Call Blockers Funding has been secured for a limited number of call blockers which can be made available to vulnerable residents of the city who are targeted by scam and nuisance phones calls.   These units would be made available for loan free of charge for an initial period of six months. Scam and nuisance calls can affect people in many ways, these types of crimes often cause financial loss, emotional distress, social isolation and loss of confidence.   A number of pilot projects were carried out by the National Trading Standards Scams Team and they found that the use of call blockers significantly increased wellbeing. It was estimated that the call blockers saved £20,227,167 during the pilot project.   If you think you would benefit from a call blocker or you are aware of anyone who would, please express an interest by emailing: Public.Protection@stoke.gov.uk Please provide the name, address and contact number of the person who is making the application.   Please note that there are only a limited number of call blockers available and these will be allocated on the basis of need after an assessment has been made

Missing Pets Scams: Heartless scammers are now looking to scam pet owners who have lost their pets. Scammers will trawl lost pet forums and social media post looking for owners who have lost their pet and are appealing for their return. The scammer will contact the owner and say they have found their pet, but then demand cash before the pet is returned. Often they will tell the owner that if they go to the police they will never see their pet again. We would always advise you to be very wary when handling any calls if your pet goes missing, always be very cautious about what information you give to the caller, we would never advise that you pay any money up front for the return of your pet. If you do decide to pay any money as a reward always make sure you meet the person in a public place, take someone with you and do not pay any money until you have got your pet back.

Romance Fraud Romance scams involve people being conned into sending money to criminals who will go to great lengths to gain the persons trust and convince them they are in a genuine relationship. Scammers will go to great lengths to build up this relationship over time. People who are looking to strike up an online relationship between Christmas and Valentine’s Day are more susceptible to this type of scam. Figures suggested almost £92 million was lost nationwide last year to this type of fraud. Signs that your online date may be a fraudster: They want to communicate with you through instant messaging and texts, rather than through the dating website or chat room where you met. They ask you lots of questions about yourself, but don’t tell you much about themselves. They don’t answer basic questions about where they live and work. They claim to be military personnel based overseas who require funds for flights home or early discharge from the forces They cite medical related issues for needing money, such as a sudden need for surgery, either for the fraudster or the fraudster’s family member. They’ve arranged to visit you but need money to pay travel costs How to keep yourself safe from romance fraud: Be suspicious of any requests for money from someone you have never met in person, particularly if you have only recently met online. Speak to family and friends before you send off any money. Profile pictures may not be genuine, do your research first. You can do a reverse image search on search engines which can find photos that have been taken from somewhere else and then used to fool you. It is very important no matter how long you have been speaking to someone online and no matter how much you think you trust them, if you have never met them in person you must not do any of the following not matter how much they ask: Send then any money. Allow them access to your bank account. Transfer money on their behalf. Take out a loan for them. Provide copies of your personal documents such as passports or driving licenses. Invest your own money on their behalf or on their advice. Purchase and send the codes on gift cards to them. Agree to receive and/or send parcels on their behalf (laptops, mobile phones etc.).

Cartier Ring Scam

A number of reports have been made about people receiving unsolicited Cartier rings, this is scam and is part of a wider scam known as “brushing”.

Brushing is a technique used by some e-commerce sellers to boost their seller ratings on platforms like eBay or Amazon.

It generally works like this:

• The scammer obtains a person’s name and address, usually through various means such as data breaches, public directories, or even social media.
• The scammer then creates fake accounts on e-commerce platforms where they sell their own products.
• The scammer uses these fake accounts to place orders for their own products using the addresses they obtained. They pay for these orders themselves, often using stolen credit card information or other illicit means.
• To make the scam appear legitimate, the scammer ships the products to the addresses they acquired. The recipients, who are often unaware of the scam, receive unexpected packages at their doorstep.
• After the packages are delivered, the scammer writes positive reviews on their own seller accounts using the names of the unsuspecting recipients. This helps boost their ratings and increase their visibility on the e-commerce platform.

If you receive unsolicited packages through a brushing scam, it is advisable to be cautious and take steps to protect your personal information. It is also recommended to report the incident to the e-commerce platform and local authorities so they can investigate and take appropriate action against the fraudulent seller.

Recruitment Scam Messages

Figures have been released from Action Fraud which show that in the past year money stolen via recruitment scam texts and WhatsApp message has jumped from £20,000 to £1 million.

A common type of employment scam is one where a recruitment agent contacts you initially by text or WhatsApp and makes an offer of a job which often does not exist. This will usually happen after you have placed your CV or personal details on a job site. You are then contacted by someone claiming to be an employer or recruitment agent to tell you they are considering you for a job. You will then be asked to complete a questionnaire and you may receive a telephone interview.

You will then be told you have been successful and then told about the administration process, you will be asked to pay various administration fees before you can begin work. This may involve costs for travel, accommodation and visas if the job is abroad. Once you pay one fee then the scammer will introduce another, they will also ask for you bank details to arrange for your wages to be paid but the reality is once they have access to your bank account they will steal whatever money is in it.

The job will never materialise and there have been reports of people turning up for work only to be told by the business in question that they had never heard of them and no job exists.

For further advice and information on how to protect yourself please visit:
www.jobsaware.co.uk/jobseeking-advice

Illegal Money Lending

The England Illegal Money Lending Team investigates and prosecutes illegal money lenders and provides support for those who have borrowed money from a loan shark. If you have been a victim of a loan shark or know someone who may have been a victim then you can find more information here: www.stoploansharks.co.uk

Take control of who contacts you.

• Register with the Telephone Preference Services (TPS) to reduce unwanted sales calls. You can register for free on 0345 070 0707 or go to www.tpsonline.org.uk
• Register with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) to reduce unwanted mail. You can register for free on 0207 291 3310 or go to www.mpsonline.org.uk
• Register with the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS) to reduce unwanted charity contacts. You can register for free on 0300 303 3517 or go towww.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/the-fundraising-preference-service

Fakes Hotline Number

If you think someone is selling fake goods you can report it by ringing the Trading Standards hotline number: 01782 238444.

When leaving a message please include as much information as you can such as:

• What types of products are being sold and how much they are being sold for.
• The name and address of the seller, if you know it.
• Where the items are being sold, any vehicle being used or a description of where the goods are stored.
• Where the seller can be found.
• Details of any printed advertising, online advertising or social media posts.

If you need advice or want to report a scam to Stoke-on-Trent Trading Standards, please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on: 0808 223 1133

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