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Scams

You can find further help and advice to avoid becomming the latest victim of a scam over at Consumer Direct

"Just Tick It"

The Office of Fair Trading has launched its "Just Tick It" campaign which aims to raise consumer awareness of scam event ticket websites. Practical advice is also provided on how to avoid falling victim to the scam.

Buying Tickets Online? Don't Get Scammed

 

 

Consumers are advised:

  • If it seems too good to be true it probably is
  • Be aware that scam ticket websites exist
  • Know how to protect your self when buying event tickets online
  • Further advice and a checklist are available at link below

Find out more about ticketscams

HMRC Phishing Scam

Aberdeenshire Council Trading Standards Officers are warning people to be on the look out for the latest scam.

Emails have been sent out, allegedly from the Tax Credit Office suggesting the recipients are eligible to receive a tax refund. It provides a link to an official looking form containing the logo of HM Revenues & Customs which asks for the claimants credit card details.

HMRC are aware of this scam and there have been a number of similar ones in the past. They advise they would never send out emails informing people they were eligible for a tax rebate, nor would they invite them to complete an online form to claim such a rebate.

Wilma Urquhart, Consumer Protection Manager, advised,
“People should never disclose their credit card or bank details in response to
an unsolicited email.

IIt is very easy for fraudsters to create official looking forms and websites through the use of copied logos such as the HM Revenues & Customs logo used in this case. However, if you provide the financial information sought you are likely to find your accounts drained of allfunds.”
Anyone receiving this or similar emails can report them to Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or contact :


Wilma Urquhart
Consumer Protection manager
Gordon house
Blackhall Road
Inverurie
AB51 3WA
01467 628123

 

Business Advertising Scam Warning

Aberdeenshire Council Consumer Protection Service is warning local businesses to be on their guard after receiving complaints about a possible advertising scam.

Businesses have received unsolicited telephone calls from a person claiming to be from the local Fire and Rescue Service and have been offered advertising space on a road safety calendar.

Fraser Burr of Grampian Fire and Rescue Service said “we are not currently involved in any such promotion and would disassociate ourselves from this advertising campaign.  The calendar has nothing to do with Grampian Fire and Rescue Service and we would urge the public to be sceptical if they receive unsolicited telephone calls from anybody claiming to be from this service.”

Telephone scams can be targeted at both businesses and consumers and Consumer Protection provide the following advice:

Principal Trading Standards Officer Kevin Fleurs said “Scammers do try and associate themselves with reputable organisations to give themselves an air of legitimacy which helps them sell their products.  There are genuine businesses selling products over the telephone but we would urge consumers and businesses to always be sceptical and to obtain details of the offer and the contract in writing before making a purchase.”

Registering with the Telephone Preference Service (www.tpsoline.org.uk or 0845 0700707) should help reduce the amount of unsolicited phone calls as all organisations have a legal responsibility to ensure they do not call registered numbers.

Businesses wishing to make a complaint about a scam should contact Consumer Protection on Fraserburgh 01346 510505 or Inverurie 01467 628323 and consumers should contact Consumer Direct Scotland on 08454 040506.

  • Be sceptical if you receive unsolicited telephone calls
  • Ask yourself if you really know who you are dealing with and whether you can rely on what is said
  • If they claim to be from a certain organisation contact the organisation directly to check they are who they say they are.
  • Never agree to enter into a legally binding contract during an unsolicited telephone call
  • Never provide bank account or credit card details to anybody unless you are sure who you are dealing with and you trust them.
  • Never make impulse purchases over the phone – if you require a service, shop around for the best price
  • Never be pressured during a phone call – if you feel uncomfortable or pressured just hang up.

Elderly Victims of Scams

The OFT has launched a campaign to highlight the need for the elderly as well as their friends, family and carers to be alert to scams which causes misery to thousands of people each year.

OFT research has identified that the elderly lose twice as much per scam as others and potentially may lose their life savings as well as be affected by subsequent ill health.

The advice to the elderly includes:

  • Discuss any offer with friends or relatives before replying
  • 090 numbers are charged at a premium rate
  • Never send money to receive winnings or prizes
  • Never provide bank details to people you don’t know

Ignore psychic letters, good or bad luck letters and other chain letters and never send money. If the person feels they must pass the letter on then send them to Consumer Protection.

The advice to friends, family and other carers includes:

  • look out for warning signs such as a lot of junk mail being delivered (once a person has responded to a scam they will be put on a “suckers” list and be inundated with other bogus offers.
  • Are lots of telephone calls from strangers being received?
  • Has the person become unusually secretive about discussing finances?
  • Any discussions about scams however should be carried out in a way that doesn’t cause unnecessary alarm.

It is possible for any body including the elderly to be naïve about the existence of scams and the attempts of criminals to con them out of their money. It can be a delicate subject but to assist in this the OFT has published the following two leaflets which can be obtained from Consumer Protection or downloaded for free. Just click on the following links.

Please note that these are links to Adobe pdf documents on an external website.

Further advice on scams can be obtained from Consumer Direct Scotland.

Interactive guide on scam letters.

'The OFT has launched  a series of interactive scam guides designed to help people avoid being tricked into losing money. The guides expose the clever tactics used by scammers and are the OFT’s latest tool in the fight against the scams that cost UK consumers £3.5 billion every year.

There are three interactive guides available – a ‘prize draw’ scam mailing, a bogus ‘lottery’ mailing and a fake ‘clairvoyant’ mailing, all similar to the type that drop onto the doormats of thousands of people across the UK every day.  Each guide contains ‘pop-up’ text highlighting the tricks used by the scammers to convince people that the letters are genuine.  For example, clairvoyant mailings use the recipient’s name over and over again, and include printed sections that look like they have been hand-written, when in fact the exact same letter will have been sent to thousands of other people at the same time. 

Recent research conducted by the OFT indicates that foreign lottery, prize draw and clairvoyant scams cost consumers more than £350 million every year, with individuals being targeted repeatedly and sometimes losing tens of thousands of pounds. People receiving unsolicited mail that they suspect may be part of a scam can check it for the kinds of tricks explained in the OFT guides before responding, and others who suspect that relatives or friends are at risk can show them examples of what to watch out for.

Christine Wade, Assistant Chief Executive, Consumer Advice and Trading Standards said: 'Lottery, prize draw and clairvoyant scams can cause untold hurt and harm to the people who are deceived into responding. These guides show people the tricks that scammers regularly use and make it easier for people to protect themselves against scams.'

The interactive scams guides can be found on www.oft.gov.uk Consumers who are unsure about unsolicited mailings that they have received can contact Consumer Direct for clear, practical advice on 08454 04 05 06 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk. before they part with any money.'