Residents are being warned against using cowboy builders or rogue traders if their houses or fences have been damaged by the recent storms and high winds.

Legitimate builders, plumbers, carpenters and other craftsmen will be working at full stretch and Trading Standards is concerned that dishonest traders will take advantage of the situation to rip off vulnerable residents.

Traders who knock on your door or leaflet you may provide you with a false address or a pay as you go mobile number which cannot be traced.

Trading Standards advise people to speak to their insurance companies before engaging anyone to carry out repair work and to approach businesses approved by the insurers.

If your house or property has been damaged by the recent storm the last thing you need is a rogue trader adding to the problem.

Trading Standards suggests anyone needing work carrying out around the home or garden can use the Age UK Coventry Trusted Traders scheme which is available to people of all ages living in Coventry and is provided in partnership with Coventry Trading Standards. For details contact: 024 7643 3982.

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Coventry Trading standards are again warning of a scam telephone call after a Cheylesmore Ward resident was advised they have been awarded a ‘government grant’ for £8,000.

This scam was first reported back in August.

This resident was asked to confirm their name and age which they refused to give and hung up. No doubt had the call proceeded the resident would have been given an ‘activation’ code number and a telephone number to call to claim the grant.

Had the resident called the number it is highly likely they would have been asked to make some kind of payment to cover administration or release fees via a money transfer service.

They may also have been asked for bank account details so that the ‘grant’ could be paid directly into their accounts.

This is a well-known scam called Advanced Fee Fraud where fraudsters ask their potential victims to make advance or upfront payments for goods, services and/or financial gains that do not materialise. If personal and financial information is disclosed, there is a chance that this could be used by the scammers to commit identity theft.

Do not pass on personal or financial details to such callers but if you believe you may have already done so, contact your bank immediately to stop or check any unauthorised transactions.

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The Information Commissioner’s Office issued a £130,000 fine to the UK’s largest NHS-approved online pharmacy, Pharmacy2U, whose senior executives approved the sale of NHS patients’ and P2U customers’ personal data by direct marketers.

The ICO determined that Pharmacy2U executives unlawfully and unfairly sold the personal data of over 21,000 NHS patients and P2U customers either directly, or through intermediaries, to:

• Australian Lottery fraudsters targeting male pensioners who were more likely to have chronic health conditions, or cognitive impairments;
• a Jersey-based ‘healthcare supplement’ company which the Advertising Standards Authority ruled against for “misleading advertising” and “unauthorised health claims”;
• and a UK charity which used the details to solicit donations for people with learning disabilities.

The ICO determined that the sale of personal data was “likely to cause substantial damage or substantial distress to the affected individuals”, that the incidents were neither “one-off events or attributable to mere human error” and that Pharmacy2U executives were negligent.

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Don’t fall for telephone cold call scams from people claiming they can ‘save you money on your Council Tax’.

We have received a number of reports of people in the City receiving such calls.

During the call, claims will be made often around being able to make savings of ‘hundreds of pounds per year’ including ‘claiming refunds for previous years’ and that ‘your neighbours are already paying less’.

The caller will then attempt to take an upfront fee for the service, usually between £50 and £100.

Trading Standards always advises to be very wary of claims made during telephone cold calls and NEVER agree to a pay for a service if approached this way.

They say people who believe the council tax banding for their property can challenge this available via the Valuation Office which is free of charge. Information is available at www.gov.uk/council-tax-appeals/challenge-your-band

Anyone who gets a call should hang up and do not engage with the caller.

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A Cannon Park resident has told us of a phone call they had from a Gentleman asking to discuss their PPI claim.

By coincidence, the resident did have an on-going insurance mis-selling claim with a genuine company so they believed that this call was connected to that.

The resident was asked to confirm their age and was then told that as they were over 70, new legislation meant that any refunds due would have to be donated to a charity and the resident would receive nothing, even if their claim was successful!

However, the caller than advised that when his manager called in the next half hour, the resident MUST tell him they were only 69.

The resident immediately called the genuine company who confirmed that they had not made the call and it was in fact a scam.

Our advice: If you are unsure about a phone call or text message, especially one stating you are entitled to a PPI refund do not agree to anything and never give your personal details to anyone over the phone.

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