Put the scammers in their place

PEOPLE in Warrington are being advised to bin “scam mail” to show the scammers they have not been tricked.
Warrington Borough Council is backing a national campaign to beat scammers led by The Office of Fair Trading.
Members of the council’s iCAN consumer alert network, which also operates in Halton, are fighting back against fraudsters by disposing of scam mail.
Anyone who is not a member can still take part by sending their mail to the Freepost address Public Protection Service, Freepost NWW5033 Warrington WA1 1AA or by taking it to the Contact Centre in Horsemarket Street.
Public Protection officers will examine all mail to identify the scammers and to work with colleagues across the country to tackle the problem.
Every year, across the country, 3.2 million adults – one in 15 people – fall victim to a scam involving deceptive unsolicited mailings, phone calls, or emails. UK consumers lose around £3.5 billion to scams every year.
Officers in Warrington are urging people to “be sceptical” if they receive a letter saying they have won a prize, inherited money or being offered a fantastic employment opportunity.
People are urged to speak to family or friends or get advice from Consumer Direct before sending any money or giving out any banking or credit card details, if they are unsure about an offer.
Cllr Mike Biggin, the council’s executive member for public protection, said: “Every day, people are at risk from unscrupulous fraudsters who want to con them out of their cash and it is important that consumers recognise the increasingly sophisticated methods of scammers.
“Our free iCAN system is used all year round to warn residents of these and doorstep scams.”
Anyone interested in joining iCAN and receiving alerts by text, telephone or email should contact Linda Cookson on 01925 443319 or email [email protected]