West Yorkshire Trading Standards Shows Support For Scams Awareness Month – July 2016

As Citizen’s Advice Scams Awareness Month is running throughout July 2016, West Yorkshire Trading Standards has teamed up to urge residents to spread the word about scams and expose the tactics of fraudsters to protect others.

Each week throughout July Scams Awareness Month will raise awareness around different types of scams. This week’s (1st – 10th July)  focus has been telephone scams, as 33% of the scams reported to Action Fraud state this as the contact method of the scammer.

It comes as national research by Citizens Advice finds scammers are using a variety of tactics to get people to part with their cash, on average people are losing £2,500 across all types of scam.

Since 2012, West Yorkshire Trading Standards have been running the ‘SAFER Project’ which is funded by the Big Lottery, and have delivered over 1,000 awareness raising workshops to older people and vulnerable adults in West Yorkshire, in order to educate residents on the various tactics that telephone scammers use. The SAFER Project will be working with professionals and community groups to deliver a further 40 workshops throughout Scams Awareness Month.

Common telephone scams

•Computer scams – People are cold called and told they have a problem with their computer which, for a fee, can be fixed. An alternative method involves the victim initiating the contact in response to an online advert or prompt claiming that their device has been infected with a virus.

•Copycat Government official service – Callers claim to be from “the Government Grants department” telling people they are eligible for a grant of several thousand pounds for being a good citizens – paying taxes, bills on time. They may demand a down payment to release the money or trick victims into handing over payment details.

•Telephone Preference Service (TPS) – Scammers demand payment for the free TPS or sell call blockers which either do not work properly or are part of an expensive subscription service.

•Vishing – Scammers impersonate someone from a bank, the police or other legitimate organisation such as a telephone or internet provider.

•Smishing – Text messages used to lure people into scam websites or inviting them to call premium rate numbers or download malicious content.

Take a stand against telephone scams

•Never giving out bank or personal details like your name, phone number or address over the telephone.

•Don’t feel pressured in to making a decision over the telephone.

•If the caller is vague about giving out their company information, hang up.

•Don’t open texts or answer calls from unrecognisable numbers.

•Consider a call blocking device to filter out unwanted calls.

As part of the recent ‘Don’t Get Hung Up, Hang Up’ campaign delivered across West Yorkshire, telephone call blocking technology was installed in the homes of the older community members who are most vulnerable to scams and often received an exceptionally high number of scam calls. The device enabled customers to effectively “zap” unwanted callers and prevent them calling again from the same number.

Some residents stated that they received more than 15 nuisance calls per day, and it is these persistent callers that can seriously impact upon older and vulnerable people’s financial health and well-being. Recent cases reported to West Yorkshire Trading Standards include one resident paying £89.99 to a cold caller claiming to be from Microsoft, to “fix” problems with their PC, a resident who was persuaded to invest £6,000 in a diamond scheme that never existed and another victim being threatened to pay back a loan that they had never taken out, being told they would ‘end up in jail’.

As a result of the campaign, 9 in 10 participants saw a reduction in the number of nuisance calls and 79% of participants said they no longer feel worried when answering the phone.

What to do if you have been scammed

•Get advice and report it to Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0345 404 0506 or online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

•Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 to help stop it happening to others.

•It’s not always possible to get your money back if you've been scammed, and handed over cash.

•If you've paid for goods or services by credit card you have more protection and if you used a debit card you may be able to ask your bank for a chargeback.

David Lodge, Head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards said: “People are seeing their money go down the drain as con artists rip them off by promising services, pressurising them to buy over the phone or transferring money only to find there is nothing at the end. Don’t give out any personal details over the phone it is important that your cash does not end up in the wrong hands.”

Councillor Val Slater, Chair of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Committee said: “I whole heartedly back this campaign, and support the stop scams message. This month we are reinforcing the key messages for people to be vigilant and to put the phone down if you don’t recognise the person on the phone, and the report any calls which are pressuring to give out personal details or threatening. It is vital they are reported.”