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Yell Scam

Trading Standards have been alerted that companies operating a national scam have been targeting businesses in Aberdeenshire. The companies impersonate ‘Yell’ products and services - in particular ‘Yellow Pages’ and ‘Yell.com’.

These scams mislead potential ‘new’ customers into signing fake advertising contracts, whilst existing Yell customers believe they are renewing their current Yell advertising.  Order forms are sent by e-mail or fax and contain lookalike "Yellow Pages" branding. Customers who return the form subsequently receive invoices and requests for payment.

The scams are sophisticated and run by complex overseas networks - some may even have set up copycat websites resembling Yell.com. 

Businesses should be particularly alert to any correspondence they receive containing contact details based in Holland or Germany and/or specifically from Yellow Page UK/ Yellow Page AG (displays an inverted "walking fingers" logo), Yellow Pages 24 and UK Yellow Guide.

 

Council warning over telephone scams

1st March 2010

Aberdeenshire Council’s consumer protection team is warning residents to be on their guard against telephone scams after receiving reports of suspect calls.

Members of the public have reported a small number of incidents after being contacted by someone claiming to be from Aberdeenshire Council conducting a ‘lifestyle survey’.

On one occasion after being challenged the caller hung up although consumer protection suspect the caller would have attempted to obtain personal information or bank details.

The council did not make the call but do sometimes conduct surveys by telephone. However, on these occasions callers would not ask for personal or bank details.

Wilma Urquhart, Consumer Protection Manager for Aberdeenshire Council, said: “New scams are being identified all the time and residents should be vigilant if they receive unexpected telephone calls or letters.

“If consumers are duped and provide bank account or card details they risk having their accounts cleared out and their identities stolen.

“We are working with the Office of Fair Trading to prosecute the criminals behind such scams but the best advice is to be on your guard to ensure you do not fall victim in the first place.”

A second scam relating to council tax payments has also been identified recently.

Residents have been contacted and told their property has been re-banded and they are due a refund due to council tax over payments.

The caller then asks for bank or debit card details to arrange this payment. However, if these details are provided their bank accounts could then be accessed by criminals.

The council is not contacting residents about banding repayments and would not ask for bank account details under these circumstances.

However, if residents are in arrears with their council tax they may be asked to make payment over the phone. Residents are advised to ensure they are dealing with council staff if they are contacted.

A genuine caller would be able to provide the council tax reference number or the amounts and methods of recent payments to confirm that they are from the council. However, any person who suspects a caller is not genuine should arrange to make any arrears payment by a different method.

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, Councillor Peter Argyle, said: “Any consumer who believes they may be the victim of a scam and have provided financial information should contact their bank or credit card provider immediately.

“Council staff will be able to verify their identity when calling residents and should also be able to provide details of tax payments, including an amount and method of payment.

“As we enter tougher economic times it is more important than ever for residents to be alert in order to prevent themselves, or friends, family and neighbours falling victim to these heartless money-making schemes.

“Under no circumstances should anyone give out personal information and financial details to anyone who asks for them.”

Vice-chairwoman of the committee, Councillor Jill Webster, added: “We urge people to be on their guard all year round for unexpected letters, emails, texts and telephone calls with seemingly tempting offers.

“Before responding we ask that you stop and think. If you receive an offer which appears to be too good to be true – then it probably is.

“Anyone can be targeted by these criminals, but those most at risk are often the elderly and vulnerable in our society.”

Further information on scams can be found at www.oft.gov.uk and www.consumerdirect.gov.uk

Consumer Direct Scotland can also be contacted for advice or to make a complaint on 08454 040506.

 

 

 

TSI warning of distraction burglars using freezing weather to access homes

The Trading Standards Institute (TSI) is urging residents to beware of rogues offering to check the house for frozen pipes.

Trading standards services have received reports of vulnerable consumers being visited by criminals claiming to be from a water company. Once they've gained access into the home the householder is distracted in the kitchen or bathroom while the burglars make away with valuables.

The warning comes as water companies reveal they are taking a record number of calls - three to four times more than the winter average. Frozen pipes and leaks are the main complaints.

