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This text is from LB Bromley’s Trading Standards Division.

Beware of COVID-19 scams

We need your help to spread the message……that scammers are operating in Bromley and targeting members of our community.

Unscrupulous criminals are exploiting fears about COVID-19 to prey on members of the public, particularly older and vulnerable people who are isolated from family and friends. Trading Standards are warning people to remain vigilant following a rise in coronavirus-related scams that seek to benefit from the public’s concern and uncertainty over COVID-19.

 If you need help urgently for example, to report someone going door to door, contact the Rapid Response on 07903 852090

COVID-19 scams identified include:

Doorstep crime · Criminals targeting older people on their doorstep and offering to do their shopping. Thieves take the money and do not return. ·

Doorstep cleansing services that offer to clean drives and doorways to kill bacteria and help prevent the spread of the virus.

Online scams Email scams that trick people into opening malicious attachments, which put people at risk of identity theft with personal information, passwords, contacts and bank details at risk. Some of these emails have lured people to click on attachments by offering information about people in the local area who are affected by coronavirus.

Fake online resources – such as false Coronavirus Maps – that deliver malware such as AZORult Trojan, an information stealing program which can infiltrate a variety of sensitive data. A prominent example that has deployed malware is ‘corona-virus-map[dot]com’.

Refund scams Companies offering fake holiday refunds for individuals who have been forced to cancel their trips. People seeking refunds should also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds.

Counterfeit goods Fake sanitisers, face masks and Covid19 swabbing kits sold online and door-to-door. These products can often be dangerous and unsafe. There are reports of some potentially harmful hand sanitiser containing glutaral (or glutaraldehyde), which was banned for human use in 2014.

Telephone scams As more people self-isolate at home there is an increasing risk that telephone scams will also rise, including criminals claiming to be your bank, mortgage lender or utility company.

Donation scams There have been reports of thieves extorting money from consumers by claiming they are collecting donations for a COVID-19 ‘vaccine’.

Loan sharks Illegal money lenders are expected to prey on people’s financial hardship, lending money before charging extortionate interest rates and fees through threats and violence

Read it. Share it. Prevent it.

Rob Vale

Head of Trading Standards & Community Safety Public Protection Division Civic Centre

Stockwell Close

Bromley BR1 3UH

rob.vale@bromley.gov.uk

LB Bromley are restarting the collection of garden waste and glass and plastic recycling from tomorrow Monday 6 April.

LB Bromley have issued the following notices

“I am very pleased to confirm that we are able to re-start our ever popular garden waste collection service with immediate effect (6th April). We are acutely aware that the gardening season is upon us and that many of us value this service, especially at this peak gardening period.

I am also pleased to confirm that we are planning to re-start our Green Box recycling collection on Monday too albeit that I anticipate we will not be in a position to complete all the scheduled work for that day. Residents are advised to place their green box out for collection in the usual way and if it is not collected at the end of the day, to put it back out at the next scheduled recycling collection.”

Paper collection will not restart yet, and neither will the small and bulk items collections.

See the full report here

They also warn against anti-social bonfires to get rid of waste that way, especially garden waste.

Firstly, can we remind residents that bonfires that are a statutory nuisance will face enforcement action and could land individuals with an unlimited fine. Whilst official air quality monitoring has not shown that there has been an impact on air quality, residents are being encouraged to consider their neighbours before starting a bonfire, which might particularly impact residents who might have breathing difficulties. Full details on bonfires and how residents can report nuisance bonfires is available on the Council’s website.

During the Coronavirus crisis, the Council are stopping collections of recycling – green boxes and paper. But they WILL still collect food recycling and black bags. WBRA hope we can all manage to store other recycling until they collect it again and have asked Cllr Dunn of Clock House ward to suggest that the council commits to have a one off collection in about 6 weeks, if it lasts that long.

If you have been wanting to support food banks at a time when shopping for yourself is difficult because the shelves of staple food stuffs are empty, you might like to consider making a cash donation – a one off or a standing order. St George’s Church, who represent Beckenham churches at the Town Centre Team, are a collection point for the Living Well Foodbank, which is based in Holy Trinity Church, Lennard Road. You can donate directly to this food bank by downloading their forms.  You can also Gift Aid the payment which means they get an extra 25% from Government – that doesn’t happen if you give a tin of beans!

The Express Review, sent to members and published online shortly, contains a long report on LB Bromley’s proposals for the library and Halls. Since it went to press there have been many calls for LB Bromley to put the feasibility study on hold. This follows a second abandoned attempt at consultation meetings. The first was in February when local organisations were given only 5 days notice of a consultation meeting taking place during the working day. This was cancelled the day before when it was clear few people could attend. The second set of meetings was due to take place in March and was sensibly cancelled because of the coronavirus. Instead the consultants have been asked to do 1:1 telephone consultations before 31 March. This is not satisfactory. The Beckenham Society are leading opposition to the proposals and have pressed LB Bromley to put the proposals on hold while we all deal with the much more urgent virus problems. But they have refused. There is an online survey run by LB Bromley –the deadline is 31 March.