Be careful when switching energy supplier

It has come to our attention that some residents within the Triangle are having their energy suppliers - Gas, Telephone, Electric etc - switched without their consent. One particular resident is continually having these problems and this matter has now been referred to the police as it is believed to be a malicious act by causing continuous inconvenience.

However, most cases are in error; perhaps a new resident gave incorrect address details. Please do be careful when switching energy suppliers that you do give correct information. Otherwise it can take hours of unnecessary calls to energy suppliers to rectify the procedure. Also vulnerable and elderly occuplants can become very confused when energy supplies are switched without their consent. 

Here is what you should do if you receive an unexpected final bill or welcome letter from a new energy supplier. 

Why is this happening?

This could happen if:

• a supplier made a mistake, for example by confusing your address with someone else’s
• The wrong address was given to the energy supplier by a new resident moving into the area
• you were misled by a salesperson

Contact the supplier

You’ll need to contact both your old supplier and the new one. Let them know that you didn’t agree to the switch, and ask them to cancel it if it’s still in progress. If the switch has already happened, ask them to reverse it.

Make a note of the date and time you call, and who you spoke to. You might need to refer to this later if you need to complain.

What happens next

Once you’ve contacted the supplier, they should write to you within:

• 5 working days to explain what they plan to do, and when
• 20 working days to confirm they’re reversing the switch or explain why it was correct

These deadlines are part of the ‘erroneous transfer customer charter’, which all suppliers need to follow. You'll be entitled to £30 compensation if:

• the supplier takes more than 20 working days to reply 
• your old and new suppliers take more than 20 working days to agree whether your switch was correct (they both owe you £30 if this happens)
• your old supplier takes more than 21 working days to re-register you once they know about the mistake

If you’re entitled to compensation the supplier should pay you within 10 working days, otherwise they’ll owe you an extra £30 in compensation. If they haven’t paid, you should make a complaint and ask for the money you think they owe.

When you’re switched back you’ll still get bills from your original supplier, and won’t have to pay anything to the other supplier.

Coronavirus-related frauds increase by 400% in March

 

Law enforcement, government and private sectors partners are working together to encourage members of the public to be more vigilant against fraud, particularly about sharing their financial and personal information, as criminals seek to capitalise on the Covid-19 pandemic.

Criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations (e.g. your bank or HMRC) and the police.

STOP
Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe

CHALLENGE

Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

PROTECT

Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.

Social Engineering

Social Engineering is defined as “The clever manipulation of the natural human tendency to trust.” It’s easier to trick you into opening an infected email than it is to hack into your account. Due to this, social engineering has become much more prominent, and cyber criminals are trying more diverse ways to get people to undertake tasks, provide information or hand over money using these techniques.

Types of social engineering;

• Phishing – fraudulent emails sent by cyber criminals pretending to be someone else, for example a bank, NHS or government department. The aim of the email is to install malicious software on your device or obtain Personal Identifiable Information including login credentials.
• Spoofing – is the act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source. This can apply to emails, phone calls and websites.
• Smishing – fraudulent text messages purporting to be from reputable companies in order to get individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords or financial details.
• Vishing – criminals making phone calls or leaving voice messages pretending to be from reputable organisation in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information such as bank details and credit card numbers.

How to protect yourself:

• Don’t assume a call, text or email is genuine.
• Never provide financial or personal details to a caller.
• Don’t click on website links or download attachments in unexpected texts or emails.
• Phone numbers and emails can be changed (spoofed) and are not proof of identity.
• Challenge every request for your information, money or details.
• Double check requests for your details and verify via a trusted source.

The police can’t stop crime if it doesn’t know it's happening

Even if you didn’t lose money, you should still report every instance of fraud or cyber crime you’re targeted by. Every report assists police investigations, disrupts criminals, and reduces harm. Reports are also used to identify crime trends and create awareness campaigns to help protect people against them.

Report online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by telephone on 0300 123 2040.

Useful websites:

www.ncsc.gov.uk

www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk 

www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk 

www.met.police.uk/littlemedia

Don’t assume your friends and family know the latest scams. Tell2 of them offline and play your part in disrupting criminals!

ATA Spring Census

This week, as lock down continued, the Triangle turned green. Spring has arrived in full glory. Can you help the ATA residents who have already started tracking what that means along the different streets - and back gardens - of the Triangle? 

A small group of us are three weeks into recording the birds and bees and bugs we see, and when and in what numbers shrubs and flowers are blooming. We are saving our weekly accounts, exchanging pictures, and comparing notes. Some of us with just a few lines a week, others in more detail (depending on exactly what they are most interested in). It is already helping to build up a better idea of exactly how green the Triangle is. 

But we need more help, urgently, if we are to achieve our ambition. By the end of June, after three months observing, we want to be able to piece together a well informed picture of what Spring means for the Triangle. We are calling it the ATA Spring Census. But so far we have only recruited eight observers. And we are largely concentrated along the strip of gardens and trees between the east side of Egerton Drive, and Catherine Grove. There are others scattered along Greenwich South Street, and a lonely observer on Ashburnham Place. They need your help, if we are to reflect the true nature of the whole Triangle, what we all share in Spring, but also where there are differences. All it takes is a commitment to reporting weekly - in a few lines, or in more detail, or with a picture - what you are seeing and hearing in your part of the Triangle. It doesn't matter how much or how little you know about birds and insects and plants. 

