PEOPLE are being encouraged to sign up for the Friends Against Scams scheme as part of a 4-year campaign to help beat scammers.
The scheme invites communities and individuals to become friends and encourages individuals to openly talk about scams. Since July 2018 over 480 people in Staffordshire have joined the scheme.
Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards service now wants more people to sign up to the initiative and to be able to spot the signs of scams, report them and look out for those who may become victims themselves.
Common scams in Staffordshire include those relating to Coronavirus, online investment offers, fake HMRC emails, bogus bank phone calls, doorstep sales, romance scams and telephone scams.
Whatever the scam, the criminal’s aim will be to get people to part with their cash or to get them to give away their personal data.
Communities leader at Staffordshire County Council, Victoria Wilson said:
“Scams can cause a huge amount of misery, not to mention serious financial losses for those caught up in them.
“To try and help people to be more aware of scams and avoid them, we’re asking groups and individuals to join the Friends Against Scams scheme. This will give them the confidence to spot and prevent them or to know what to do if family or friends fall victim.
“Criminals are becoming much more sophisticated and professional these days and will try any method to defraud their victims. Many scams appear genuine and it can be really difficult to tell what’s what. If people are in any doubt at all they should ignore the offer, delete emails, hang up the phone or politely refuse doorstep calls. People should always be wary a ..
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