12-year-old Naomi wins police story-telling competition
A competition to help prevent people from falling victim to fraud has been won by a 12-year-old girl from Dorset.
In March 2024, Dorset Police launched a story-telling competition to help the public to spot common signs of fraud. Entrants were encouraged to use fairy tales to inspire conversations about fraud and help prevent people from unknowingly sharing personal details or banking information with criminals.
Entries were split into age categories and narrowed down by Dorset-based author, Rachel McLean. The winners and runners up for each category were:
Ages five to nine:
(1) Mayra Shah, 9, The Cursed Pendant
(2) Mia Belfield, 9, Rosie and the Mysterious Mr Fox
(3) Marcus Pereira, 8, Super Pigeon saves the day at the ATM
Ages 10 to 12:
(1) Naomi Baker, 12, The dream that had blossomed into a different dream
(2) Isla Smart, 11, Perseus and the passer-by
(3) Petra Kostetsky-Brownen, 10, Jeremy and City Runner
Ages 13 to 17:
(1) Sky Surrey, 13, Timmy's mistake
(2) India Smart, 13, Cluedo Clues up at Woofilicious
Ages 24 to 64:
(1) Cate Battson, 31, Knock Knock
(2) Louise Ahrens, 49, Long Distance Love
(3) Jenny Andrews, 40, Annabelle and the Tricky Trickster
Ages 65 and up:
(1) Christine Diment, 75, The Garden Gnomes at No 23
(2) Ann Taylor, 77, Sally the Sensible Squirrel
(3) Ray Lee, 69, The Scam
The 14 winners were invited to attend a ceremony at Lighthouse in Poole on Saturday 15 June 2024, where they were each presented with medals and trophies provided by the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick, and gift certificates kindly donated by Liverpool Victoria.
At the end of the ceremony, Naomi Baker was revealed as the overall winner, and was awarded an additional gift certificate, donated by NatWest.
Damian Cranny, Fraud Protect Officer at Dorset Police, said: “I was immensely proud to witness people of all ages making a creative and impactful contribution to defeating fraud.
"Criminals may have access to artificial intelligence (AI), but they don't have the talents and ingenuity of the people of Dorset who are stopping fraud in its tracks by spreading important advice through cautionary tales.
“These individuals are true trendsetters, helping to make Dorset a safer place for all, and I hope this is the start of many innovative ways that we can work with our communities to reduce fraud and its devastating effects."
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick said: “It has been truly great to see so many entries to this competition from Dorset residents of all ages and my congratulations go to the winners.
"Competitions like this are a powerful tool in encouraging more conversations about fraudulent behaviour and have the power to prevent more people from becoming the victim of these abhorrent scammers.
"I am committed to continuing to work with Dorset Police as they find innovative ways to shine a light on how people can be tricked and highlight how we can all protect ourselves, as well as family and friends. Together, we can help make a difference and stop these scammers and their fairy tales.”
Winning stories will be made available on the Dorset Police website later in the month.
Fraud equates for over 40 per cent of all crime reported in England and Wales, with an estimated 80 per cent of fraud offences not reported, according to data released by the National Crime Agency.
Between 5 December 2022 and 5 January 2024, Action Fraud estimates that Dorset residents have lost £19.9 million to fraud.
If you suspect you are being targeted by a scam, please report it to Dorset Police: https://www.dorset.police.uk/ro/report/fo/v2/report-fraud-bribery-corruption/ or Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
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