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Scams
As many as five million people may have been lured
into responding to con artists, according to new research.
carried out by the consumers' magazine Which?
The various types of scam seems never ending, with
the post, email, telephone or text delivering a new
message that they've won a draw, lottery or some other
exciting prize. Information relating to bogus homeworking
schemes, business opportunities. holiday clubs and clairvoyants
are also unfortunately all too common.
Every year scam artists defraud an estimated £1
billion from UK consumers. Research by Which? also suggests
that 28 million people have now been targeted. That
amounts to 58% of the adult population of the UK. Which?
gained its results from a survey of 1,050 people last
September.
Respondents were asked if they had seen or been approached
by these cons, and if they had replied to the bogus
invitations.
Considering the number who have been targeted, it is
lucky only 10% of adults in the UK actually responded.
Of those who had been fooled into responding to a fraud,
two million people - nearly 50% - had succumbed to an
invitation to dial a premium rate phone line.
This con typically involves an automated phone call
which tells the victim they have won a holiday. To claim
it they have to ring a phone number starting with 090.
But at £1.50 per minute, and with multiple recorded
message calls running simultaneously, the scam can generate
thousands for the con artist.
Icstis, which
regulates premium rate phone services, put a 30-day
delay on such call charges being handed over by the
telephone companies.
Cons of this type unfortunately show no sign of dying
out and once you respond, it exposes you to more such
frauds as you are likely to end up on a 'suckers' list'
and keep getting targeted by new scams.
It's often very difficult for the authorities to tackle
some types of scam as they are often distributed from
abroad with the organisers located in different countries.
Even when successes have been achieved in stopping
a scam new ones surface. The best method of stamping
out the problem is to be aware of what to look for and
not to respond which will hopefully reduce their profits
to levels where it is not worth their effort.
What to do if you suspect a scam:
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If
you are not sure if it is a scam or not put it
in your paper recycling bin |
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If
you think its a scam and want the OFT to investigate
send it to:
Scambusters Team
Office of Fair Trading
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX
email:oft.gsi.gov.uk
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Inform your local Trading Standards
service |
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Check to see if
the company is a member of the Direct
Marketing Association (DMA) - look for their
logo as members must comply with a stringent code
of practice. |
Finally, remember the old saying, "if
it looks too good to be true, it probably is."
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