Mick Delap is organising the Spring Census, and we can help you with basic information, a useful format for your weekly reports (which you can decide to use, or not), and suggestions as to where to find out more. We are also exploring possible ways of using the ATA website to share pictures, and weekly highlights. If you are interested in joining in, please email Mick: mick@delap.plus.com

The Community Hub

Free meals for vulnerable residents on Devonshire Drive

The Seventh Day Adventist Church wishes to offer free meals to residents of Devonshire Drive:

During the Covid-19 crisis we endeavour to support our community as needs arise within our capacity and capability.
We would like to extend our supportive care to all the residents on Devonshire Drive SE10.
We plan to offer a cook meal on Sundays to our vulnerable members, and we would like to extend that support to any vulnerable persons living on Devonshire Drive SE10.
If you would like to benefit, kindly let us know by calling
Veron – 07401 880 009
Pastor Esson – 07985 408 669
Or by the contact information
https://www.greenwichadventist.org.uk/contact-us/pastor/Information needed by end of Friday each week

Hi Everyone, local resident Mick Delap has composed a poem for Easter which I've loaded to YouTube.   The link is here https://youtu.be/-j5CTGRAjlc
:-)

Important update for residents during Covid-19

The Met Police have provided a special reporting page to report any non-emergency incidents - see below link to a reporting page. For all emergencies continue to call 999.

Met Police - how to report non emergency crime during Covid-19

The police have also asked us to highlight a rise in commercial burglary crime and a rise in Domestic Abuse with injury during this pandemic. Neighbourhood Watch Network has teamed up with Women's Aid - see below link for more info. 

Neighbourhood Watch Network Women's Aid Appeal

There has also been an uptake on doorstep scammers pretending to be volunteers. If you arrange a volunteer make sure you know what time they are due and create a password for ease of identification. 

Cancer Research has also asked us to share some important information. If you or a member of your family is currently living with cancer you need to take extra precautions during this time. Cancer Research has made a web guide containing the latest information so you can keep up to date with caring for yourself and others. Please see link below.

Cancer Research - Coronavirus (COVID-19) and cancer

Bin Collection this Easter Bank Holiday

Please note that all refuse will be collected on Monday over this Easter Weekend instead of a day later which is normal practice over a bank holiday.

So please remember to put your bins out as usual on Monday. 

IMPORTANT: Greenwich Foot Tunnel

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of Greenwich Council writes:

On Sunday we had to close the Greenwich Foot Tunnel as there were crowds of people walking and cycling through where it’s impossible to keep two metres apart. The tunnel is an important route for essential workers travelling to and from work, so it’s open again now for key workers only. We’ll be keeping a close eye on it and possibly closing it again   over the Easter weekend, or sooner if it gets too crowded.
Greenwich is a popular tourist destination for lots of good reasons, but this is a national emergency, not a holiday. There is a real risk that the Government will ban outside exercise if people don’t stick to the rules, so only use the tunnel if you’re an essential worker getting to and from work.

Spring Wildlife census

Join Mick Delap in conducting a SPRING WILDLIFE CENSUS in the Triangle over April and May. Help him record birds, bees, butterflies and blossom - as they happen. We will share the results on the ATA website.
Keep a wildlife diary of your garden and encourage your children to do the same. Citizen science at its best.  Guidance and starter ideas available – and more suggestions welcome. See here for more details and let Mick know if you are interested by emailing him at mick@delap.plus.com

Salute our superheroes

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of Greenwich Council writes: 

Tonight at 8pm, as they did last Thursday, millions of people will stand on their doorsteps, go onto balconies or open their windows and clap for our carers. It’s a simple way to show appreciation for our health and social care workers, emergency services, shop workers, teachers, waste collectors, cleaners and all those making a difference to our lives.
If you are able to, the we hopes you can take part.
You may have noticed that lots of homes are displaying pictures of rainbows in their front windows  – they cheer up passers-by and offer a message of hope (as well as being a fun  activity  for kids to get  involved in).  You will no doubt have seen that the Government has set up a new hospital at the Excel Centre, NHS Nightingale, which will support up to 4,000 patients. Matthew Trainer, the Chief Executive of Oxleas NHS trust, which is based in Greenwich, has been seconded to run the hospital, which is a huge and daunting task.
We would like to show our support for Matthew and the hundreds of people working away from their families to transform the huge blank space of the Excel Centre into a working hospital that will save thousands of lives. To do this, we want you to join us in creating a wall of rainbows and messages of encouragement.
If you would like to get involved, please tag us into your rainbow pictures and messages on social media and use #GreenwichRainbows so everyone can come together and show our support for the people working so hard to keep us safe over at NHS Nightingale. We’ll share them with Matthew and the team to let them know that we’re all behind them.

You can subscribe to the Council's excellent daily email updates on the local impact the pandemic is having here.