2 in 3 people in South East England have been targeted by scammers so far in 2021
65% of people in South East England have been targeted by a scammer since January, new research by Citizens Advice has found.
Fraudsters tried to trick local residents in a range of ways, but the biggest scams they face are delivery scams. Over half (56%) the people in the area said they’d been contacted about a scam of this kind. Typically, scammers contact people stating that they have missed a delivery and asking for a small sum to re-deliver an item. This gives scammers access to your bank details which they can use to commit further fraud.
To encourage people to report scams, share their experiences and look out for others, Citizens Advice West Berkshire and West Berkshire Council Public Protection Partnership have launched their annual Scams Awareness campaign.
Sue Mackie, Chief Officer of Citizens Advice West Berkshire said:
“A shocking number of people in our area have been targeted by scammers so far this year. We have advised clients who’ve fallen victim to a variety of scams, including Amazon gift card scams and investment bond scams. Fraudsters are becoming ever more sophisticated but there are things that we can all do to help ourselves and others.”
Malcolm Phillips, Fraud Prevention Officer at the Public Protection Partnership said:
“As life begins to unlock, it’s so important we all do our bit and report anything that looks like a con when we see it. By learning how scammers operate, and helping each other understand what to look out for, we can all work together to stop fraudsters in their tracks.”
To help stop more people being fleeced, Citizens Advice West Berkshire and West Berkshire Council Public Protection Partnership are sharing the following tips on how to spot scams.
It might be a scam if:
- it seems too good to be true – for example, a holiday that’s much cheaper than you’d expect
- you’ve been pressured to transfer money quickly or in an unusual way – like by iTunes vouchers or a transfer service
- you’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
- you haven't had written confirmation of what's been agreed
If you’ve been scammed, Citizens Advice West Berkshire advise:
- talk to your bank or card company immediately if you’ve handed over any financial and sensitive information or made a payment
- report offline scams, like telephone, post and doorstep, to Citizens Advice online or by calling 0808 223 1133. Report online scams to the dedicated Scams Action service either online or on 0808 250 5050
- report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
- or online at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
