Police warn over fraud on WhatsApp groups

Large community and religious WhatsApp groups are being targeted by scammers who infiltrate them to try and deceive their members into sending them money.  The warning has come from North Wales Community Alert who say that since January of this year, 268 people have reported falling victim to this scam.  The fraud often begins when a member of the group receives a WhatsApp audio call from the fraudster, pretending, or claiming, to be a member of the group.  This is done in order to gain the individual’s trust, and often the scammer will use a false profile picture and/or display name, so at first glance it would appear to be a genuine member of the group. The fraudster will then call the victim and say they are sending a one-time passcode which will allow them to join an upcoming video call for group members.  The scammer then asks the victim to share this passcode with them so they can be “registered” for the video call. What’s really happening is that the scammer is asking for a registration code to register the victim’s WhatsApp account to a new device where they then “port” their WhatsApp profile over. Once the fraudster has access to the victim’s WhatsApp account, they will enable two-step verification which makes it impossible for the victim to access their account.  The scammer will then message other members of the group, or friends and family in the victim’s contacts, asking them to transfer money urgently as they are in desperate need of help. Oliver Shaw, Detective Chief Superintendent and Head of Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) said: “WhatsApp continues to be a popular platform for community and religious groups, but sadly also for fraudsters. Here, the scammers rely on the goodwill of group members and their intrinsic desire to help others in distress. “We urge people always to be wary when receiving contact via WhatsApp or other messaging platforms. This is particularly the case when being asked to provide account information – despite the fact that you may recognise the individual’s profile picture and / or name. “Never share your account information with anyone, and if you think it’s a fraudulent approach, report the message and block the sender within WhatsApp. To make your account more secure, we advise setting up two-step verification to provide an extra layer of protection. This makes it increasingly more difficult for fraudsters to gain access to somebody else’s WhatsApp account." Analysis of Action Fraud reports indicate that victims targeted by this scam are often part of large WhatsApp community, alumni and academic, work groups, and religious groups (such as church or prayer groups). What can you do to avoid being a victim? ·  Never share your account’s two-factor authentication (2FA) code (that’s the six digit code you receive via SMS). ·  Set up two-step verification to give an extra layer of protection to your account. Tap Settings > Account >Two-step verification > Enable. ·  THINK. CALL. If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person to confirm their identity. ·  You can report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.  If you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it  at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101.

Tendering begins for town's 4 Great Highways project

* Artist's impression of how Lower Dee mill Park could look. 

Llangollen’s 4 Great Highways project has begun its tendering process to find a contractor to undertake the work.

The Denbighshire County Council scheme aims to enhance the landscape and improve accessibility, interpretation and signage in the town.

The project is part of investment by the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund that was secured through a joint application between Denbighshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council for the Clwyd South Constituency. The application was supported by Simon Baynes MP. 

£3.8 million was allocated to Denbighshire to invest in the communities of Llangollen, Llantysilio, Corwen and surrounding areas.

In recent months, the council has undertaken a number of consultation activities to gather feedback from the public about what improvements they would like to see as part of this project. 

These have included walkabouts in the project area to hear from residents about their thoughts on the plans, opportunities to submit feedback via County Conversation, the council’s online consultation portal, a drop-in session at Llangollen Town Hall and an opportunity to express views on preliminary designs through a public display of the artwork at the library.

* How the Wharf area could look.

Based on this feedback, the council has finalised designs and published the artist’s impressions for what the area will look like once the project is complete. The detailed plans will be available on the council’s dedicated 4 Great Highways webpage shortly.

The council says it hopes to appoint a contractor to undertake the works by early to mid-September, which the tendering process is currently underway for.

A further public consultation will also be held soon to gather feedback on people’s preferred design options for the new signage that is due to be installed as part of the project.

Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, said: “Following a comprehensive public consultation process to ensure that the final plans for Llangollen’s 4 Great Highways project reflect local thinking, we are pleased to now have initiated the tendering process to find a contractor to complete the works.

