cambridgeshire
www.melbourncambridge.co.uk/safermelbourn/
SCAMS – What to look out for Scammers will use every trick in the book to get you to part with your cash including:
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You have won a lottery, sweepstake or competition… but you have to send money Money you have won is being held in a holding company… but you have to send money Somebody has left you an inheritance… but you have to send money A clairvoyant can stop bad luck or direct good luck towards you… but you have to send money There is a ‘secret’ deal which will make you rich… but you have to send money
Scammers send out catalogues selling food, pills, potions, jewellery, clothes, items for home and garden. They guarantee a prize to those who order and make it appear like you are the only one to be getting this amazing offer. They never send the promised prize (though some do send cheap goods to keep the victim on the ‘hook’). Instead they send out more promises to get more orders! Criminals claim to be Debt Recovery Agencies, threatening court action if a BOGUS overdue utility bill isn’t paid within 7 days. A great many trusting elderly people fall for this scam. Charity Scam: Criminals send out ‘begging’ letters from fictitious charities, they often use distressing photos, in an attempt to pull at the heart strings of caring people. Scammers send authentic looking scam mail from Banks & Building Societies asking for personal information and/or cash. It’s more prolific via email, called phishing, but it’s still being sent out via the post. They are forever coming up with new and more convincing scams so it’s important to be vigilant both for you and loved ones.
NON EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER
101
Do you want to know more about protecting yourself from scammers, rogue traders and irresponsible lenders – and how to stop them? Consumerhub is the Citizens Advice ‘Consumer Empowerment Partnership’ for the East of England. Led by a team based at Cambridge CAB working closely with other CABs EastTrading Standards Officers, Consumerhub is creating a network of advice agencies, financial institutions, retailers and local authorities to make people aware of their consumer rights. Consumerhub use a combination of social media, press campaigns, community events and education programmes to alert people to scams that are affecting local communities, helping to make sure that we are all better protected from these criminals. The website contains lots of useful information about scams, money, and your rights as a consumer when buying goods and services. And whether you work for an advice agency or you are an individual consumer, you can sign up to our Consumerhub blog to receive regular updates from partner organisations about illegal activities in your neighbourhood. You can also use the blog to report any scams in your area. If you have a consumer problem, contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 040506 or visit the website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk.
27 common scams to avoid There has been a lot of media attention about the most common scams to watch out for. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Fake Green Deal sales Unnecessary damp proofing Home maintenance services Food sales Fake energy-saving gadgets Fake dating Council tax refunds Council tax discount Dodgy job website/recruitment
MINICOM helpline for the deaf and hard of hearing, anywhere in the force area: 01480 422493 RNID TypeTalk is a national telephone relay service which enables deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing and speech impaired people to communicate. To access the service dial: 0800 515152
Emergency 999
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