Scamz-4-U

24/10/2012 Door to Door Bed Seller Warning: North Leamington

 A North Leamington resident reported to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service yesterday that he was approached on the doorstep by someone who claimed to be delivering beds to a house nearby, but ‘could not find the address’!

The trader then asked the householder if he wanted to buy any beds or mattresses. The caller was driving a plain white van.

Mattresses should meet UK fire safety standards, but it has been the practise of some unscrupulous traders to sell cheap imported mattresses that do not meet these regulations, door to door.

Consumers are advised to buy their products from reputable sellers to whom they can return the goods if there is a problem.

For more information on door to door sellers visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams

24/102012 Your Bank Account Has Been Compromised! Warning

Consumers should beware of unexpected phone calls from people claiming to be calling from your bank warn Warwickshire Trading Standards.

Bogus callers will claim that your bank card has been used fraudulently and may ask you to key in your PIN number as part of a bogus security check.

NEVER REVEAL YOUR PIN NUMBER OR YOUR CARD’S SECURITY NUMBER.

Fraudsters are also asking weary (sic) consumers to phone the bank back to ‘prove’ they are genuine.

Should a consumer do this the fraudster simply stays on the phone line, keeping it open. If the consumer does not realise, they end up talking to the fraudster again but think they are speaking to a genuine bank official.

The fraudster is then able to obtain other personal or financial information because the consumer is convinced they are speaking to a genuine member of bank staff.

Some fraudsters even play dialling tone sounds down the phone to convince the consumer they are phoning for real!

Consumers in this situation should either phone back much later (a fraudster is unlikely to stay on the line for a long time) or phone their bank using a different phone.

If you have any information you wish to provide to Warwickshire Trading Standards Service, either for our information, or to appear in future email alerts, please email me.

For more information on scams, visit: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/scams

Follow us on twitter: www.twitter.com/warkstss

Simon Cripwell
Trading Standards Officer
Trading Standards Service
Communities
Warwickshire County Council
tel. 01926 414039
mob. 07771 975570
email. simoncripwell@warwickshire.gov.uk
web. www.warwickshire.gov.uk
My normal working days are Monday to Thursday