Police Scotland - Crime Reduction Advice

Constable Bob McKinney of the Crime Reduction Unit based at Nigg Police Office has recently circulated some warnings and advice.

He says : "You may be aware already but I think it's something worth reiterating; on Wednesday 1st March 2017 the penalties for using a mobile phone whilst driving a motor vehicle will be increasing from the current levels to potentially 6 penalty point and a fine of £200. This will also include persons who are passengers supervising learner drivers.

Over the last few weeks there have been a number of people reporting that they have responded to adverts they've seen online, advertising items for sale and then after contacting the seller, making payment for said items which never arrive. Only some time later, after the payment has been made, does the buyer realise that it was a scam. A common denominator in these transactions appears to be that the payment is made directly into a bank account, no doubt under the control of the fraudster. If undertaking these sorts of transaction, Crime Reduction would always recommend the use of an intermediate party such as PayPal, Apple pay or Google Checkout to minimise the risk to buyers and provide proof of purchase and a line of enquiry for Police, should the transaction appear suspicious at a later time.

As always, if you'd like any advice on how to keep yourself or your property safe, please give us a call on the Police Scotland non-emergency number of 101 and ask for Crime Reduction. We'd be only too happy to help."

Constable McKinney can be contacted at Crime Reduction Unit, Police Scotland, North East Division, Nigg Police Office, 230 Abbotswell Crescent, Nigg, Aberdeen, AB12 3JT,

Tel: 101