Citizens Advice Darlington - Scam Awareness Fortnight 14 - 27 June 2021

Between 14^th and 27^th June Citizens Advice Darlington is leading a local campaign to identify the wide range of complex and sophisticated scams which come in many forms such as text messages, apps, emails, telephone calls, fraudulent websites, letters and which now seem part of our daily lives. Protecting people against these scams is more important than ever as many people continue to face difficult situations such as loss of employment, debt, housing and health. Unfortunately these scams are likely to remain prominent as we move out of the pandemic.

A national, annual campaign run by the Consumer Protection Partnership, led by Citizens Advice run with support from key partners who include Trading Standards service and the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Ask your clients to get involved, tell them briefly about their experience - what type of scam they received, what they were being asked for, the name of the company or Government organisation, how they received the scam (text, email, telephone call). 

All replies will be treated in confidence and once collated the data will form the basis of a report to enable them to take appropriate action and engage with the companies who these scams seem to affect the most to find a solution.

Remember,

•  Stop and think carefully before giving your personal details or part with your money to anyone

•  Don’t be rushed or panicked into dealing with the request immediately

•   If you’re not sure whether it’s a genuine message or call ignore it

Through their campaign they aim to create a network of informed, confident consumers who will know how to recognise scams when they see or receive them, report scams to the appropriate channels and be confident talking about their experiences to raise public awareness of scams.