AffinityOne Security Solutions Blog

Wardell: Microsoft committed to driving piracy out of UK channel
A known software pirate has been jailed for his role in a string of burglaries that led to a Welsh reseller losing £190,000 worth of software.
Nicholas Wright was one of four men jailed for conspiracy to commit burglary for a series of crimes in Lampeter, Wales.
The haul was uncovered following raids by the Thames Valley Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) across the South East and Wales.
Tony Lees, detective inspector from the Thames Valley SOCU, said since the gang were put behind bars an “immeasurable and a considerable change” had been noted in the level of “serious and acquisitive” crime in the region.
Wright, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison, previously settled out of court with Microsoft in 2007 for copyright and trademark offences, amounting to £1.5m.
Michala Wardell, head of anti-piracy at Microsoft UK, said the firm is committed to “driving piracy out of the channel”.
“The channel loses out far more than Microsoft does when counterfeit goods are sold,” she said. “Microsoft is doing all it can to protect partners and we are not afraid to take action.”
A Microsoft Certified Partner, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Anything dodgy like this usually has links to something more sinister.
“The more people caught handling these products and engaged in dodgy practices, the better it is for everyone

Affinity One Security Solutions Tel 08000 336 999

BURGLARY

Police criticised for staging mock burglaries, 29 March 2010 Officers who 'burgled' Exeter homes as part of crime prevention exercise accused of trespass. 

No retrial for man accused of attacking burglar, 29 March 2010 A man accused of attacking a burglar at his family's home in Buckinghamshire will not face a retrial, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

Warning over letterbox burglaries in Reading, 21 March 2010 Police in Reading have issued a warning to residents after several recent burglaries where thieves opened the front door through the letter box.

Burglaries and muggings on the rise - how do you protect yourself and your home, 18 February 2010 Police figures show that the number of domestic burglaries rose last year for the first time in six years - and very often burglars turn violent when confronted by householders.

Please Rob Me website reveals dangers of social networks, 18 February 2010 A website called PleaseRobMe claims to reveal the location of empty homes based on what people post online.

'Bling ring' on trial for Hollywood celebrity burglaries, 17 January 2010 Stars such as Orlando Bloom, Megan Fox, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan were 'cased' online before well-heeled, young gang struck, prosecution will allege.

Green-fingered Marcia Cross and her twin daughters enjoy a day of gardening in the sun.
Police are urging residents to be careful who they open their doors to after a distraction burglary in Halewood on Tuesday (March 23), and always ask to see identification for anyone they don't know.
Two men posing as police officers called at the home of two elderly women in Stanford Crescent at around 1.45pm after they had come back from the local shops in Camberley Drive.

The bogus officers told the women - aged 79 and 84 - they had been the victims of a burglary and were there to investigate. However while one offender distracted the women, the other went inside the house falsely claiming he was going to secure it, and instead ransacked the upstairs bedrooms.

The first offender then asked the women if the cash they kept in the house was safe and secure and when they showed him, both men fled the house with several hundred pounds in cash.

The first man is described as white, in his 50s, around 6ft tall and of stocky build. He was wearing dark clothing and a three-quarter-length coat and tweed trilby hat. The second man was younger, around 17-years-old, around 5ft 6ins tall and of skinny build. He was wearing a hooded top.

Simple, sensible precautions

Yesterday, police officers urged homeowners to take simple, sensible precautions to avoid becoming victims of bogus officials and distractions burglars.

Chief Inspector Paul Sutcliffe, said: "These men have callously preyed on two elderly members of our community and stolen money from them after tricking their way in by pretending to be plain clothes police officers. The two women who live there are understandably devastated by this intrusion into their home and are now very wary of anyone who calls.

"Thankfully, conmen posing as police officers is quite rare but we are determined to catch these two offenders before they can target anyone else in this way. I would to anyone who has seen anyone matching their descriptions acting suspiciously to contact the police as not only are they committing burglaries, they are also impersonating police officers, which is an additional criminal offence.

"In the meantime, I would urge residents to be extra vigilante when answering the door to strangers no matter who they say they are. People should always ask to see identification before letting anyone into their home and should not be worried about offending them. A genuine caller, including police officers, should not have any problem with producing their ID. Residents should also make use of door chains if they have them, make a call to the organisation the caller claims to be from to double-check who they are, and if you are still in doubt, ask them to come back another time when you have someone else with you."

Affinity One Security Solutions 08000 336 999 for all your Home or Commercial Burglar Alarm,CCTV,Door Entry or Security requirements

Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.