Advice and tips on avoiding scams (From Andover Advertiser)

Advice and tips on avoiding scams

12:40pm Saturday 6th February 2010

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Trading Standards officers will be visiting a number of Asda stores across the county this month offering advice on how people can protect themselves from con artists targeting victims online or through the post.

People can drop off their scam mailings and get advice on the steps they can take to protect themselves while picking up their groceries at the Andover store. The campaign is part of Scamnesty 2010, a national campaign run by the Office of Fair Trading in partnership with Trading Standards and February is designated as Scam Awareness Month. In Hampshire, the number of scams circulating is continually increasing. The county council’s Trading Standards Officers recorded almost 1,000 complaints in the past 12 months – an increase of almost 100 per cent on the previous year. Top of the list for 2010 remain scams that prey on people’s money worries, offering too-good-to-be-true offers or cash handouts, such as working from home scams, eye-catching investment opportunities and jackpot prizes.

Office of Fair Trading research estimates that more than three million people in the UK fall victim to mass-marketed scams every year, collectively losing £3.5 billion, but less than five per cent of victims report the scam to the authorities either through embarrassment or not knowing how to report incidents. As part of the drive to encourage more people to report these scams you can send your scam letters to: Trading Standards Service, Hampshire County Council, FREEPOST (SCE 7175), Winchester SO23 8ZZ. Visit consumerdirect.gov.uk/scamnesty for advice on how to forward scam emails sent to your home or work. Anyone who feels they or someone they know may have fallen victim to a scam can also contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 for advice.

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