More than two scams and attempted scams a day are being
reported to some councils as they crack down on criminals running
shams ranging from fake online dating and disability parking
badge sites to bogus diamond investment schemes and weight-loss
devices.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents
370 councils in England and Wales, is urging people to report all
scams which costs UK citizens nearly £10 billion a year.
Fraud, which includes scams, is now the most common type of
crime, accounting for 3.6 million crimes in England and Wales
last year. But this could be the tip of the iceberg
as only 5 per cent of scams are reported, often due to
embarrassment or people simply being unaware they have been
deceived.
The LGA is urging victims not to suffer in silence, but to
report all scams to help raise awareness of latest swindles and
fight fraudsters more effectively.
In one council alone – West Sussex Council – trading
standards officers have received more than 800 cases of scams and
attempted scams since July 2016 – equating to more than two a day
and costing victims £383,000.
Action for Fraud has also this week warned homeowners and
housing organisations about bogus traders using
the Grenfell Tower fire to pose as council officials or
professionals in the fire prevention industry to defraud them for
services or goods that don’t exist or aren’t necessary, such as a
free or subsidised safety inspection of a property.
Trading standards teams at councils elsewhere have secured
successful recent prosecutions for various scams and warned
residents about sham schemes which have cost victims vast sums of
money. They include:
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Warwickshire County Council was contacted by a woman
who reported losing more than £30,000 to someone who
contacted her via a dating website; a man
who is thought to have sent
more than £50,000 to fraudsters after being tricked into
‘investing’ in pink diamonds; and prosecuted
a trader renting out ‘ultrasonic
liposuction’ devices which he falsely claimed would enable
users to lose weight without exercise or dieting, but in fact
proved ineffective and gave customers electric shocks
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National Trading Standards prosecuted a man from Essex
and his company who misled 102 disabled people into paying
£49 a time for Blue Badge parking permits - normally bought
from local councils for £10 - using copycat websites. He was
ordered to pay more than £15,000 in compensation and
costs
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In a prosecution by Redbridge Borough Council a man was
jailed and his accomplice received a suspended prison
sentence after taking advance
fees from clients for the purpose of arranging mortgages that
were never provided.
Cllr Simon Blackburn, Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger
Communities Board, said:
“Heartless, money-grabbing fraudsters don’t care about the
financial and emotional distress their sham schemes cause. They
just want to exploit people, many of whom are elderly or
vulnerable, into parting with their hard-earned money or life
savings and vanish without a trace.
“Councils are receiving reports of scams every day from
victims whose confidence and trust in people has been shattered,
leaving them anxious and scared of being targeted and harassed
again.
“Fraud not only leaves victims out of pocket, it also
creates significant costs for taxpayers as elderly victims in
particular often require more care and support after being
scammed.
“Although scammers often target the vulnerable, anyone can
be fooled by a fake businessman, scheme or rogue trader as
fraudsters are always devising new ways to con people out of
their savings.
“It’s important that victims don’t suffer in silence or
feel embarrassed. By reporting a scam, people can help someone
else avoid being a victim and help councils track down the
fraudsters, bring them to justice and recover their money.
“We want to encourage people to speak out and give their
families or carers the information they need to take
action.”
Advice on avoiding scams is available from councils and
their partner agencies. People should report scams, rogue traders
or uninvited doorstep callers to Citizens Advice consumer service
on 03454 04 05 06 or Action Fraud.
NOTES TO EDITORS
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