Let's fight the scammers

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TRADING Standards chiefs in Warrington are urging local people to “fight back against the scammers” this month.
They want residents to be on the lookout for any website, junk mail, doorstep seller or phone call with a proposal that sounds to be too good to be true.
The likelihood is that they will be a scam.
“Scam bins” are to be placed at various locations around the borough where people can deposit suspicious looking junk mail to help catch scammers.
The bins will be at The Gateway, Sankey Street, both Contact Warrington centres and at any library across the borough.
Scam mailings collected will provide crucial intelligence to the Trading Standards service, help inform future investigations and prevent others from being scammed.
Trading Stands say scams come in lots of different shapes and sizes, including dodgy online adverts and tricksters using dating websites to build relationships with people they later defraud.
Other common types including “phishing” emails and “vishing” phone calls
designed to con people into giving away sensitive information, investment scams, and advance fees requested to claim unexpected lottery wins.
Fewer than five per cent of people report scams, so officers believe a determined “fight back” could result in many offenders being caught.
Peter Astley (pictured), the borough council’s assistant director for regulation and protection said: “Scammers can’t continue to get away with fleecing people of their hard-earned money. We want to see a fight back against scams.
“It is a disgrace that scammers often target elderly people with sophisticated scams such as posing as their bank or phone company. People regularly come to us with heart-breaking stories about con artists taking their money and it’s important that people know what to look out for and what they can do.
“Anyone who is unsure about someone asking for their financial details should check with someone they trust and report anything that sounds dubious to their local Citizens Advice Bureau. By telling us about a scam we can stop the con artists in their tracks and make sure no one else falls foul of their tricks.”
For more information visit www.tswarrington.co.uk


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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