Cost of living scams!

Scams Awareness Fortnight, which ran from 13th to 26th June, is an annual campaign run by Citizens Advice with the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP).  

This year’s campaign focused on scams and the cost-of-living crisis. With many people facing increased financial pressures, there is a high chance that criminals will take advantage of this, so it is of vital importance to equip consumers. 

There are lots of different types of scams emerging. Some examples to look out for include:

• Criminals pretending to be energy companies, luring people with “too good to be true” deals in order to steal their money
• Fake sales representatives selling counterfeit shopping vouchers
• Criminals sending out phishing emails pretending to offer an energy rebate or government support to steal people’s personal information

Top three messages:

• With many people facing increased financial pressures, there is a high chance that criminals will take advantage of this. For example, we’ve already seen instances of criminals pretending to be energy companies offering “too good to be true” deals and others sending out phishing emails offering fake government rebates.
• Anyone can fall victim to a scam. People of all ages and backgrounds get scammed. It’s important to be on your guard – if you’re not sure about something, take your time and get advice.
• If you think someone might be trying to scam you, it’s important to act straight away. If you need advice and support you can call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk. You should also report scams or suspected scams to Action Fraud.