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Scams. The silent menace Phil Thomas Head of Trading Standards. How many consumers received this scam mail in one month?. Answer. One!. What is a scam?. A scheme to con you out of money They come in many forms There are many different approaches “There’s a scam for everyone”.
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Scams The silent menace Phil Thomas Head of Trading Standards
Answer One!
What is a scam? A scheme to con you out of money They come in many forms There are many different approaches “There’s a scam for everyone”
How big is the problem? UK consumers lose an estimated £4.8billion to scams every year The average amount per victim is £850 Almost half the adult population has been targeted by a scam 1 in 15 will fall victim to a scam
In Hampshire Since April, losses of over £4.5million have been recorded by Trading Standards The biggest problems are boiler room frauds, land banking scams and fake prize draws or lotteries
Mrs P 80 years old Lives alone with no friends or family Multiple contracts for double glazing, paying over £600 per month Regular letters and phone calls from various finance companies
Mr H Case referred by a financial advisor Former stockbroker Sent away over £300,000
What are we doing? Dedicated preventative and reactive teams Raise awareness with partner agencies Visit victims and try to stop them responding
Can you help? Support Cause for concern