SPOT SCAMS……..STOP SCAMS!

Its May and its Scams Awareness Month.The following are key messages and tips to spot scams and stop scams.
Scams Awareness Month is a national joint campaign between the Trading Standards Institute and Citizens Advice.

If you are worried that you might have been the target of a possible scam apply one or more of these tests. Every year over 3million people in the UK fall victim to scams. It is estimated that nearly half the people in the UK (48%) have been targeted by a scam and that £3.5bn is lost to scams every year. We need to be alert! Consider the following statements:

  • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
  • If you haven’t bought a ticket....you can’t win it.
  • You shouldn’t have to pay anything to get a prize...don’t send money!
  • If in doubt, don’t reply. Bin it, delete it or hang up.
  • Persuasive sales patter? Just say: “no thank you”.
  • Contacted out of the blue.....be suspicious.
  • NEVER give out your bank details unless you are certain you can trust the person contacting you.
  • Take your time....resist pressure to make a decision straight away.
  • Never send money to someone you don’t know.
  • Walk away from job ads that ask for money in advance.

If you think you might be the victim of a scam of any sort and need help or want to report something you are suspicious of, contact your local Wyre Forest Citizens Advice for free and impartial in one of the following ways:

Website for advice and information: www.adviceguide.org.uk

Telephone advice line(Worcestershire): 0844 4111303(from landline) 0300 330 0650 (from mobile)

Appointments at Wyre Forest Bureau: 01562 60194

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Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here