Trading Standards is warning of a new phishing email being received by Coventry residents. It alleges to be confirmation of a Council Tax refund due for £341.04.

The telephone number on the email is the genuine contact number for OLDHAM Council Tax, and a company name of ‘Utility Partnership Ltd’ is also given. This is once again a genuine OLDHAM based business but it has no links to Oldham Council Tax or any other council department.

The email attempts to trick the recipient into clicking on a link contained in the message. The link does not take you to Oldham Council or the legit firm but a fake fraudster's website where you are asked to provide personal and bank details.

How to protect yourself 

• Do not click on any links or open attachments contained within any unsolicited emails.
• If an email appears to have come from a person or organisation you know of but the message is unexpected or unusual, contact them directly via another method to confirm that they sent you the email.
• If you receive an email which asks you to login to an online account via a link provided in the email, instead of clicking on the link, open your browser and go directly to the company’s website yourself.
• If you have clicked on a link in the email, do not supply any information on the website that may open.
• If you think you may have compromised the safety of your bank details and/or have lost money due to fraudulent misuse of your cards, you should immediately contact your bank, and report it to Action Fraud. 

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We are again warning all residents to be on their guard if approached by anyone cold calling at their homes offering any type of property maintenance or gardening services.

This follows reports from the Styvechale Grange area of a number of older residents being approached by males offering to jet wash driveways.

Remember, anyone agreeing to a contract in their own home costing more than £42 is legally entitled to a 14-day cancellation period where they can change their mind.

Our advice is as always to never to agree to work that is instigated as a result of a knock on the door or via a leaflet drop. If you didn’t arrange for a visit, politely decline any offers of work and close your door. Be firm, as rogue traders are in the habit of turning up in the evenings and at weekends and often more than once to try put pressure on people. These individuals will soon move on if their source of work – and income – dries up.

Don’t be pressurised into making a quick decision or sign anything especially if this allows the installation or contract to start immediately.

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.

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Coventry Trading Standards is reminding people to follow the safety advice issued by Whirlpool regarding Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda tumble dryers.

Whirlpool identified a potential concern with two types of tumble dryers manufactured between April 2004 and September 2015. In some rare cases, excess fluff can come into contact with the heating element and present a risk of fire.

The advice issued by Whirlpool states:

We are activating an extensive consumer outreach and service action plan in order to provide our consumers with products that are updated to higher safety and quality standards.  We will arrange a visit from an engineer, free of charge, to modify your appliance.  The service call will take approximately one hour.  The improvements we believe are necessary will further enhance the safety and quality of your dryer.

Trading Standards confirmed, following an internal review by independent experts, that the modification programme remains the most effective way of resolving this issue. As a result, we will continue with our efforts to provide consumers with a free of charge modification as quickly as possible. Trading Standards have also notified us that updated usage advice should be communicated to affected consumers.

It is important that owners of a Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda tumble dryers check their tumble dryer immediately to find out if their appliance has been affected and follow the advice given by the manufacturer.

If your tumble dryer is affected by this issue then you should unplug it and do not use it until the modification has taken place.

Whirlpool branded tumble dryers are not affected by this safety notice.

During the winter months tumble dryers tend to get used more frequently and we would advise anyone who owns one, no matter what the manufacturer, to undertake regular cleaning and maintenance of their appliance, do not leave it on overnight and do not leave it on whilst you are not in the house.

A working smoke alarm in the event something does go wrong can be a lifesaver. We recommend that you test your smoke alarm regularly, ideally once a week.

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Tesco is recalling all date codes of Spaghetti Bolognese (frozen) because it contains egg which is not on the label. This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy or intolerance to egg.

Product: Tesco Spaghetti Bolognese (frozen)

Pack size: 400g

Best before: all date codes

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

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The following notice has been issued by the retailer:

Poundworld has identified a potential safety issue with its Auto Spray Grey Primer Paint:

Auto Spray Grey Primer Paint 300ml 
Product Code: F-20523 
Barcode: 5050577205235 
Batch: 137468

Please stop using the product immediately and return the item to any Poundworld or Poundworld Plus store.

The store will issue you with a refund or exchange.

No other Poundworld product is affected by this notice.

The company apologise sincerely for any inconvenience caused and thank customers for their co-operation.

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