An operation to disrupt the sale and supply of illegal tobacco and alcohol across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset uncovered more than 205,000 cigarettes, 103 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and 23 litres of alcohol, all believed to be illicit. Around 63 officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with support from… Read More
Trading Standards News
Scam warning: iTunes gift card scam
Take note of this latest phone scam. Recently fraudsters have been ringing people out of the blue and telling them that they need to make payments over the phone for things such as taxes, bail money, debt collection, or utility bills. They trick the victim is into believing that a… Read More
New code of conduct helps bank fraud victims
If you’re the blameless victim of a bank transfer scam, you’re now more likely to get your money back under a new reimbursement scheme introduced at the end of last month. Bank transfer scams, also known as ‘authorised push payment’ (APP) fraud, happen when you’re tricked into sending money to… Read More
No place to hide as stash is uncovered behind wall
Illegal tobacco and cigarettes worth more than £2,000 have been seized. The stash was uncovered by Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards officers after they discovered a hidden compartment in the wall of a shop in Cheltenham. A shop known to sell illegal tobacco was closed recently and taken back by… Read More
Community thanked following illegal tobacco seizure
A seizure of illegal tobacco, valued at around £20,000, has been removed from supply in the South West. Last week a joint operation was carried out at an address in Weston-super-Mare. Partners from around the South West were involved and was led successfully by the South West Illegal Tobacco team…. Read More
Working together to stub out illegal tobacco
Illegal cigarettes and tobacco worth almost £13,000 in Gloucester are off the streets thanks to the efforts of officers from three different teams. Officers from Gloucestershire County Council’s Trading Standards, HM Revenue & Customs and Gloucestershire Police worked together following reports received from the local community about the sale of… Read More