Scams

Anybody can be scammed, but the elderly and vulnerable are more at risk. Look out for neighbours, friends and relatives. 

Telephone Scams

Many scams start with a telephone call.  These scammers pretend to be calling from well-known companies when they are not.  This makes it difficult to gauge whether the call is legitimate. 

We have been made aware by Kent County Council (KCC) that scammers are calling residents pretending to be from a bank, fraud department, or the police, claiming their bank account has been compromised, their card needs replacing, or even that a family member has been arrested. Victims may be told to transfer money, buy gold, hand over their bank card, cash or valuables to a courier, or withdraw funds for "safekeeping".

These are scams. Your bank or the police will never ask you to transfer money to a safe account, buy gold, hand over your card, cash or valuables, or send someone to collect them.

If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and ensure the line is disconnected before contacting your bank directly using 159. Never use phone numbers provided by the caller.

What is 159 and why should I call it if I think I have received a scam bank call

159 works in the same way as 101 for the police or 111 for the NHS.  It’s the number you can trust to get you through to your bank safely and securely if you think you are being scammed.

Protecting against Scams

There are different types of scams including; cybercrime, doorstep criminals, email scams, financial abuse, online shopping and finance scams, online dating or relationships, postal scams, and holiday scams.  The government Stop! Think Fraud campaign website has helpful information about staying safe from scams https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/ .

Becoming a ‘Friend Against Scams’ is a national initiative that aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities to take a stand against scams.  You can access the free 20-minute online learning course through this link: https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/online-awareness-training.

If you think you have been scammed, you can –

·       report it through the KCC website – go to www.kent.gov.uk  and search for ‘Report a Scam’.  

·       Call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133

PWCAC is OPEN for face-to-face advice (appointments and drop-ins) Monday to Friday, 9:30am – 1:30pm. If you need advice about welfare benefits, housing and homelessness, money guidance, relationship breakdown, consumer issues or anything else, get in touch:

info@pwadvice.org | 01892 838619    94 Commercial Road, Paddock Wood, TN12 6DP