Scams Awareness Fortnight
Of course, scams are a universal problem that will be addressed by Citizens Advice Rushmoor concurrently with our other campaigns, however our annual Scams Awareness Fortnight aims to shine a light on this issue.
Taking place this year from the 15th-28th June, we aim to create a powerful network of clients that know how to spot, report and deal with a scam, as well as offering support to those who have been affected.
Scams are more commonplace than you might think, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, where it has been revealed from Citizens Advice research that four in ten people (42%) in the South East have been the target of a scam since lockdown came into effect across the country.
Seven in ten people 69% are worried someone they know will fall foul of a con. And the large majority of people (91%) reported they felt wary of coronavirus scams.
Citizens Advice Rushmoor is encouraging people to talk about their experiences and look out for others they think could be at risk. As well as this, Citizens Advice offer some great resources on spotting scams and then reporting them to the authorities.
See below for some helpful tips and handy resources we can offer you if you or someone you know are worried about being scammed.
Are you being scammed?
- Look into installing a call blocker to help combat telephone scams
- Talk to your or their bank immediately if there is any suspicious activity or transactions from their account or credit cards
- Report the scam to Citizens Advice who will give you advice on what to do next and report the scam to Trading Standards
- If you or someone you know is struggling to pay bills or outstanding debts Citizens Advice may be able to help
How to avoid being scammed
- Be suspicious if you’re contacted out of the blue, even if it’s from a name you recognise
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is
- Never send money to someone you’ve never met
- Never give out your bank details unless you are certain you can trust the person contacting you
- Don’t be rushed – you never need to make a decision straight away and if you feel pressured say “no”
- Suspect a scam? Hang up, wait five minutes to clear the line or use another phone to call
- Don’t suffer in silence – speak out about scams
Helpful resources
- Check if something might be a scam
Check if you can get your money back after a scam - What to do if you’ve been scammed
- Report a scam
- Get emotional support if you’ve been scammed
- Get help with online scams
If you want any more advice on scams and how you can spot, report or prevent them, please do get in touch with our team through our advice line on 0300 3309 046. Or you can call 01252 513051 for local help; and for Nepali language help the number is 01252 894280. The national Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline is free on 0808 223 1133