Coventry Trading Standards have received two reports of vulnerable residents in the Cheylesmore and Finham areas being targeted by cold callers who claimed they needed roofing work carrying out.

The first report was passed over by vigilant staff at Lloyds Bank in Cheylesmore. They were alerted when a customer attended the bank 3 times over 2 days requesting significant cash withdrawals. The customer confirmed it was to pay for roofing work, but had been given no paperwork or company details and the 'contract' was the result of a cold call.

Trading Standards and the Police attended the address but unfortunately, the traders had already left.

Although money had already been handed over to these traders, thanks to the prompt action of bank staff, a significant amount was saved.

In the other incident the elderly resident was also cold called and told there was a broken tile on their roof.

Our advice as always is not to deal with cold callers as this is a favoured approach used by rogue traders whose sole intention is to extract as much money from residents as possible.

We would also ask that if you have any elderly or vulnerable neighbours that you keep a look out for rogue traders especially if you notice cold callers in your area or anyone acting suspiciously. It would also help if registration numbers of vehicles being used by the cold callers are noted down and reported.

If you have any information that may help us track down these unscrupulous cold callers or you wish to report any incidents involving a rogue trader or doorstep crime, contact us on 03454 040506 or use our online reporting form.

If you do need work on your property or garden, use a reputable local trader recommended by friends or family or someone who has been vetted and is part of the Age UK (Coventry) Trusted Traders Scheme. This service is available to people of all ages living in the Coventry area and can be contacted by phoning 024 7643 3982.

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Students are warned to beware of criminal gangs targeting them to become money mules.

What is a money mule?

A money mule is someone who is recruited by those needing to launder money obtained illegally.

They will accept money into their personal bank account, before following further instructions on what to do with the funds. Instructions could include transferring the money into a separate specified account or withdrawing the cash and forwarding it on via money transfer service companies like Western Union or MoneyGram. The mule is generally offered a small percentage of the funds as they pass through their account.

The money being transferred is stolen, and this is known as money laundering, which is illegal. Involvement in money laundering can lead to a criminal sentence of up to fourteen years in prison. People recruited by criminals to help transfer stolen money are known as ‘money mules’, or ‘money transfer agents’.

Criminals advertise in a number of ways, usually offering opportunities to make money quickly to lure potential recruits. This can be by;

• Social media posts.
• Posting adverts for employment on genuine recruitment websites.
• Sending mass emails offering employment.
• Targeting individuals that have posted their CVs on employment websites.

Students are particularly susceptible to adverts of this nature. For someone in full-time education, the opportunity for making money quickly can understandably be an attractive one.

Money laundering is a criminal offence and can lead to prosecution and a custodial sentence.

Furthermore, anyone who becomes involved may be unable to obtain credit in the UK or have a bank account in the future.

Our advice

• Never give the details of your bank account to anyone that you do not trust.
• No legitimate company will ever ask you to use your own bank account to transfer their money so don’t accept any jobs that ask you to do this.
• Be wary of unsolicited emails or social media posts promising ways of earning easy money. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• Don’t be afraid to question the legitimacy of any businesses that make you a job offer, especially if the recruitment procedure strays from the conventional.

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Waitrose is recalling its Lovelife Peanuts & Raisins as it contains almonds, brazil nuts, cashews and walnuts that are not mentioned on the label. This makes the product a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy to these nuts.

Product: Waitrose Lovelife Peanuts & Raisins

Pack size: 270g

Best Before date: March 2017

Advice: If you have bought the above product and have an allergy to almonds, brazil nuts, cashews or walnuts, do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.

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A G Barr plc is recalling four batches of its Rubicon Sparkling Mango soft drink on a precautionary basis because yeast fermentation has occurred in some bottles. This may cause the bottle to burst. The presence of yeast has resulted in spoilage of the products, making them unsuitable for human consumption.

Product: Rubicon Sparkling Mango

Pack size: 2 litre

Best before end: February 2017 / March 2017

Batch codes: 6149, 6150, 6176, 6177

Advice: If you have any of the affected product at home please take a note of the full set of codes displayed on the neck of the bottle before disposing of any product, taking care when handling. The Rubicon Consumer Care Team can then be contacted on rubiconconsumercare@agbarr.co.uk

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Taylors of Harrogate is recalling  eight cup cafetiéres, branded 'Taylors of Harrogate' and given away free with packs of Taylors of Harrogate Limited Edition Christmas Blend coffee in Asda between 12 November 2015 and early 2016, or available to purchase in some Asda stores since then.

These products are being recalled following investigations into a complaint that the glass beaker broke during normal use.

Product; Taylors Cafetiéres
Price: £9.98
Barcode: 61535712235

Advice: If you obtained one of these promotional cafetiéres from Asda, please stop using it and take it back to the customer service desk of your nearest Asda store where you will be issued with a full refund. You do not need your receipt.

If you would like any further information please contact: Taylors of Harrogate - 0500 418898 or email customer.services@bettysandtaylors.co.uk or call Asda Customer Relations - 0800 952 0101.

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