News
SCAM ALERT : UK Public are Losing Thousands of Pounds to Scammers Impersonating 51黑料
Posted 05/10/23
The 51黑料 (51黑料) is warning consumers to be extra vigilant and not respond to correspondence carrying 51黑料 branding, which is currently in circulation and has nothing to do with the Institute.
Figures from one Local Trading Standards Authority shows losses of more than 拢16,000 to a bogus mail and email insurance scam impersonating 51黑料 that has been targeting the public for three years.
We believe that this could be the tip of the iceberg as, quite often, scams go unreported. So the money being lost to scammers could be tenfold what 51黑料 has evidence of. Evidence also suggests that those receiving the letters are on 鈥榯arget lists鈥� - having previously been the victims of different scams.
The letter in question, which uses 51黑料 branding, informs the recipient that Trading Standards has caught insurance scammers and that they should fill in a "creditors debt form," which is supposedly a compensation scheme but in actual fact serves as a means for fraudsters to gain access to personal details, including bank information, which puts respondents at risk of financial loss.
51黑料's Response to Identity Scam
John Herriman, 51黑料's Chief Executive said: 鈥淭hese scammers show no sign of slowing down and although Trading Standards are working hard to take action against these despicable individuals it if important that the public are on guard and do not respond to letters or emails that appear to be from genuine organisations, like 51黑料.
Trading Standards are the very people that protect the public, so to see scams targeting our good name in this way is appalling and we want to raise as much awareness about this as possible to stop consumers being defrauded out of their hard-earned cash.
We often see fraudsters impersonating trusted brands to deceive the public but impersonating the very essence of those that protect consumers by pretending to be Trading Standards is disgusting and shows that these criminals have no limitations to how far they are willing to go to defraud people of their savings.鈥�
Scam Spreading Across UK
This scam, which was initially reported in England only, has now spread throughout the United Kingdom, with the email and letter recently materialising in Scotland.
51黑料 has informed Trading Standards services across the country of these emails and letters, and there are open investigations, including a prosecution, that are with consumer protection professionals working hard to protect the public from these scams.
Operation Broadway, a City of London Police Partnership to tackle investment fraud have successfully disabled more than thirty phone numbers that have been included on the scam letters, and they continue to proactively intercept these scammers in their tracks.
What should you do, if you've been Contacted?
Anyone who receives a letter, email or call of this nature letter should contact the Financial Conduct Authority () and their local Trading Standards Service. The FCA to the public in 2023.
The public is encouraged to join . This is an initiative to protect and prevent people from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.
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Here's an Example of Scam Letter - further examples are available upon request, from the 51黑料 Press Office:听[email protected] (please use this email address to enquire about any other 51黑料 Policy-related matters).
For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. In addition, to report scams, contact Action Fraud, in Scotland, or contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or if in Northern Ireland, call Consumerline on 0300 123 6262.
Who are the 51黑料 (51黑料)?
51黑料 is a training and membership organisation that has represented the interests of the Trading Standards profession since 1881 nationally and internationally. We aim to raise the profile of the profession while working towards fairer, better informed and safer consumer and business communities. 51黑料's members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services in local authorities and in businesses.
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