Midlothian Council Trading Standards is joining forces with the local Citizens Advice Bureaux (CABx) during Scams Awareness Month - a national campaign running throughout July to warn the public about devious fraudsters.
Protect yourself and others
This year’s campaign theme is ‘Play your part, act on scams’. The key message is that if you are aware of a scam then report it and also share information about it to family, friends and neighbours. This will help to protect other people from being scammed.
Fashions in scams change but common ones at the moment include fake emails about tax rebates, emails from shopping websites about orders never made, fake lottery wins, fraudsters swindling money out of people on dating websites and fake investment opportunities and concert tickets.
Scam warning advice - If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
Never give out your bank details or send money unless you are certain you can trust the person contacting you. Your bank will never ask for your PIN or come to your home. Contacted out of the blue? Be suspicious.
Make sure the website’s secure, if you are buying online – check for the padlock or “https” next to the web address.
It you haven’t bought a lottery ticket you can’t win it.
You shouldn’t have to pay anything to get a prize.
Pressure to make a decision straight away? Take your time and just say: “No thank you”.
Walk away from job ads that ask for money in advance.
Computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to help you fix your computer.
Don’t suffer in silence – tell others about scams.
Focus on four - During the campaign, Citizens Advice have decided to focus on four groups of people that have been shown to be vulnerable to scams:
1. People aged 45-60
2. People aged 18-24
3. The socially isolated
4. The over 70s
Research has shown that 45-60 year olds are most affected by scams, often losing large amounts of money. But there is also a disturbing rise in the number of 18-24 year-olds being scammed. This is the group least likely to report a scam.
The purpose of Scams Awareness Month is to encourage people to fight back against the fraudsters by reporting these scams.”
Citizens Advice staff hear on almost a daily basis from people who have lost out after being tricked. We are calling on the public to be more aware of how they could be scammed, and to report it if they get caught out."
To find out more, call 03454 04 05 06; visit the Scam Aware website or call Midlothian Council Trading Standards on 0131 271 3549.
