Town gears up to fight back against the scammers

COMMUNITY workers and volunteers in Warrington are gearing up to fight back against the scammers.
The National Scams Team has visited Warrington to give local people the knowledge they need to recognise and deal with scams, so they can play their part in preventing vulnerable people from becoming victims.
Enlisted by the council’s trading standards service, Theresa Cooper from the national team delivered two awareness and training sessions at Warrington Town Hall, educating community-minded individuals about the wide range of scams that can cause huge financial and emotional harm to local residents.
All those attended signed-up to be a “Friend Against Scams” or a “Scam Champion” and have pledged to raise awareness and spread the word across communities about the dangers of scams, particularly to Warrington’s most vulnerable residents.
Scams come in many different forms but the most common are fake lotteries, deceptive prize draws and sweepstakes, clairvoyants, computer scams, and romance scams.
The event showed how criminals attempt to trick people with flashy, official looking documents or websites, or convincing telephone sales patter, with the aim of persuading them to send a “processing” or “administration” fee, pay postal or insurance costs or make a premium rate phone call.
A relative of a 78-year-old man from Cinnamon Brow who was a recent Warrington mail scam victim said: “I contacted Citizens Advice Consumer Service when I realised the problem was getting out of hand. I was told I could stop the mail from England, which I did, but there was nothing I could do regarding the overseas mail. I can’t tell you how helpless I felt.
“I tried intercepting as many letters as I could find in his house and return them with ‘gone away’ but that had no effect on the volume of mail sent. He was still receiving at least one hundred scam mailings a week.
“I estimate he has spent at least £30,000 in four years on scam mail products and scam lotteries. As the money in his bank account has dwindled (and after nagging from me!) he has I hope, finally realised the error of his ways and has been putting a note in each scam he returned saying he has no more money. It seems to have worked, as he does still receive scam mail but nothing like the amount he did.”
Dr Muna Abdel Aziz, director of public health for Warrington, said: “Scams come in many forms, and scammers will target people of all ages, backgrounds and income levels. We receive complaints from residents who have lost thousands, and in some cases, tens of thousands of pounds
“These sessions aimed to empower residents to recognise and avoid scams and to help friends, family and neighbours do the same. Financial loss is not the only cost to victims, as feelings of vulnerability can also have a devastating impact.”
If you or someone you know suspect that you are being targeted by scammers, get in touch with Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline or Warrington Wellbeing in the Gateway.
For more information about the campaign and how to get involved visit http://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/
For advice about scams or to alert Trading Standards about this or any other consumer matter call 03454 040506. You can also visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/report-to-trading-standards