David Sanders, chairman of TSI, said: "The unscrupulous take their opportunities in adversity and we know conmen are taking advantage of widespread problems with plumbing that the freezing weather conditions have caused.

"We are urging consumers to be vigilant with any trader turning up on their doorstep uninvited - should they need repairs or checks carried out we'd advise them to call their water supplier and arrange for an engineer to visit by appointment."

Consumers are also advised to check schemes such as Trustmark and Buy with Confidence to find a reputable trader for repairs. Other tips to avoid falling victim to rogues include:

  • Use a trader recommended by friends or family
  • Get three quotes
  • Do not use a trader who just turns up on your doorstep or leaves a leaflet; they could be anyone.

Should anyone have doubts about the credentials of a trader knocking on their door they should take up as many details as they can, including the registration number on the vehicle, and report them to their local trading standards service or the police.

Trading Standards can be contacted by clicking link below

trading.standards@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Or by calling 01467 628323.

Woman To Pay Back £105,000 For Selling Counterfeit Goods

In July 2006 around £11,000 of counterfeit goods were seized and after a lengthy investigation, Fiona Begg pleaded guilty in November 2008 to their possession with intent to sell and a sentence of 300 hours community service was imposed.

The clothing was labelled and packaged to appear to be genuine items made by luxury manufacturers such as Diesel, Burberry, Prada, Armani, Lacoste, Dolce & Gabbana, Timberland and Henri Lloyd.

A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said its Trading Standards service welcomes the conclusion of the case, relating to offences of supplying counterfeit clothing on the ebay website.

"The trade in counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime and is estimated to be worth around £10 billion in the UK alone; the exchequer loses around £3 billion of revenue every year."

"The proceeds of crime order of almost £105,000 reflects the size of Begg's involvement in the sale of counterfeit clothing and is one of the biggest proceeds of crime orders in a Trading Standards case so far across the UK.

"The size of the order should send a clear message to anybody involved in the supply of counterfeit goods that consumer protection services will not hesitate to investigate these offences and the courts can impose large orders to recover any profits made from such crimes."

Toy Safety Advice

Whilst most toys sold in the UK are safe, injuries and accidents do happen. These can be due to a variety of reasons from a defective toy being placed on the market to a toy being given to a child that is inappropriate for its age or because the instructions have not been read properly. Whatever the reason there are steps we can take to prevent accidents from occurring.

In the UK all toys must meet the requirements of the Toy (Safety) Regulations 1995 and bear the CE mark, so look for this mark as it indicates that the toy satisfies all the essential safety requirements applicable to it and can be sold within the EU.

Check the labelling on the product is it suitable for the age of the child intended, is supervision required? Do a general check for small parts and sharp edges as these could cut little fingers and/or choke a younger child. And finally read the instructions and heed any warnings.

Counterfeit toys pose a much more serious danger to children than those sold by reputable traders. Many counterfeit products will look like the genuine toy and represent some popular brands at competitive prices. However, whilst they may appear to be just as good as the real thing, they are most often not. Many will have been manufactured on the cheap resulting in poorly made inferior products and more worryingly they will not have been subjected to the same rigorous testing as the authentic product.

Identifying counterfeit toys is difficult if you don't know what to look for but as a starting point look for a CE mark and the name and address of the importer/manufacturer. Fake products are unlikely to have this information as counterfeiters do not want the product to be traced back to them. Poor spelling or blurred printing on the packaging is also a good indication that the product you are looking at is not genuine. Be cautious if buying from a market stall, street trader or car boot sale as these are the most common places for counterfeit sales and finally, if the price is considerably cheaper than what the product is selling for in the shops then there is probably a good reason for this so 'buyer beware'!

If you are in any doubt please contact your local Trading Standards Office for assistance and advice, if you live in Aberdeenshire you can contact us by clicking the link below :

trading.standards@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Would you like to gain valuable workplace experience with Trading Standards?

If you are aged between 16 and 161/2 and could work with us for a day or two in the next few weeks you would gain an insight into the work of Trading Standards enforcement.

We are looking for volunteer young people to assist us with undercover test purchases of age restricted goods such as tobacco and fireworks.

Please click the link below for more information.