Home Security Help someone you know stay safe from bogus callers
30/06/2010
Distraction burglaries, or bogus caller crimes are at their peak during the summer months, and the Consumer Council for Water has some top tips and a form to help householders stay safe from bogus callers.
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There's a 'cybercrime' victim every seven seconds
A new study estimates that Brits were targeted by 3.7 billion ‘phishing’ emails in the last 12 months alone. And a quarter of us admit to falling victim to e-fraudsters, with the average victim losing over £285 each.
Sir Terry pledges to 'Push the Button' for fire safety
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Celebrities from across the music, showbiz and sporting worlds are backing the Government’s Fire Kills campaign with a “Push It Pledge”, to urge people to test their smoke alarm every week.
Office of Fair Trading launches new campaign to help stamp out scams
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.
Scamnesty, the annual campaign by the OFT, returns in February 2010 and aims to empower people to fight back against the scammers
Silent fright - fifteen million hit by silent phone calls every week
Fifteen million Britons are plagued by silent phone calls from call centres every week, according to research issued today. The figure, from a Telephone Preference Service poll conducted by Mori, was released as consumers were urged to back a bid to impose a maximum £2 million fine on the culprits.
A personalised service
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Chief Crown Prosecutor Ian Rushton outlines how the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) deals with crimes against older people, and what support victims and witnesses can expect.
Celebrate safely this Christmas
People often get distracted by the hustle and bustle of Christmas and are unaware of the potential fire hazards and toxic threats that can lurk in fairy lights, candles and flammable decorations. The Fire Kills campaign wants everyone to have a happy and safe Christmas this year and is urging the public to take fire safety seriously.
How to spot a top tradesman
Every year, cowboy builders and rogue traders clock up around £1.5 billion worth of problems for homeowners across the country. From shoddy kitchens, to improperly installed whitegoods, to leaky roofs, there are plenty of horror tales around.
Protecting the vulnerable in West Sussex
An information-sharing agreement between the Police, Age Concern and POP (Partnerships for older People) is helping to protect and reassure the vulnerable and lonely in West Sussex.
Don't drown in toxic smoke
Drowning in the toxic smoke of a house fire is the risk you take if you do not have a working smoke alarm. That is the stark message being delivered in the new ‘Fire Kills’ advertising campaign launching this month from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
How to foil the overseas scammers
We have been receiving letters and emails from readers who have fallen foul of ‘scams’ from unscrupulous operators overseas. We asked Jed Mayatt of The UK European Consumer Centre what protection exists - and what to do if you feel that you have been a victim.
Scam stories flood in from MT readers
Last month we printed the tragic story of Jessica Looke, whose final years were destroyed after she fell victim to a gang of unscrupulous ‘scammers’. After responding to a first letter telling her that she had won a prize for a competition she had not even entered, Jessica was soon drawn into a web of deceit which robbed her of her life savings and her health.
As we soon discovered, Jessica was not alone.
Don’t fall for the scammers
When Jessica Looke died, her family found thousands of ‘scam mail’ letters in her home. Despite desperate attempts by her daughter, Marilyn Baldwin, and the rest of the family, gangs of unscrupulous ‘scammers’ had duped an elderly and vulnerable lady out of her life savings and driven her into debt: along with the scam letters were threatening letters from bailiffs and utilities.
Now Marilyn is pleading with Mature Times readers: don’t fall for the same scam letters, which are still dropping through people’s letter boxes every day. By Mature Times editor Tony Watts.
How to foil the doorstep scammers
It’s a familiar story; you’re enjoying a cosy evening at home, engrossed in your favourite television programme when the doorbell rings; you open the door to find a collection box thrust into your face by someone collecting ‘For Charity’. Chances are, desperate for a quiet life, you will shove some money into their tin - but how many of these collections are actually genuine? How can you be sure that your hard earned cash will not end up in the pocket of the nearest pub….or drug dealer?
Over 50s drive down crime rates
Community-minded senior citizens are creating ‘safe havens’ with the lowest crime rates in the country, according to the latest figures from a study from Lloyds TSB Insurance
