June 7 2008 to 15 th December
To skip to a specific alert select from the list below:
- Bogus caller warnings-UPV Sellers
- Bogus caller warnings- African Scam & Roofers
- Bogus caller warnings- Gardiners,Tarmaccers & Roofers
- Bogus caller warnings -Prize draws Money Laundering
- Bogus caller warnings -Water Board
- Bogus caller warnings - Damp proof Company
- Bogus doorstep update - Jewellery Purchaser / Tarmacers
15 December 2008
Residents are advised that UPVC sellers were in the Preston area this weekend (13/14 December) and are believed to be using hard selling techniques, refusing to leave houses, offering price incentives such as purchasing the old windows, and mistakenly claiming that the government is considering fining energy inefficient houses. There are three men in their 20s and another, who is thickset with curly hair, in his 50s, all wearing dark jackets, and these men may visit separately or together. Although the salesmen have local accents they are believed to work for a company based in the south of the country. There is evidence that these people are believed to be targeting the elderly, and residents should not allow them into houses on any pretext.
Although these salesman are currently in the Preston area they travel around and will probably soon turn up in another part of the county. We strongly advise consumers never to deal with cold callers. However, consumers who do should be aware that they will have a seven-day cooling off period for any purchases or services made at the door costing over £35. Be careful not to sign for an immediate start on any service since then you may have to pay for any work already started when you cancel. Also be aware that the contract will not be enforceable against the customer unless information about your right to cancel is given in writing.
Bogus warnings-African Scam & Roofers
3 December 2008
Residents are advised that Lancashire Trading Standards Service has received reports of a new take on the African scam that has been so prevalent in the last few years. The emailed scam purports to come from a solicitor named Umeh Gabriel, and mentions a Canadian oil and gas company director with the same surname as the targeted consumer, who has died in a Kenya airways crash, leaving US $18.5 million, and no traceable relatives. The solicitor requests the targeted consumer to send personal details to umeh@umehchambers.net.tc and to agree to stand in as a relative of the dead man.
Any vulnerable individuals should be warned that this is definitely a scam, and that it is currently doing the rounds. Please advise everyone you know never to give out personal details of any kind, especially bank details, in response to an unsolicited call or mailing.
In addition, please be aware that a trader called Storm Shields (this is written on the side of the white van they use) has been cold calling in the Wrea Green, Preston, area of Lancashire area in November 2008, offering to carry out roofing work. Information received suggests that the two white male traders are washing roofs down and colouring or treating them for £4000. Any further information about these traders would be gratefully received. (NB We believe there are several companies in the house repair field using similar names and would like to stress that this enquiry does not suggest wrongdoing on behalf of any company)
Bogus warnings- Gardiners,Tarmaccers & Roofers
7 November 2008
Residents are asked to be wary about three separate traders currently operating in the Preston, Fulwood and Chorley areas at the moment.
We have reports of a tree service company cold calling and leaving leaflets in the Chorley area (6 November 2008), the trader is believed to use insufficient safety equipment and precautions, and does not give required cancellation rights. He has recently dumped grass cuttings on the consumer's drive when payment for work was refused.
There is also a trader with an Irish accent driving a plain white 55 registered van, working in the Fulwood, Preston area (6 November 2008) approaching and cold calling consumers and using pushy selling practices to sell allegedly left-over tarmac. He gives out a Liverpool (0151) landline number.
Finally, we have a roofing contractor in a white transit van cold calling elderly residents in the Ribbleton, Preston area, handing out paperwork with a 0800 number and a mobile number, and offering to replace or install plastic guttering and fascias. Again written cancellation rights are not provided and the traders appear to be uncontactable on the numbers we have.
Residents should be aware that several roofing companies are currently using the 131 Friargate address on paperwork, this is simply an accommodation address where mail may be collected from time to time, no roofers are actually based there.
Bogus warnings- Prize Draw Money Laundering
28/10/08
The Office of Fair Trading is today warning consumers about a sinister new twist to prize draw scams in which the victims are unwittingly being used to help defraud others.
An investigation has uncovered a network of elderly prize draw fraud victims, some of whom have been groomed by the scammers into unknowingly acting as 'money mules' to launder other victims' money.
