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With the nights drawing in, we thought it might be a good idea this month to highlight the work that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards does to tackle rogue traders. We've got some good news about a new scam website reporting service and, if you ever wondered what a "money mule" is, you've come to the right place!
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Trading Standards has seen an increase in rogue trading incidents in recent years and its officers work with Cambridgeshire Police to tackle rogue trading by sharing intelligence and assisting each other with investigations.
The victims are often the most vulnerable in our community and the impact on them is immense. Many are targeted over a period of years and some rogue traders acquire a huge income from this type of work.
Rogue trading ranges from poor quality work and high pressure sales to organised crime gangs targeting the elderly and vulnerable on a daily basis, often demanding large amounts of money by threats and intimidation, sometimes without even doing any work.
Kirsty from Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Trading Standards has the following tips if you are looking to have work carried out on your property:
Do:
- Get recommendations from a someone you trust (friend, family, neighbour)
- Always obtain a written quotation and aim to obtain at least three written quotations
- Take time to consider the quotations
- Ask for the trader’s ID and carry out your own checks to establish if they are genuine (never phone a number that they have provided you with to verify their identity)
Don’t:
- Agree to work offered by someone who cold calls you without carrying out your own research into their business or whether to work is actually needed
- Pay cash up front
- Feel pressured into agreeing work
To find reputable traders, visit our CAPASP partner Safe Local Trades https://www.safelocaltrades.com/ or Buy with Confidence https://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ .
Trading Standards would urge you to contact their advice partners at the Citizens Advice Consumer Service in relation to suspected rogue trader incidents or suspicious activities.
Doing this ensures that the information is recorded on the national complaints' database. Where appropriate, a copy of the complaint is passed to both the consumer's local Trading Standards Service and the trader's local Trading Standards Service if the trader’s address is known.
The Citizens Advice Consumer Service can be contacted on 0808 223 1133 during office hours Monday to Friday, or visit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer where an online form is available.
If you think you, or someone you know, has been targeted by rogue traders, you can also report it to the Police on 101 (if it's after the event) or on 999 if the incident is still occurring, or the traders are coming back to collect money.
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