Safety on housing estates
We take the safety and wellbeing of our residents extremely seriously. Here we keep you up-to-date with any local safety news and tips.
Beware of bogus callers
Please beware of bogus callers and never let anyone in your home without checking their ID.
Bogus callers are people who pretend to be from Homes for Haringey, or Haringey Council, and try to gain access into residents' homes this way. We strongly advise residents to ask for check their identity - Homes for Haringey and Haringey Council officers don't mind waiting for you to check their details.
Homes for Haringey or Haringey Council officers will wear their ID badge with their name and photo on it. If you are in doubt about an officer's identity, please politely ask them to wait outside while you check with us on 020 8489 5611 (or 020 8489 0000 if they pretend to be from Haringey Council) if they are indeed one of our employees.
Important: our operatives, and indeed any other officers, will never ask for money from you directly for any of their services. If the person calling at your home and pretending to be a Homes for Haringey or Haringey Council employee demands money, please refuse and tell us about it.
Scam warning
The Metropolitan Police is warning of a new card fraud telephone scam. This is how it works:
- You receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be from your bank. He or she will say their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on your card or that your card is due to expire and needs replacing.
- You may be asked to ring back using the telephone number on the back of your card - which further convinces you that the call is genuine. However, the caller keeps the line open at their end so, when you make the call, you are unknowingly connected straight back to the fraudster.
- Then, by seeming to offer assistance, the fraudster tries to gain your trust. In most cases you are asked to 'cancel' your existing card or 'activate' or 'authorise' a replacement card by keying your PIN into the handset of your phone.
- The fraudster then poses as a bank representative who agrees to collect your card from your home, sometimes offering you a replacement card, which is a fake.
- In some cases a genuine courier company is hired to pick up the card from your home address. The victim will have been asked to place the card into an envelope ready for collection. Once they have your card and PIN the fraudster uses them to spend your money.
A variation of the scam involves the fraudster ringing a prospective victim and claiming to be from the police - again with the aim of going to the victim's home to collect the card and PIN.
What can I do to avoid being a victim of this scam?
Be aware that neither your bank nor the police would ever ring you and state that they are coming to your home to pick up your card, so never hand it over to anyone who comes to collect it.
Your bank will NEVER ask you to authorise anything by entering your PIN into the telephone handset.
NEVER share your PIN with anyone - the only times you should use your PIN is at a cash machine or when you use a chip and PIN machine in a shop / restaurant.
I think I might have been a victim of this scam - what should I do?
If the criminals are nearby ring the Police immediately on 999, otherwise report the crime to your local Police via 101.
If you think you have been the victim of a fraud or scam of this nature you should also call your bank or card company immediately.
For further advice about fraud and scams visit the Metropolitan Police website (external link)
Crime and community safety advice
Most crimes are against property and are usually committed on the spur of the moment, such as grabbing a bag from a car or going through an open house window. You can reduce risks by simply securing your home and car. Trying to prevent crime like this helps the police too, as it gives them more time to tackle serious crime. This in turn benefits you, as it makes your neighbourhood a safer place to live in.
The best way to cut the risk of crime is to take sensible precautions. Most people already do this as part of their everyday lives, often without realising it.
Haringey Council's website offers some helpful advice on simple ways to avoid crime and protect yourself and your community. It includes useful information on:
- your personal safety
- securing your home, inside and out
- keeping an eye on strangers
- dealing with intruders
- your community and neighbourhood watch
- secured car parks
- youth crime prevention.
When it comes to community safety, we always welcome your observations and suggestions.
Think safe and be safe - if you know that there are risks make sure that you don't take them.