Hand in your scams

‘Drop in to drop the scamsters in it’

A nationwide ‘Scamnesty’ campaign by Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), aims to help end the scourge of mass marketed scam mailings in the UK. It is coming to Leicestershire this February. Nearly half of the UK adult population has been targeted by a scam. Every year,3.2 million adults – one in 15 people – across the country fall victim to a scam involving deceptive unsolicited mailings, phone calls, or emails, which are designed to con victims out of their cash. UK consumers lose around a staggering £3.5 billion to scams every year.

‘Scamnesty 2010’ calls on the people of Leicestershire to fight back against the fraudsters by dropping any scam mailings they receive into designated ‘Scamnesty’ bins that are to be found in all County Libraries. Last year Leicestershire people handed in about 10% of the national total and, as a result a number of foreign and British mailers have been put out of business or taken to Court. That 2009 campaign revealed that the top five mass-marketed scam mailings were:

1) deceptive sweepstakes,

2) misleading prize draws,

3) fake clairvoyants/psychics,

4) bogus foreign lotteries, and

5) ‘miracle’ health cures.

The Scamnesty bins will provide up to date intelligence to Trading Standards and the OFT and this will help with future investigations which will prevent others from being scammed. If you think you have been the victim of a scam, or you suspect a scam, call Consumer Direct for clear, practical advice on 08454 04 05 06 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scamnesty

Consumers can report internet scams here.

The very best advice to anyone who receives a possible scam offer is:

• ‘Stop, think, and think again’.
  
  
• Do not be rushed into sending off money straight away to someone you do not know. ·
  
  
• How likely is it that you have been especially chosen for this offer? ·
  
  
• Thousands of other people are likely to have received the same offer.·
  
  
• Think again –read the offer carefully. ·
  
  
• If you are unsure, speak to family or friends or seek advice.