Only the lonely… #FraudFree2026

Good afternoon,

Loneliness has a lot to answer for.  It makes us vulnerable to every phone call, text, knock at the door, or message notification – many of which will be scams.

Being alone is not the same as being lonely – many single people have rich and colourful lives.  Just look round any café or restaurant and you’ll see couples and families eating in silence, barely making eye contact.  It can be very distressing to feel lonely in a relationship.  Bereavement, divorce, or the end of a relationship can also be a very challenging time. 

If you or someone you know could do with some encouragement to feel less lonely you/they might be interested to read the attached booklet: Feeling Lonely? Produced by Age UK.

NSPCC have some very useful advice for children and young people https://www.nspcc.org.uk/advice-for-families/how-help-child-feels-lonely/

Some other useful contacts who can offer local support:

Age Concern Hampshire: General enquiries: 01962 868 545 or https://www.ageconcernhampshire.org.uk/

Age UK: Phone: 0300 303 1234 or  https://www.ageuk.org.uk/

Good Neighbours Network: Phone: 023 9289 9671 or  https://goodneighbours.org.uk/ 

Royal Voluntary Service:  https://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/

Please contact your GP if your mental health is in distress and/or Talking Therapies (now covering all of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight): https://www.talkingtherapieshiow.nhs.uk/

Samaritans: Phone 116 123 or: https://www.samaritans.org/

Mind: Phone 0300 123 3393 or:  https://www.mind.org.uk/

Please do share this important update with friends and family and encourage them to sign up for their own Hampshire Alert: https://www.hampshirealert.co.uk/ link to the 

Hampshire Alerts is not a crime reporting portal – please do not report crime here.

If you realise you’ve been defrauded and wish to report a fraud that has already happened, please report it to Report Fraud either by phone 0300 123 2040 or online at: https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/ 

However, if a fraud or other crime is in progress, and/or you are in fear for yourself or someone else, and/or there is evidence in situ that could be damaged/destroyed, please phone 999 immediately. 

Otherwise, report non-fraud crime online, or find out about other ways to report a crime at: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

If you would like to report a crime anonymously, please contact: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or phone 0800 555 111

If you've been affected by a crime please contact Victim Care Hub for free, confidential, support:  https://www.hampshireiowvictimcare.co.uk/  or phone 0808 178 1641

If you’ve received a phishing email please report it to your email provider and/or forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk 

If you’ve received unwanted phone calls or texts from people you think are trying to scam you, but you haven’t engaged with them, please forward the text/phone number to 7726 or your phone provider.

Thank you – Fraud Safeguarding Team