Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Over the past month there has been an increase in licence plate thefts across the city and greater Wellington region.
Police patrols are actively watching for any criminal activity around vehicles and we monitor crime hotspots and carry out mandatory checks on commonly targeted vehicles.
It is upsetting and inconvenient for members of our community to be victims of this type of crime.
To help prevent being a victim of this crime licence plates can be affixed with anti-theft screws, varying the screw types also make any theft difficult for offenders.
Police also recommend where possible, to park your vehicle inside your property rather than on the street or only park in well-lit and busy locations.
Often when licence plates are stolen from vehicles they are used to commit further offences, so we are interested in hearing from the public about anything which could assist in putting a stop to this type of offending.
Wellington Police are also aware of an increase in fraud offending being reported.
The drop in alert levels has allowed for the trading of goods to recommence online, and there have been multiple reports of buyers using false bank transfer confirmations and falsified digital documents to confirm payments have been made.
Police are actively investigating reports of this form of scamming, and encourage anyone who has fallen victim to this scam to report it to Police.
Many people choose not to out of embarrassment at being deceived, however they should be assured that Police will take any report seriously.
Police advise people to buy and sell off regulated websites such as Trade Me and from legitimate stores or companies.
If you decide to conduct transactions and exchanges off social media, Police urge you to ensure the money is in your account before handing over the item and to verify the funds are cleared with your bank.
Communicate with the buyer, so they are aware of your conditions of purchase and sale and consider dealing with cash only.
Police recommend discontinuing transactions where there is a suspicion of dishonesty or fraud. Trust your instincts, if it’s too good to be true or sounds like a scam it probably is, and there will always be another opportunity to trade.
We are actively targeting offenders who commit volume and fraud offending and we will hold them accountable for their actions.
Police urge members of the community to report any suspicious activity to give Police the best chance of catching offenders.
Anyone who believes they have been a victim of crime should call Police on 111 if it is happening now, or on 105 if it has happened. Reports can also be made anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
