We’re supporting Scams Awareness Month 2018, a campaign led by Citizens Advice and Trading Standards which aims to create a network of confident, alert consumers who ‘don’t miss a trick’ when it comes to scams.
Scams Awareness Month is an annual campaign bringing together organisations and consumers across the country, to take a united stand against scams and fraud which affect millions of people each year. Alongside organisations including Citizens Advice, National Trading Standards and the Competition and Markets Authority, we are working to reduce the risk and impact of scams and fraud by raising awareness and encouraging people to take action – recognising, reporting, and talking about the issues.
The majority of ads you see and hear every day can be trusted. We will step in and take action to ban ads that don’t stick to the rules, treat consumers unfairly and are misleading.
Unfortunately, however, there are bogus individuals and companies who aren’t interested in playing by the rules. Where a business is using advertising to operate a scam and acting fraudulently, we will act where we can to stop it but often law enforcement bodies are better placed to intervene.
Scams and fraud affect millions of people across the UK every year, victimising and leaving consumers out of pocket. By raising awareness, helping consumers become more confident and alert in spotting and reporting scams, we can all play an important part in protecting ourselves and others from falling victim.
If you see an ad that you believe is misleading or could be a potential scam then take the cautious approach and get in touch with us. It only takes a few minutes to fill out our online complaints form. We’ll then look into whether an ad breaks the rules.
If you have more general concerns about whether a company or sole trader is legitimate then here’s some useful advice:
Getting advice and report scams
- Get advice on your rights if you’ve been scammed, from the Citizens Advice consumer service: 03454 04 05 06
- Report scams or suspected scams to Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040 www.actionfraud.police.uk
Scams Awareness Month 2018 runs throughout June and you can get further updates and find out more about other activities planned for the month ahead by following #scamaware on social media and visiting the scams awareness campaign on Citizens Advice’s website.
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