TSB partners with Metropolitan Police to hunt down fraudsters

TSB's ambition is to roll partnerships like this to regional Police Forces right across the UK to support them in their fight against fraud. TSB has announced a new ₤200,000 partnership with the Metropolitan Police to step up the fight against fraud and hunt down the criminals that sit behind it. Fraud is now 1 of the most common crimes in the UK and the financial impact to consumers is huge with over ₤2 million lost every day^. Figures revealed by the Met last year showed that over 3,500 Londoners are reporting fraud and cybercrimes each month with many more attacks going unreported or detected. It is a serious crime often carried out by organised crime groups involved in drug rings, human trafficking and terrorism. It is becoming increasingly challenging, following several highly complex and sophisticated attacks against banks earlier this year, including against TSB.

To help overcome this, TSB have announced a new partnership with the Metropolitan Police, initially focusing on boroughs in the South East of London. The partnership will be supported by the London Digital Security Centre and also involve the local authorities within Lewisham, Bexley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Working together, the aim is to target harden local communities, and to disrupt and prevent more would be fraudsters before they are able to commit crime. In support of this collaboration, TSB has invested ₤200,000 this year to deliver activity in the fight against fraud. The funding will help to increase the ability of the Police and local partners to work together on fraud prevention and enforcement; enhance the skills of officers and staff; particularly within the Met's Special Constabulary; and finance new and innovative ways of tackling fraud at a local level, including ongoing support costs for the Met's Cybertools app, for front line Police officers.

Commenting on the launch, Superintendent Sean McDermid of the Met's South East Basic Command Unit, said:- "This is a fantastic opportunity to work with the banking industry to make a real difference, not only to our communities in the South East but also our volunteers and wider workforce. Fraud is a serious epidemic and only through building positive relationships between the Police, banks, business and London's communities, can we tackle it. We all have our part to play and I would urge everyone to be vigilant to potential scams and to think before they act. Fraud can happen to any of us."

TSB Executive Chairman, Richard Meddings said:- "TSB's experience earlier this year shows the scale and risk of fraud in a digital age. Fraud is a serious and organised crime, and we want to hunt down the criminals targeting customers. That's why we've put our learning into practice to work with the Met to help ensure fraud is a high risk crime. The partnership announced today will help customers of every bank and business avoid being duped. It will improve fraud detection, drive greater collaboration across the industry, and, crucially, put criminals behind bars. Our ambition is to roll partnerships like this to regional Police Forces right across the UK to support them in their fight against financial crime."

* Financial Fraud Action UK

Residents in Merseyside are reminded to watch over the vulnerable as temperatures start to drop

WITH forecasts now predicting colder weather over the festive period, an nPower warmth scheme available to vulnerable residents across England and Wales, including Merseyside, are being encourage to keep an eye on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours who are ill and may be affected by the cold. The scheme works with a range of community organisations, charities and local authorities to assist vulnerable homeowners with the funding and installation or repair of crucial heating measures in the home. People may qualify for help if they have a long term illness, a low income with little or no savings and are unable to fully fund measures, such as a new boiler, themselves. Sarah Heaney, nPower Health Through Warmth scheme manager, comments:- "With winter upon us, and temperatures set to drop in the weeks ahead, it's important that people look out for the vulnerable in their communities. We're calling on residents in Merseyside to keep an eye on friends, family and neighbours, whose health could be made worse because of a broken down heating system."

Since being founded in 2000, more than 85,000 vulnerable residents across England and Wales, including 8,723 in Merseyside, have been referred to nPower Health Through Warmth for assistance with heating and insulation. Eligible residents do not have to be, or become, an nPower customer to benefit from the scheme. For more information about the scheme or to find out if you or someone you know could be eligible for help repairing or replacing a broken boiler or heating system, contact Energy Projects Plus, who manage the scheme locally, on:- 0151 6394308.