Home Instead
York & Ryedale newsletter
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October 2016
Joint approach against postal scams Officers from City of York Trading Standards have been working with the National Trading Standards Scams Team since August 2014. This joint approach to tackling scams sees Trading Standards officers visiting and supporting local people who have been targeted by scammers, while the national team aims to investigate and disrupt the activities of these fraudsters on a national level. This work will be further enhanced by a new partnership between the National Trading Standards Scams Team and home care provider, Home Instead Senior Care. The innovative partnership allows Home Instead CAREGivers to be trained to combat mass market scams and they will have the ability to report suspected fraud directly to the National Team. Postal scams come in many forms – including fake lotteries and prize draws (where recipients are often asked to buy poor quality, over-priced goods, in order to claim their prize) and letters from
clairvoyants and psychics promising good luck, or warning of dire consequences unless a fee is paid. The people responsible for the letters are unscrupulous scammers who have no intention of giving anything in return. Many hundreds of people are receiving identical, often personally addressed, letters with the same promises. The scammers take the money and usually pass names, addresses and other personal details on to other fraudsters who will in turn make contact with more letters containing more bogus promises. If you (or a relative or friend) are concerned about the number or nature of any letters you are receiving then please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.
No question too big, No problem too small, No need to be alone The Silver Line is the only free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. In addition to the national helpline they also offer: ▶ Telephone friendship with a weekly 30-minute call between an older person and a Silver Line volunteer; ▶ Silver Letters – a fortnightly exchange of a letter between an older person and a
volunteer Silver Line friend; ▶ Silver Circles – a call between a group of older people on a topic of shared interest; ▶ Silver Line Connects – helping, informing and connecting older people to local services. Calls are free on 0800 4 70 80 90 www.thesilverline.org.uk
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Over the last few days the North of York has seen a small rise in vehicle crime, specifically vehicles being broken into and property stolen. Please ensure that all valuables and property are not kept in vehicles throughout the day and overnight, and that vehicles are kept secure at all times. Any information or suspicious activity sighted then please call 101.