Keep an eye out for scams

Don't be a victim of scams

A scam is something designed to illegally con you out of your money. The financial effects can be devastating with many people losing their life savings.

Scams can and do affect anyone.. People can be especially vulnerable at times like this when they’re worried about their families, health, money and work.

It might take longer than usual to realise something isn’t right, so here are some of the main warning signs of scams to look out for:

• It seems too good to be true – like an email saying you’ve won a competition you don’t remember entering
• Someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly
• You’re being urged to respond quickly so you don’t get time to think about it or talk to family
  and friends
• You've been asked to pay in an unusual way – for example by bank transfer or gift vouchers
• You’ve been asked to give away personal information

To help us all be aware and protect ourselves from scams, the Norfolk County Council Trading Standards team gives regular alerts at www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/trading-standards/scams about the latest scams in our area.

In the past few months, dozens of scams reported have been reported in Norfolk including:

• Fake NHS emails and texts asking for bank details for payment of an “Omicron PCR test”
• Doorstep callers claiming there’s a problem with your roof or guttering, offering to make unnecessary repairs
• Telephone cold calls posing as the ‘Postcode Lottery’ and attempting to get bank details
• Emails from ‘Inheritance Lawyers’ aiming to get personal information such as birth certificates or passport numbers, which is used for identity theft
• Doorstep cold callers offering gardening work
• Telephone cold calls regarding ‘gas contracts’ from a local energy advisor in an attempt to get personal and bank details
• Doorstep cold callers offering ‘free insulation assessments’ to get access to a property to steal or as a way of obtaining personal or bank details