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In this issue:
Trading Standards are warning
about telephone cold calls claiming to be from Coventry City Council.
This follows a report from a Warwickshire
resident who received a cold call from someone claiming he was calling from Coventry
City Council who was conducting a survey.
When questioned, the caller
terminated the call.
Coventry City Council ARE NOT
connected with these cold calls. If you receive one of these calls
do not give or confirm any information, hang up and then report it to Action
Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
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 According to the Pensions
Regulator, pension scams are on the increase in the UK and from April 2015 if
you are over 55 you will be able to access your pension funds but this may also
give the opportunity to scammers and fraudsters to try to entice you with a
‘free pension review’, ‘one-off investment opportunity’ or ‘legal loophole’
which may put your Pension at risk enabling them to swipe the lot.
Watch out for the following signs:
- An
unsolicited telephone call: Firms regulated with the Financial Conduct
Authority are very unlikely to do this, so the safest thing is to hang up.
- Fraudsters
who call unexpectedly may talk about an investment opportunity and refer to an
email or brochure that you should have already received.
- Another
warning signal – offers to invest in time-limited investments or offering a
bonus or discount if you agree to sign up now.
Remember, if you’re under age 55, you cannot release your
pension unless you are in ill health.
For more information
on pension scams and how best to protect yourself, visit the Pensions Regulator
website: www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk.
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 Be aware of emails claiming to contain ‘One Security Message From
NatWest CreditCard Online Services center’. The email has a link which claims
will take you to your log on page.
However, the email is not from NatWest and is a phishing email looking
to gather your log in details to enable scammers to take control of your online
account.
Remember NatWest state that emails from them will ALWAYS be personalised and
will NEVER be addressed: ‘Dear Customer’ or other non-personalised title.
If you receive this or a similar email that claims to come from Nat West, forward
it to: phishing@natwest.com and then delete it
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From Monday 6 April 2015 it will be illegal for all shops to have cigarettes and tobacco on open display.
For the last three years, large retail premises such as supermarkets, have had to ensure their displays of tobacco products were hidden from view unless they were obtaining a product for a customer or refilling shelves with new stock. This requirement is now being extended to include all smaller retail premises.
The legislation also applies to how prices of tobacco products are displayed and only permits three types of price lists and labels which all must only use black Helvetica plain font, which is the same size throughout the list, with no underlining, italics or other distinguishing emphasis.
Hopefully the changes will help reduce the number of young people taking up smoking and help smokers who are trying to quit. It is the retailer’s responsibility to ensure the changes are made, and non-compliance with the legislation is a criminal offence.
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 Following reports of thefts from wheelie bins
as highlighted by the Coventry Telegraph, we are reminding residents to be on
their guard and protect themselves from identity fraud.
Fraudsters searching through rubbish bins may be looking for personal
information details found on discarded letters etc. which could then be used in
many ways, e.g. to open bank accounts, obtain loans and credit cards, or to
order goods in your name.
Being a victim of identity theft has a direct impact on your
personal finances making it difficult to obtain loans, credit cards or a
mortgage until the matter is resolved.
Keep yourself safe from identity theft; never throw away entire bills,
receipts, credit or debit card slips, bank statements or even unwanted post in
your name. Instead destroy them, preferably by shredding them before placing in the bin.
If you think that you may be a victim of identity theft contact one of
the credit reference agencies listed below for a free ‘victim of
fraud’ service. The Agency will contact lenders on your
behalf where fraudulent applications have been made or fraudulent credit
accounts opened in order to restore your credit history to its former state.
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 GlaxoSmithKline Consumer
Healthcare is recalling the above product as it may contain creatine particles
due to re-crystallisation. This presents a possible choking hazard and may
cause injury to the mouth.
The product affected is
330ml sized MaxiNutrition Cyclone Milk and applies to all batch codes and all
date codes.
No other GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare products are
known to be affected.
If you have bought the above product, do not drink it.
Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought from for a refund.
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For
more information on scams, visit: www.coventry.gov.uk/scams
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