SCAMS – SOME EXAMPLES TO LOOK OUT FOR AND HELP AVAILABLE
The Derbyshire County Council’s trading standards team is urging people to report scams all year round and for carers, families and friends to be vigilant. www.derbyshire.gov.uk/scams
There is information below on –
• Action consumers can take to tackle scams
• Details of the five most frequent door step scams
• Information about help sources available and the relevant contact details
ACTION consumers can take to tackle scams:
• Get advice and report issues to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 or visit www.adviceguide.org.uk
• Report scams and suspected scams to Action Fraud by phone on 0300 123 2040 or at www.actionfraud.police.uk
• Register phone numbers with the Telephone Preference Service by calling 0845 070 0707 or at www.tpsonline.org.uk
• The Mailing Preference Service (MPS) is free and can help reduce unsolicited mail. Call 0845 703 4599 or visit www.mpsonline.org.uk
• People who want to report a potential postal scam can send them with a covering letter to Royal Mail at FREEPOST Scam Mail, call 03456 113 413 or email scam.mail@royalmail.com
• Report unsolicited marketing calls to the Information Commissioner’s Office on 0303 123 1113 or visit www.ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing
• Call Age UK on 0800 169 6565 or visit its website which features a downloadable guide to dealing with all kinds of scams at www.ageuk.org.uk
• Tell a trusted friend, relative or neighbour
DOOR STEP SCAMS
The top five types of doorstep scams reported to the council’s Trading Standards team by Derbyshire residents are:
• Driveways: Cold callers knock on doors of homes where the driveway looks in need of repair and offer to do the work at a knock-down price. Residents are quoted a price they believe is for the complete job but are later told the quote was price per square metre. These rogue traders often claim they are working with or representing the local council and have material left over from a job in the area.
• Mobile fish sellers: They call door-to-door trying to sell residents a large quantity of poor quality fish at a high price. The fish is often described incorrectly, unlabelled or mislabelled, overpriced and often underweight. The sellers often travel in vans which may not be refrigerated.
• Gardening/landscaping: Cold callers offer to carry out gardening or landscaping at a discount price. Work will often begin but remain unfinished as more ‘issues’ seem to arise and the price increases.
• Roofing: Residents are approached by cold callers who say they have noticed a loose or broken tile on the roof. They will offer to replace the tile but then claim additional work is required. Residents can then be pressured into allowing unnecessary and expensive repairs to be carried out.
• Mobility products: Fraudulent companies target elderly residents by phone claiming to be carrying out a home health and mobility survey. Another phone call follows to persuade the resident to allow an adviser to visit them at home. Residents are then visited by the adviser who will try to sell overpriced mobility products, including scooters, rise and recline chairs, mattresses and beds. The adviser will often stay for hours until the resident feels pressured into buying something.
“This type of cold calling scam can affect anyone but elderly and vulnerable people are most at risk.
“Rogue sellers can be aggressive and persistent and residents may feel pressured into doing things they wouldn’t normally do but reputable traders will not tout for business by calling at homes uninvited.
“We want anyone who has been affected by scams like these or any other kind of fraud to know there is support and advice available – and to report any suspicious door-to-door selling activities they may see.”
Residents are encouraged to use the county council’s Trusted Trader scheme to find traders and businesses that are reputable and reliable.
Trusted Trader protects residents from rogue traders and high pressure sales techniques. There are 1,300 traders signed up to the council scheme including builders, gardeners, plumbers and decorators who pledge to do a good job at a fair price with good customer service.
SAM15 was launched in July 2015 with a focus on telephone scams and continued into week two with online fraud. Mail scams followed and the campaign ended with a focus on doorstep scams.
Although SAM15 has finished, the county council’s trading standards team is urging people to report scams all year round and for carers, families and friends to be vigilant.
Residents can find out how to spot and tackle scams and find information about relevant support services to help older and vulnerable people at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/scams
For more information about the county council’s trusted trader scheme visit www.derbyshire.gov.uk/tt
ACTION consumers can take to tackle scams:
• Get advice and report issues to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06 or visit www.adviceguide.org.uk
• Report scams and suspected scams to Action Fraud by phone on 0300 123 2040 or at www.actionfraud.police.uk
• Report unsolicited marketing calls to the Information Commissioner’s Office on 0303 123 1113 or visit www.ico.org.uk/concerns/marketing
• Call Age UK on 0800 169 6565 or visit its website which features a downloadable guide to dealing with all kinds of scams at www.ageuk.org.uk
• Tell a trusted friend, relative or neighbour
Residents can find out how to spot and tackle scams and find information about relevant support services to help older and vulnerable people at: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/scams