sound obvious, but do not share your email or any other passwords with anybody else, however reliable or trustworthy you believe them to be.

You can check the strength of your Passwords at https://www.security.org/how-secure-is-my-password/

If you cannot remember all those passwords, then you’re in good company … most people can’t. Use a reputable password manager which not only stores all your passwords in one place but can also help you set up secure passwords that are difficult to guess or crack.

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