Steve Brine has backed Citizens Advice Winchester District and Hampshire County Council's Trading Standards Service after they held a free event on 26th July 2016 at Winchester Discovery Centre to raise awareness of scams and how local people can protect themselves from scammers.
The event was part of Scams Awareness Month organised through a partnership between Citizens Advice, Trading Standards and many more public and private sector partners. Throughout July, the campaign has focused on a variety of scams including phone, online, mail and doorstep scams.
Steve Brine MP said: "I'm pleased to support this local partnership initiative between Citizens Advice Winchester District and Hampshire County Council's Trading Standards Service to promote scams awareness. We want people to be scam aware – to take a moment, trust their gut instinct so that they get advice, report scams and tell others about their experience."
Every day Citizens Advice sees clients who have fallen victims of scams. Locally, Citizens Advice Winchester District has dealt with clients experiencing a variety of scams.
One client was getting regular scam telephone calls purporting to be from BT and demanding payment for internet services, whilst their contract was with another provider. The issue was reported to Action Fraud, the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and internet crime.
Other local clients have experienced email and telephone calls relating to computer scams, as well as a cold-calling doorstep scam using pressured selling techniques on a vulnerable person.
Pictured; Julie Gallagher from HCC Trading Standards with CAB volunteers
More information ...
If you suspect you're the target of a scam you can get advice from Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or here
You can also report a problem to Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer service. To report a scam call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use the online reporting tool here