“We look forward to appointing a suitable candidate to bring these plans in to fruition. Once completed, we hope that these improvements enhance the resident and visitor experience and help to encourage people to spend more time in the town.”

* The latest information about Denbighshire County Council’s 4 Great Highways project can be found here: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/four-great-highways

Dee Valley art exhibition coming to Dory Gallery

* One the pictures to be featured in the new exhibition.

A new exhibition is opening at the Dory Gallery in Llangollen this September, which invites you to take a fresh look at the Dee Valley and the works of art it inspires.

The Dee Valley landscape has been a source of inspiration to artists, poets and tourists for centuries, drawn to the area in search of the sublime. 

It became a hub for artistic activity in the 18th century, captured on canvas by renowned painters such as Richard Wilson, Paul Sandby and JMW Turner, and beautifully described in words and poetry by writers including George Borrow, Thomas Pennant and William Wordsworth.

Following this tradition, the Our Picturesque Landscape project is to present an exhibition of over 60 contemporary works of art inspired by the scenery of the Dee Valley.

Through thoughtfully commissioned paintings, poems, installations, photography, drawings, textiles and even a myriorama, the exhibition will explore our connections with the landscape, and highlight the unique balance between the stunning natural beauty and important industrial heritage of the area.

The exhibition will be open at the Dory Gallery from Saturday September 16 until Sunday October 8 accompanied by a full programme of events, art workshops and family friendly activities. For up to date details go to: www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyAONB.org.uk

The exhibition is part of the Our Picturesque Landscape project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Hannah Marubbi, Partnership Officer for Our Picturesque Landscape project, said; “There is strong artistic heritage in the Dee Valley, and the picturesque qualities of the landscape continue to inspire creatives today. 

"We are really looking forward to celebrating the fantastic and diverse works of art that have been created throughout the Our Picturesque Landscape project, and sharing them with the community through a programme of free, interactive events.  We are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the £1,382,400 funding which has made our project and this exhibition possible.”

Cllr Emrys Wynne, Lead Member for Welsh Language, Culture and Heritage, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to experience and learn about the rich heritage of scenery the Dee Valley has to offer. I would encourage everyone to visit the exhibition to enjoy this amazing artwork that visits the culture of the landscape with the history of the industry found in the area.”

Roadworks alert for Willow Street

Latest local roadworks alert from one.network is: 

Willow Street, Llangollen, Denbighshire 08 August - 09 August   Roadworks, Delays unlikely   Traffic management: Some carriageway incursion   Description: MJ QUINN TO CARRY OUT THE FOLLOWING: RECOVER POLE VERGE FOOTWAY   Works location: SIDE OF 7 WILLOW STREET   Public facing description: one.network has automatically assigned a category of Unclassified works to this Works based on the information available. Please note: Works Descriptions are not published by Openreach.   Responsibility for works: Openreach   Current status: Advanced planning   Works reference: BC006MQONSAWN0POWF4GR78L

St Collen's hosts successful summer fayre

 

St Collen's held its annual summer fayre in aid of church funds at the Community Hall yesterday. 

Despite the rain, it was well supported and featured stalls packed with bric-a-brac, home-made cakes, raffles and prize games.

Freshly-cooked burgers were available along with tea and coffee. 

Chainbridge Hotel takes a top spot in Sunday Times list

A Llangollen hotel has been named as one of the best places to stay by the water, in the UK, the Daily Post reports.

The story says that The Chainbridge Hotel has bagged the number six spot for its Victorian history and location, in a list compiled by The Sunday Times.

* For the full story, see: North Wales hotel ranked one of UK's best places to stay by the water - North Wales Live (dailypost.co.uk)

Pengwern Community Hub's August programme

Pengwern Hub has unveiled its What’s On guide for August.  

On Saturday 19^th August, we will be having a Summer Fiesta Street Party with a Mexican theme inspired by a Llangollen local, to which you are welcome – more information to follow.

Follow the link below to see information with Half Term activities and other group information.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f0bjqT_h6iXk6FOSlwhyskIai1rXbRfr/view?usp=sharing