A review of thefts of metals from various commercial sites recently has raised concerns in regard to the safety risks this offending involves.

Police have attended scenes in which people have placed themselves at great risk to remove metal items which they are selling for cash.

The risk to benefit ratio is often far in the favour of serious risk than any real financial benefit for those stealing these items.

Electrocution or asphyxiation are some of the risks these people are taking.

Potentially we may see a loss of life or serious injury, as those involved are entering secure areas at night without proper knowledge of their environment.

Workers at these sites who have legitimate access, are appropriately briefed, have safety equipment and training to mitigate any risk their work environment poses. Those breaking and entering these sites do not have this knowledge and safety processes.

These are not victimless crimes, as they cause loss of income and put business at risk, due to damage and disruption. Business owners find this offending incredibly stressful, and it detracts resources and time from where it’s needed.

We encourage members of the public to report to Police any suspicious behaviour around commercial work sites.

Police are also receiving a large number of reports regarding online offending.

Time and time again the same patterns are repeated with variations on the same theme relating to different online scams.

While online, if the following principals were followed, there would be a lot less opportunity for scammers to thrive.

Those principals are:

If its true good to be true, then it’s probably stolen. That shiny new sought after electrical or tech item that usually costs so much suddenly appearing at an unbelievable price, is exactly that, unbelievable. If you are tempted, check how new the social media account is, ask some detailed questions and make sure you have some way of verifying identity or meeting the seller before you send any money.

Today is not your lucky day. Block and ignore unknown numbers, texts or social media contact which has suddenly appeared on your device. This simple reality is you are being targeted by scammers.

If you lock the door of your house at night, do the same online. Review and check your online security settings and audit how much information strangers can gain from your online footprint.

There is never a free lunch, just one you pay for a thousand or so times over. Be wary of exceptional investment opportunities. If it was that easy, we would all be doing it and no one would need to work. Verify identity and talk to your bank before making any transfers.

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