Trading Standards South West (TSSW) and the 15 South West local authority Trading Standards services that it represents are joining forces and launching a week of action. The week of action will reveal the work of Trading Standards and raise awareness of issues affecting consumers in the region. The first… Read More
Scams
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
Romance scam: Online romance broke more than Iris’ heart
Iris was a victim of a romance scam that ruined her financially, destroyed her relationship with her family and affected her health. Here is her story. After separating from her husband, Iris joined an online dating site. She met a few men through the website and then started an online… Read More
Romance scam: Daughter powerless to help as mum is taken in by scammers
The following story is a real-life account from the daughter of a romance scam victim, Iris. My mum grew up in Bodmin, Cornwall on a farm. She married my dad, and although my mum suffered from bi-polar, which was not diagnosed until much later in life, we had a happy… Read More
Young and bright but not scam immune
Asked to picture a typical scam victim, and you’ll probably conjure up an image of an elderly and frail person. However, an email scam which specifically targeted university students demonstrates that we’re all vulnerable, even the young and more internet savvy. In 2018, HRMC reported a dramatic increase in the… Read More