Hi All, Police Scotland has received reports of bogus callers in the north west of Edinburgh offering gardening services. Two males have attended twice within the space of two weeks at an address offering to cut a tree for an over-inflated sum of money. The occupier refused their services. They are described as small and stocky, early 30s with English accents. They were driving a van. The other reported incident involved four males who cut down some trees at an address and charged a large sum of money, more than was originally quoted. They are described as follows: Male 1 – white, around 25-30 years, 5’8” tall, skinny, wearing grey clothing and a dark baseball cap. Male 2 – white, mid 40s, light brown hair, greying light stubble on face, around 5’7”, tubby, wearing light clothing and a jumper and believed to be from Southampton. Male 3 – tanned, black short hair, average build, around 5’8” and wearing a green top. Male 4 – white, around 5’8”, chunky build and wearing a purple or dark red hooded jumper. If these males or any suspect person attend at your home contact Police Scotland. Remember LOCK – Keep your doors locked, even when you are at home. STOP – Before you answer, stop and think if you are expecting anyone. Check that you have locked the back door and taken the key out. Look through a door viewer (‘spy hole’) to see who it is. CHAIN – If you decide to open the door, put the door chain or door bar on first if you have one. Keep the chain or bar on while you are talking to the person on the doorstep. CHECK – Even if they have a pre-arranged appointment, check identity cards carefully. Close the door while you do this. If you are still unsure, look up a phone number in the phone book or online and ring the organisation to verify their identity. Do not use a phone number on the identity card as this may be fake. Bogus callers may be smartly dressed and claim to be from the council, police, or utility company. They can also turn up as builders, gardeners, or other trades and try to trick you into paying for unnecessary work. You should never agree to have work done by someone who is just passing by or ‘cold calling’ you. If you think work needs done get at least three quotes from trusted companies. Use The Edinburgh Trusted Trader Scheme to find tradespeople who have been checked and vetted by both Police and Trading Standards officers. Information on this Scheme can be found on: https://www.trustedtrader.scot/Edinburgh/ or by phoning 0131 513 9921. If you think a bogus caller or doorstep criminal has called on you, or been in your street, report this to the police immediately on ‘101’ (non-emergency) If you would rather remain anonymous, you can report any incidents to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111 / www.crimestoppers-uk.org For further crime prevention advice go to www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/scams-and-frauds/doorstepcrimeandboguscallers Or contact your local Crime Prevention Team by contacting ‘101’ / edinburghpreventandintervent@scotland.pnn.police.uk Kind Regards PC Noble Police Scotland Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Department Edinburgh Division
Message Sent By Emily Noble (Police, Constable, Edinburgh)
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