Trading Standards have received a report from the CV4 area that individuals are attempting to gain access to homes of residents by claiming they are working for the City Council and need to inspect the property.

The resident reporting realised straight away they were not genuine.

Council Officers or callers from any other genuine business or organisation will always carry identification, usually with their photograph on.

Bogus 'officials' may be smartly dressed and claim to be from the council, police, gas board, health authority or other organisation.

Bogus 'workmen' may say that they need to come in to check something or make urgent repairs and often:

• persuade victims to have unnecessary work done
• overcharge
• provide a poor standard of work
• fail to give notice of a consumer’s cancellation rights

These callers may also be distraction burglary attempts. Burglars won't go to the trouble of breaking in if they can just knock and be invited in. So always be on your guard when anyone you're not expecting - a man, a woman or even a child - turns up at your door.

If the caller is claiming to be from a local authority, government body or the Police, always make independent enquiries with that authority using a publicly listed telephone number. Information provided by the caller, such as telephone numbers, should not be relied upon when making checks - it may be the number of a crook's partner. Use a locally listed telephone number rather than one they may provide. 

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Coventry Trading Standards is again warning the public to be wary of bogus telephone calls claiming to be from HMRC.

This comes as a resident from the Lower Coundon area of the city has reported receiving a recorded message which advised that HMRC were filing a lawsuit against them and to press 1 to speak to an adviser or there could be serious legal consequences.

Although it was immediately apparent to the resident that this was a scam, they were still quite distressed at the threatening tone of the message.

It would appear that this was an attempt to obtain personal information which would have included bank details.

This latest scam is being investigated by HMRC’s fraud section and HMRC has published advice with genuine HMRC contacts and how to recognise scams.

HMRC also advise that if any details are inadvertently disclosed, contact them immediately on security.custcon@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. 

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We have had a report from one of our local Councillors regarding a telephone call alleging to be from the Metropolitan Police. They were ringing from a withheld number.

The Councillor was addressed by name and told “This is Police Constable.... from the Metropolitan Police. We are concerned that your bank account has been tampered with…"

Once the caller was challenged for his full name, telephone number and other information by the Councillor he immediately rang off.

We would advise that if any resident receives a similar call, do NOT give out any personal information, and hang up on the call. We are anxious for people not to be caught out, so please be on your guard for this or any other bogus caller.

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We still receive regular reports involving phone calls from people falsely claiming that your PC has been hacked or that they have been notified that you have a virus or other issues with your PC.

Only this week, a local resident reported receiving an automated call claiming that their computer had been compromised and unless they made phone contact within 24 hours, the Internet would be disconnected.

Nationally, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has reported that scammers are returning to contact previous victims, requesting that they pay money owed for a fake malware protection service they had provided.

Alternatively, the fraudsters are asking for a new subscription fee in return for protection from a new threat.

In some instances threatening and aggressive language has been used against victims.

The aim of the fraudster at this point is usually to gain remote access to the victim’s computer and, subsequently, access to their online banking account and personal information.

The victims will often be cold-called or will receive a pop-up on their computer, prompting them to phone the suspect.

Our advice as always is if you receive such an unsolicited call or pop-up, do not respond, do not make a payment and never agree to allow remote access to your computer.

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Previous alerts about the dangers of buying mattresses from people going door to door have been issued, but we continue to receive new reports, the latest being from a resident in the Cheylesmore area.

A male in a white van with blue lettering was going door-to-door offering mattresses for sale from the back of his van, including a ‘special’ one designed for bad backs!

Mattresses sold this way are offered at substantially reduced prices. However, buying such items on the doorstep is risky as you will not be able to contact the trader should something go wrong with the product. There are also concerns over the safety of the mattresses. It would be difficult to prove if any Fire Safety label was genuine, what chemicals the mattress may contain as well as the hygiene implications.

The Sleep Council has an extremely good video showing the pitfalls of buying mattresses from people selling from the back of a van.

It shows that mattresses sold in this fashion are often old and discarded ones that have simply been recovered or could pose a safety hazard. Although they may display a Fire Safety label there is no way of checking if this is genuine or not.

One of the many comments at the end of this article and video states “On closer inspection I cut through the mattress some more only to find memory foam which had been covered in plastic underneath which was green with mould” so be aware!

Our advice: Do not purchase goods or services from people who approach you in the street or from callers who cold call on your doorstep.

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The following notice has been issued by Smyths Toys:

IMPORTANT PRODUCT NOTICE

Part Replacement Recall Notice

Product: Nerf Battle Racers

Product code: 150904

Hazard: The steering wheel may detach, break or crack during use, posing a laceration or collision hazard to young children.

What to do: To confirm whether your Battle Racer Steering Wheel is subject to the recall, look at the product sticker below the seat. If your product has a date of manufacture between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2017 stop using the product immediately; and contact Hauck to receive a replacement steering wheel.

For more information:
Contact Hauck toll-free at 01978 664362, 9am to 5pm on weekdays, visit www.hauck-toys.com or email info@hauckuk.com

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