The fraud involved consumers receiving telephone calls claiming that they had won an international sweepstake or prize draw worth up to £500,000. The victims were told that in order to claim their winnings they needed to pay 'refundable' taxes and insurance fees and were asked to send payments by money transfer to the scammer in Canada .
The twist came when victims were later informed by the scammer that their prize had arrived at a UK airport but that further sums of money were required for its release. Victims were told to send personal cheques, often for thousands of pounds, to UK 'agents'. These 'agents' turned out to be other victims of the same scam who had been duped into acting as 'money mules', banking the cheques and innocently transferring the money to the scammer overseas. Victims receiving the cheques, who often had exhausted their own life savings, were told by the scammer that the money was from 'sponsors' to help pay the required release fee for their prize. None of the victims received any financial advantage for being 'money mules'.
At least 22 elderly victims of the fraud have been identified to date, a number of whom were sending cheques to each other as well as to the scammer and who have collectively lost at least £350,000. Victims were encouraged by the scammer to borrow large sums of money once their life savings had been depleted and some have lost upwards of £50,000. In one instance, the scammers targeted the widower of a victim who had died.
Trading Standards advice to anyone who receives a telephone call, letter or e-mail telling them that they have won a large cash prize is to stop, think and be sceptical. Remember a genuine prize draw, sweepstake or lottery would never ask you to pay taxes, custom duties, insurance, or any other fee before they release your winnings.
Anyone who is contacted about an alleged prize draw or lottery win and suspects it may be a scam should immediately contact Consumer Direct for clear, practical advice on 08454 04 05 06 or http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk .
Bogus Caller warnings- Water Board
22/10/08
An elderly lady in Carnforth was confronted at 2pm Monday 20th October 2008 by two males. One told her they needed to check her water and it had to be switched off. They entered the house, one then turned off the stop cock thus distracting the aggrieved while his associate searched the entire house stealing personal property. The two men then left taking the property with them.
The offenders are described as follows:
• Male, 5' 6" tall, medium build, round face with cropped dark brown hair
• Male, white, mid 30's wearing a dark blue baseball cap with a motif on the front, black suit, white shirt, black shoes and red gloves with dark bobbles.
This method of entry has been used in the past two weeks at other houses in Carnforth and Bolton-le-Sands.
Please warn all your clients to rigorously check the identity of all callers to the door, no identity, no entry to their home and contact the Police immediately on the emergency system giving full details of the incident and as full a description of the persons involved. There have also been fish sellers in the area of Hest Bank, Bolton-le-Sands and Carnforth, the best answer to them is, 'NO THANK YOU' and close the door, and again contact the Police on 01524 63333.
Any information should be passed to the C.I.D. office at Morecambe Police Station - 01524 63333.
Bogus caller warnings-Damp Proof Company
24th September 2008
Lancashire residents are asked not to deal with a cold calling damp proofing and building contractor, a limited company with various addresses including a Barnsley one, believed to be currently offering free damp proof surveys in the Hyndburn area, and likely to move elsewhere in Lancashire soon.
In 2007, Lancashire Trading Standards Service were notified of problems with the company targeting vulnerable people in Lancashire, claiming that it is illegal not to have a Damp Proof Course and that residents wouldn't be able to sell their house without one. They are also believed to have claimed that the damp in consumers' houses would cause major wood rot.
Whilst making appointments they ask a number of questions which help target vulnerable individuals e.g. is the person over 50, do they live alone and whether they have any builders in the family, information we would advise householders not to disclose in such circumstances.
Bogus doorstep Update - Jewellery Purchaser / Tarmacers
22 September 2008
Lancashire residents are asked to be wary about cold calling jewellery purchaser who is currently operating in the Fulwood PR2 area.
Lancashire Trading Standards Service has received information about a man in his 50's smartly dressed in a suit and with an affected posh accent who is targeting central Lancashire households this week, purchasing medals and jewellery from elderly householders.
In addition please watch out for two men with Irish accents, driving a small white van with yellow writing and a mobile number on the side, who have been targeting households in the Morecambe LA4 area today (22/09). They offer to tarmac drives, and then try to buy not-for-sale vehicles and caravans off householders, using persistence to get their way.