British Gas/Door to Door scams

25/09/2020: British Gas phishing email currently doing the rounds

British Gas is making its customers aware of a fake email telling its customers that they’ve ‘overpaid’. As with similar phishing attempts we’ve been made aware of, fraudsters are after your personal data and/or bank details. Here’s what the fake email looks like

British Gas Response
We’re aware there is a fake email going around telling our customers they’ve overpaid and are entitled to more than £400 in refunds. If you’ve received this or another suspect phishing email from us, you can send it as an attachment to phishing@centrica.com and we’ll investigate.

The passing off of well-known and respected brands is nothing new. This year we’ve seen Bit coin scammers impersonating Martin Lewis and the Mirror by email, and similar phishing attempts disguised as emails from the Royal Mail.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Door to Door Driveway Scam

Please be warned – do not accept any work from people just knocking on your door offering services such as the example below and others such as tree pruning, rubbish clearing , tarmac, drive and roof repairs .

In our local area very recently a female resident has been targeted by two young males who door knocked offering to level, jet wash, re-sand and seal her block paving driveway. They did not do the job as agreed. They damaged her car and refused to admit responsibility and charged her a large amount of money only accepting cash. She felt intimidated, scammed and ultimately foolish but thankfully not too upset and said “lesson learned”. I’m sure they have moved on to their next vulnerable target but please ensure that you and any vulnerable neighbours are aware.

Short Walks Group

Ten walkers braved the pessimistic weather forecast on Thursday September 24th. We started from St Mary’s Church Greasley which is Grade II listed by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport as it is a building of special architectural or historic interest.

By the time we set off at 10am the rain had stopped and, after a look at the grave of Captain Cook’s ship doctor and surgeon, we walked out of the churchyard across field footpaths to cross the Giltbrook stream into Watnall Woods. From there the route was out towards Kimberley then onto Watnall where we took a short detour to view the ‘Holy Well’ on Trough Lane.

We then crossed the main road heading for Narrow Lane past the farm shop to join a footpath to the aptly named Bogend –fortunately there are now duckboards which bridge the ‘bogs’. The footpath emerges at the bottom of Church Lane and a short uphill to our starting point a total distance of an undulating 4.3 miles with some good views.

Next Walk (Covid-19 situation permitting) is Thursday, October 22nd, 2020 – Route TBC

Pub Quiz and Lunch

The answers to last month’s puzzle in the Newsletter was a bit easier in that every picture clue had a “very loose” connection with the word “One” as follows:

1 One for sorrow
2. Wonder Woman
3. 101 Dalmations
4. Swan
5. One armed bandit
6. One bad apple
7. One man band
8. One night stand
9. World War I
10 Stevie Wonder
11. Wonder Bra
12. One more night
13. Onesie
14. One Direction
15. One horse race
16. One way street
17. Once upon a time
18. Willy Wonka
19. One way ticket
20. Tae kwondo
21. Wanted poster
22. One too many
23. One eyed monster
24. One flew over the cuckoo’s nest

And for a change why not give this non-brain taxing puzzle a try?

Weekenders’ Group

Once again we have been in touch on a regular basis via phone, email and newsletter and of course, weather permitting, our garden meet ups have continued. We had a couple of very hot meet ups last week, requiring umbrellas being used as parasols but Margaret Whilde reports as follows on her August garden meet-up:

Despite the weather we enjoyed the afternoon very much. I provided blankets and gloves, and when the rain came, we all dived under the car port for shelter. We did have bottles on the table, which Doreen Newton and Joyce Crane provided but we did follow them up with coffee, tea and sweet goodies. We put the world to rights and had quite a laugh along the way. As the photo shows the four old ladies were very well wrapped up for the occasion.
Sandra – Looks like an old folks’ home in the Arctic Circle!

We are wracking our brains as to how we can socialise during the winter months but haven’t come up with any good ideas yet, and, future restrictions being what they will be, there is not much likelihood of any social activity. But keep in touch ladies, we still have the phone!

Lunch Group

Obviously nothing to report so I’ll leave you with the following thought. I think the only way to do Christmas lunch this year is to kill the turkey and have 30 people over for the funeral!