Craigavon Quickcheck Reminder
29 Oct 2009
The Police Service of Northern Ireland in conjunction with ntl:Telewest Business and Fold Telecare have reminded people living in the Craigavon area about the Quickcheck initiative which tackles the issue of bogus callers.
The 24-hour freephone 0800 013 22 90 telephone service simply enables householders to call and verify the individual identity of anyone calling at their door.
Leaflets and posters providing information on the service will once again be distributed throughout Craigavon to houses, shops, churches, community centres, libraries, community groups and organisations in the coming months.
Utility companies have been also working hard to promote and raise awareness of Quickcheck within their organisations and to their customer base. Firmus Energy, Phoenix Natural Gas, Northern Ireland Electricity, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Northern Ireland Water are all supportive of the scheme.
Discussing the initiative, Craigavon Crime Prevention Officer, Chris Mulholland said: “Bogus callers depend on the good nature and good will of others. They tend to target the more vulnerable members of our society and in particular senior citizens. I would advise everyone to be cautious of unexpected callers.
“Do not open the door unless you know the individual. Simply ring 0800 013 22 90 and your call will be answered by a trained operator. They will take the details of the company which the caller claims to be visiting on behalf of, then contact the organisation and determine if the caller is genuine. If there is something suspicious the operator will contact the police directly.”
Kelly McKimm from Fold Telecare said: “Fold is committed to providing services which support those who feel vulnerable or at risk. We are delighted to be working with the PSNI, and ntl:Telewest Business in this initiative which encourages those within our communities to be stranger aware.”
Speaking about the initiative, David Armstrong, Business Sales Manager for ntl:Telewest in Northern Ireland said: ”The Quickcheck Helpline is a much-needed and welcome initiative and shows how advanced communications can benefit the whole community.
“By utilising our advanced, Next Generation Network, calls made to the freephone number are automatically routed to Fold TeleCare™ advisors, providing flexibility and ease of use for anyone calling the line. This ensures worried callers will get through straight away and that appropriate action can be taken quickly. Having worked with the Police Service of Northern Ireland since its inception, we are delighted to be involved in this outstanding and innovative initiative to protect the community.”
Bogus callers use various stories and other ploys to gain access to a person’s home in order to steal. They have been known, for example to pose as official callers from local authorities, utility services or companies on the pretext of wanting to inspect gas, electricity or water supplies.
Members of the public should follow this advice when dealing with unexpected visitors:
- Think before you open the door - use your chain and spy hole or look out of the window to see if you recognise them.
- Ask callers for proof of identity. Genuine tradesmen should carry a photographic identification card. Check this carefully. If you are unsure, telephone Quick Call.
- Beware of callers who attempt to distract you by claiming that they have seen something untoward in your rear garden or somewhere that may encourage you to leave your house - they may have an accomplice who is waiting to act upon this distraction.
- If you are not convinced of the identity of the caller, don’t let them in. Ask the caller to come back later and arrange for a friend, relative or neighbour to be present on their return.
- If they do phone and request your details, don’t disclose them. Instead ask the caller for their details and tell them you will phone them back. When you hang up, report the matter to the police.
Anyone who would like further crime prevention advice on this or any other subject should contact their local police on 0845 600 8000. Anyone with information about bogus callers or who witnesses any suspicious activity should also contact police.
