What is a scam?

Scams are ways of conning people to part with their cash. According to guidance issued by the Office of Fair Trading the common ones to look out for are:

The cons above have several things in common, they are fake, they prey anyone - but the elderly and those who are vulnerable are more likely to be targeted, - and they are out to part you from your cash. But there is something more insidious about them as the above scams were just the start of the process for the people who become their victims because replying to just one scam can get you added to a 'suckers list'.

Suckers list

This is a list of the people who have replied to a scam and have shown themselves to be receptive. Receptive people can also be lonely and isolated or may be suffering from dementia or some other mental capacity, and it is likely that none of them will have seen the danger either because they are over-trusting or because they don't have the capacity to do so. Once they are on the 'suckers list' this give the scammers the green light to then target these people with more mailings and phone calls and victims can eventually be quite literally be hounded out of their life savings, health and peace of mind.

Be alert

If you are vigilant and look for the signs you can help to stop people being scammed. The Office of Fair trading has published a list of warning signs and if you are caring for someone or visiting elderly relatives, keep your eyes open for any of these clues:

Ways to protect yourself

Scammers are clever, unscrupulous people and anyone can become a victim unless they take steps to protect themselves from becoming a victim. According to the Office of Fair Trading these rules are:

Action Fraud Alerts

You can now sign up for free to Action Fraud Alert to receive direct, verified, accurate information about scams and fraud in your area by email, recorded voice and text message.

The system is provided by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) which is run by the City of London Police as a national service. The system uses the Neighbourhood Alert Platform which is a secure, national community messaging facility used by Police, Neighbourhood and Home Watch, Crimestoppers,Fire & Rescue Services and local authorities throughout the UK.

How does it work?

Specialist staff in the NFIB use information from all of the fraud and cyber crime cases reported to Action Fraud to create alerts about new types of crime or those which are increasing in their severity. If you sign up on this site you will receive those alerts which are relevant to you.

Logging in to Action Fraud Alert

By registering with Action Fraud Alert you will receive regular messages from Action Fraud about crime types which we think you would be interested in hearing about. If your local Police force is part of the Neighbourhood Alert system, you can also say if you would like to hear about other matters relating to the area in which you live and work.

With your log-in details you have full access to your account settings - you can update your personal details at any time, adjust the types of messages you want to receive and decide when you would like to receive them. All of this is done through our secure servers.

Registering with Action Fraud Alert

Registering is free, simple and easy: just follow the step by step registration instructions. Once you have verified your account by responding to the verification e-mail, you will be ready to receive messages from them, based on the location you have provided and the things you have said are of interest to you.

Finally, what to do if you discover a scam

Anyone who suspects that someone is the victim of a scam, or an attempted scam or they have been the victim of a scam themselves, can contact Advice Guide for clear, practical advice. Visit their website at https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/