Office of Fair Trading launches new campaign to help stamp out scams

08/02/2010

 According to research by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) every year 3.2 million adults – one in 15 people in the UK – fall victim to a scam involving deceptive unsolicited mailings, phone calls, emails or texts. Every year £3.5 billion is lost by consumers to the scammers and the average amount lost per scam is £850. However only five per cent of victims report it to the authorities and those who have fallen victim have a 30 per cent chance of falling for another scam within 12 months.

 

Scamnesty, the annual campaign by the OFT, returns in February 2010 and aims to empower people to fight back against the scammers by dropping potential scam mailings into Scamnesty bins nationwide. The mailings will provide crucial intelligence for enforcement agencies, helping to inform future investigations.

 

People of all ages are at risk from scams, with the highest percentage of victims aged between 35-44 years old, however those over 55 years old are likely to lose twice as much in any scam - an average of £1,261.

 

The most common scam mailings sent to UK consumers are:

 

1. Deceptive sweepstakes

2. Misleading prize draws

3. Bogus foreign lotteries

4. Fake clairvoyants/psychics

5. 'Miracle' health cures

 

 

To help protect yourself and those you care about, the OFT encourages    remember the following tips:

  • Stop, think and be sceptical. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is.   Do not be rushed into sending off money to someone you do not know, however plausible they might sound. Read the offer carefully.
  • How likely is it that you have been especially chosen for this offer? – thousands of other people are likely to have received the same offer
  • Think about how much money you could lose from replying to a potential scam – it’s a gamble not worth taking.
  • If you are unsure of an offer, speak to family or friends and seek advice from Consumer Direct before sending any money 

To find out more information, locate your nearest Scamnesty bin or seek advice about a possible scam, contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit the website below.

Relevant links

Send this page to a friend