Doorstep Crime / Rogue Trader Activity

1. Doorstep Crime / Rogue Trader Activity

2. Rogue Traders Rogue Traders come in many shapes and sizes. They can be: • Uninvited cold callers purporting to carry out home improvement and gardening work • Telephone and Internet There is a strong correlation between Distraction Burglars and Bogus Builders/Doorstep Conmen

3. What the Team can do • Work across the whole of Wales • Regional representation in each force area • Established links with regions in England and Scotland • Working with referrals from the 22 Local Authorities in Wales into cross border criminality • Vulnerable Interviews

5. Offender Profile. The offenders work as a team of two or more Travel the country choosing areaswith a high population of older residents. Choose areas with easy access to main or arterial roads Are taught their craft by their elders often from a very early age Live in a patriarchal hierarchical society Are known to share information about suitable targets and areas.

6. These offenders know that the notion of carrying out some work is often enough to muddy the waters and confuse attending officers into thinking that the matter is ‘civil’ and doesn’t warrant investigation. But Rogue trader incidents are likely to feature Trading Standards offences as well as Fraud, Criminal Damage, Blackmail, Robbery, Burglary and Kidnapping.

7. And • The majority of doorstep crime victims are elderly (average age 81), living in social isolation. • The offenders create fear of the consequences of not having the work done • They prey on the loneliness of the victim • Often do not give the victim a choice as they just turn up and start work

8. Statistics from Operation Liberal state that • In the two years following a Distraction Burglary the victims are almost 2.5 times more likely to be in residential care or have died. • In the three months following the incident 10% of victims have unexplained admissions to hospital. • Older victims of distraction burglary decline in health faster than their non-victim peers. 40% of victims reported a change in their quality of life. But most worryingly, almost two thirds (63%) were repeat victims

10. So you’ve arrested a rogue trader for a fraud or trading related offence. What else can you consider?How about this… Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and Money Laundering • The offences are: • S.327 - Concealing, disguising, converting, transferring, or removing criminal property • S.328 - Arranging to facilitate to acquire, retain, use or control of criminal property by, or on behalf of another person • S. 329 - Acquisition, use and possession of criminal property You are most likely to come across S.329 where an offender is simply in possession of cash / cheques (the proceeds of crime). However, rogue traders and offenders committing fraud and trading related offences may well be committing offences under S.327 and S.328 as well Criminal property is: property that the alleged offender knows or suspects constitutes or represents benefit from any criminal conduct (not only money) Remember any offender who has benefited from the offences committed could qualify for confiscation Think ……….. Proceeds of Crime, Money Laundering and Confiscation

11. To date we have interviewed 20 vulnerable/intimidated witnesses in their homes. • This involves almost £400,000 worth of criminality. • 3 of these victims have since died. • Their evidence is still available for court proceedings

12. Contact Details • Andrew.Bertie@newport.gcsx.gov.uk • (M) 07792 193280