EVERY day, people throughout the UK are falling victim to a scam of one kind or another. These scams often come in different forms such as letters, email, telephone calls or text messages.
UK consumers lose an estimated £1 billion per year to such scams. Research suggests that an estimated 28 million UK consumers are targeted every year by scams which exploit low-cost, mass-marketing techniques – that is, email, text message, post, te
lephone and internet – to con people out of their money.
These include deceptive prize draws and lotteries, misleading premium-rate prize promotions, fake 'psychic' mailings, advance fee frauds and bogus work-at-home schemes, among others.
It could be an unexpected prize draw or lottery win, or a chance to invest in or sell shares or timeshares. It is important to remember that such promotions may well be a dishonest attempt to trap you into parting with your money.
If you are approached and offered something that seems too good to be true, think before you respond and ask yourself the following questions:
Did it come from overseas?
Do I have to respond 'at once' - what's the rush?
Do I have to make a purchase to win a prize?
Do I have to ring a premium rate telephone number?
Do I have to give my bank or credit card details?
Do I have to send the money to a PO Box number?
Am I asked to keep it confidential?
If you do want to part with any money, Consumer Direct suggest that you make sure you fully understand all the terms and conditions of any offer made to you and that you take your time before making any decision – if the offer is genuine then it will wait for you so don't fall for high pressure sales tactics.
With identity fraud becoming a growing concern it is vital that you don't provide any financial or other personal information before you establish whether the company is legitimate. You shouldn't judge the credibility of a company or sales person by how 'professional' they or their promotional material or website seems.
You should also be wary if you are asked to call the company or send them money to "progress to the next stage". If the claim is genuine then you should ask the company to deduct any administration fees from your winnings. If you are prompted to dial a premium rate number you should remember that you are charged by the minute and that's usually a lot more than the cost of a local call.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
If you do receive such a claim, be careful about proceeding and if you think you are being targeted by a scam operator or want further advice, call Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.
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