Trading Standards is warning residents to beware of doorstep approaches from unscrupulous utility ‘brokers’.

This comes after a report that a Coventry resident was approached on the doorstep and was told  the company were looking into overcharging by energy suppliers. After asking some questions, just one comparison quote was presented - from the company they worked for!

Even more concerning was the fact that the resident was asked to provide a telephone contact number and bank details which may have allowed a switch to go through without consent. Another tactic regarding unauthorised switches is when access to the meter is allowed and the serial number is recorded, allowing what looks like an authorised switch to go through.

‘Slamming’ is another unscrupulous sales technique  when consumers are asked to sign to 'receive a quote' or to 'confirm' they have had a visit, but are more likely to be signing to agree a contract!

Be vigilant. Switching energy supplier is great for saving money, but always do your homework first.

For impartial advice, visit http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ and use Internet comparison websites to get the best deals.

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Trading Standards is advising residents to be careful when you come across online adverts claiming you can win prizes - just make sure you read the small print before entering. 

A resident in Coundon saw what they believed to be a supermarket competition on Facebook, but after entering, found they had unwittingly clicked on a link to another competition site, and had agreed to receive texts. These texts come at a cost of £4.50 a go.

Ordinarily, you can text ‘STOP’ to unsubscribe, but in this instance, the texts came back as undeliverable, and the resident had to seek the help of their phone provider to block them.

To stop unwanted premium rate texts, Trading Standards advise:

• Reply to any unwanted texts with 'STOP' or 'STOP ALL'
• Contact your mobile network provider to complain and ask them to add a bar to your phone to stop unwanted premium rate text messages
• Complain to the premium rate text company responsible. If it is hard to locate the company, you can use the phonepayplus Number Checker, which will provide the name and contact details for the company running the service. You can also call their free helpline on 0300 30 300 20.

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A Coventry company who have an information based website on the payday loan industry have been plagued with calls from unhappy consumers who believed that they had taken out loans with the company that have not materialised, or had been telephone cold called and offered ‘fast’ loans.

All of the callers had been asked to pay a ‘verification’ fee upfront, and unfortunately, some had gone on to do so.

Bogus loan companies and fake credit brokers will often hide behind genuine company names or websites. They target those with poor credit ratings and ask for an upfront fee to cover administration or insurance costs for the loan, usually to be paid via money transfer companies. Once this fee is paid, the victim does not usually hear from the company again and the loan is never received. This is a variation on the Advance Fee Fraud.

The advice is always to be vigilant when dealing with or taking calls from any unexpected telephone calls. Never disclose any personal or financial information.

If you are in a circumstance where you have a bad credit history but are in need of a loan, consider seeking support from a Credit Union who can provide an effective and viable alternative to the so called ‘pay day lenders.’

To find your local credit union visit www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk or call the Association of British Credit Unions (Abcul) on 0161 832 3694.

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Trading Standards have received a report from the Stoke area of an attempted telephone fraud. An elderly resident received a call and was advised they were due a PPI refund Unusually, the victim was told that they would have to pay £150 in iTunes vouchers to the company solicitor when he attended later that day to drop off the cheque to claim the refund. 

A second call came later where the resident was advised the company solicitor had been delayed, but if the voucher codes could be given, this would speed up the process. Thankfully the resident had already advised family members who answered this second call.

Needless to say, the scammer then hung up, but not before being verbally rude and aggressive.

Fraudsters are using iTunes gift cards to collect money from victims because they can be easily redeemed and sold on. The scammers don’t need the physical card to redeem the value, just the serial code on the back.

Trading Standards advise that if you receive any call out of the blue and are asked for personal information play it safe and hang up. It is better to hang up on a genuine call and do your research than to risk your personal details and lose your money to a scam.

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