Beware of Scams
20th of July, 2023
Rogue Roofers Dehumidifier Scam
Householders in the Wyre area have reported employing rogue property repairers to fix leaking roofs. The roofer have alleged the roof space is damp and they will need to hire an industrial dehumidifier at considerable cost to the householder. Money for the repairs and the dehumidifier have been handed over, in one case over £9000 after the victim was taken to the bank. Some work has been carried out, although badly and the leak is still present, the dehumidifier never arrived.
Best advice is to always use local traders you know and trust. Be careful when using websites that provide access to online trader quotes, shop around and never feel obligated or rushed into agreeing to work.
Trading Standards advice is to always say no to cold callers. The Safetrader scheme can help you find a trader in your area, contact 0303 333 1111 or go to www.safetrader.org.uk
Scam 'Fraud Squad' call
This scam involves a call from a Detective claiming to be from the Fraud Squad at Scotland Yard. The victim is provided with a crime number and told that a serious fraud attempt has been made on their account, followed by questions about their credit card limit. The victim is encouraged to ring 999 to verify the identity of the Detective, but on doing this the original scammer never disconnects his call. As part of the investigation the victim is asked to withdraw 5000 Euros from a local bureau de change, which leads to the money being collected by one of the team's investigators. Throughout this scam the victim is advised to not tell anyone as they are part of a police investigation.
The police or your bank will never ask you to move or withdraw funds from your account. Anyone receiving this type of telephone call should contact the Police, use a different phone line if you have concerns the line may not be safe.
Talk Talk Scam
In a current variation of the Talk Talk scam an internet user was advised they should have been set up on a special introductory deal and that Talk Talk needed their bank details to refund 3 months of payments. A large amount of money was removed from their bank account.
Facebook messages from abroad
Be wary about receiving emails and Facebook messages which look to have come from friends abroad, claiming that certain investments have worked for them. If your settings are not secure, it is not difficult for scammers to find an individual's Facebook friends and send fraudulent messages to them. Scammers may ask you to communicate with them on apps such as WhatsApp or Hangout, making it difficult to trace them. The warning comes after one elderly resident lost £45,000 to a number of investment scams including a cleverly sold Bitcoin investment.
Contact the Trading Standards Service via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 03454 04 05 06.