Dear Kent Residents
Doorstep criminals have been active this week in Gravesend claiming to work for an energy saving company. The criminals did not introduce themselves and asked personal questions.
Please be alert and warn your vulnerable friends and family to never respond to cold callers as you will pay a high cost for unnecessary and poor-quality work.
If you need work done on your home or garden use a safe, local trader from Trading Standards Checked.
Report cold callers anonymously to the charity CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111 or online here.
For further advice call Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133.
⚠️ This week, criminals have been calling residents in Hythe, Gillingham, Sheerness, Canterbury and Herne Bay impersonating banks.
Some victims have even lost thousands of pounds.
🚨What to watch out for if you receive an unexpected call:
– Claims your bank account has been compromised
– Claims that money has been taken from your account
– Being told a payment has been stopped
– Someone convincing you to download an app
🚨 These are scams. Banks will never call you first and ask for personal or financial details or tell you to download an app.
If this happens to you:
☎️ Call your bank immediately using 159
➡️ Report it to Kent Police
⚠️ Criminals are pretending to be Google and sending fake security warning messages.
These messages take you to a fake website that asks you to complete a “security check” and install a fake Google security check app. If installed, the app can steal passwords, one‑time passcodes, contacts and other personal information.
🚨Google will never ask you to complete security checks through pop‑ups, texts or unfamiliar websites.
How to protect yourself:
❌Do not install apps from links in messages
🚨Look out for emails or pop‑ups claiming your Google account is at risk or messages saying “Urgent: protect your account now”
✅Always check the website address before entering your login details
⚠️If in doubt, close the page immediately
➡️ Report to: National Cyber Security Centre: report@phishing.gov.uk
➡️ Advice: Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 223 1133
⚠️ Residents in Romney Marsh have reported receiving letters claiming they have won a large prize in an “International FIFA World Cup Online Lottery”.
The letter appears official and includes winning numbers, a reference number and a request to contact a claims office to access the money. It may also urge the recipient to act quickly or keep the information private.
🚨This is a scam. If you have not entered a lottery, you cannot win one.
What to do:
❌Do not respond to the letter
❌Do not share personal or financial information
✅Dispose of the letter safely
➡️ Report to Report Fraud.
➡️ Advice: Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 223 1133
⚠️ Residents have received phone calls, letters and unsolicited emails from a company claiming to be the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).
In one instance, the caller said a resident was due a settlement from the liquidation of a company, but was told they had to pay £3,500 upfront to receive the money.
🚨 This is a scam.
❌CTSI will not contact you unexpectedly about compensation or settlements
❌You will never be asked to pay a fee to receive money you are owed
❌Scammers often use trusted organisation names to appear genuine
➡️ Report to Report Fraud.
➡️ Advice: Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline: 0808 223 1133