Scams awareness month

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment’s Trading Standards Service is calling for people to bin their scam mail to show the scammers that they have not been tricked as part of a nationwide ‘Scamnesty’ campaign run by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).
Launching the campaign, Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “Northern Ireland consumers are estimated to lose around a staggering £100 million to scams every year... I would encourage anyone targeted by these unscrupulous fraudsters to collect any scam mailings they receive and drop them into designated ‘Scamnesty’ bins located at their local Trading Standards Offices.”
Nearly half of the UK adult population has been targeted by a scam. Every year, one in 15 people across the country fall victim to a scam involving deceptive unsolicited mailings, phone calls or emails, which are designed to con victims out of their cash.
The most common complaints to Consumerline, DETI's consumer advice helpline involved advance fee and money transfer, prize draws and sweepstakes, ticketing, foreign lotteries, and career opportunities.
Consumers can recognise and reject scams by remembering the following tips:

• Scams are smart. Prove you’re smarter. Bin them!
  
• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  
• Pass on the warnings. Tell your friends and family if you discover a scam.
  
• Your actions may help protect others from becoming a scam victim.

If you think you have been the victim of a scam, or you suspect a scam contact your nearest CAB or call Consumerline on 0300 123 62 62 or visit: http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scams

For more information on scams and how to avoid them, visit http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/scams