Thursday, 2 May 2013

Scam Awareness Month


May 2013 is scam awareness month and Cumbria County Council Trading Standards Service has teamed up with Citizens Advice to highlight the problem of scams, advise people how to avoid being taken in and how they can fight back against the scammers.

The campaign which runs throughout May aims to raise awareness of scams and calls on consumers to drop scam mailings they have received into designated ‘Scamnesty’ bins.  The information collected will provide valuable new intelligence and help inform future investigations aimed at preventing others being scammed.

Scamnesty bins can be found at the following locations:

Booths, Dodge Croft Road, Kirkby Lonsdale CA6 2HG
Grange Library, Grange Fell Road, Grange over Sands LA11 6BQ
Windermere CAB, Windermere Library, Ellerthwaite Road, Windermere LA23 2AJ
Ambleside Age UK, Compston Road, Ambleside LA22 9DJ
Trading Standards Kendal, SLDC, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street Kendal LA9 4DQ

If you have been targeted by a scam, or know someone who has then call Action Fraud 0300 123 2040 www.actionfraud.police.uk. Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime.

To report a problem to Trading Standards you can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06. Trading Standards are responsible for protecting consumers and the community against rogue traders and traders acting unfairly. You can get online consumer advice and information at: www.adviceguide.org.uk.