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Rogue traders and scams reported to Trading Standards by Warwickshire residents and others

Bogus iPhone 13 deals

Warwickshire residents have reported receiving unsolicited emails and cold calls from criminals, falsely claiming to be Carphone Warehouse. The criminals offer ‘very good deals’ on iPhone 13s and try to get consumers to agree to enter into a contract. However, once the criminals have obtained your personal and financial information and taken payments, they disappear! Never give your personal or financial information to cold callers.

Beware scam Post Office texts

As Christmas approaches and parcel deliveries increase, residents are reporting receiving scam Post Office texts. The bogus texts state that you have missed a parcel delivery and direct you to a copycat website identical to the Post Office website. From here, people are encouraged to provide personal and financial information before they are asked to make a payment for the re-delivery of their ‘parcel’. Where possible, avoid visiting websites from links in unexpected emails and texts. Type the correct web address into a web browser.

TV licence scam

Warwickshire Trading Standards has seen reports of criminals’ door knocking elderly people claiming to be from TV Licensing. Householders are told they are no longer eligible for a free TV licence before being asked to sign a direct debit agreement to pay for their licence weekly. Never provide your personal or financial information to doorstep callers. For genuine information on TV licences, including discounts for some residents, visit: https://www.gov.uk/tv-licence

Buying goods via social media

Trading Standards has received complaints from consumers who purchased goods on social media marketplaces but never received the item. Often, the seller simply blocks the buyer and disappears. Here are some top tips if you are buying goods on social media:

  • Beware of sellers who want to communicate or take payment outside official social media channels.
  • Be particularly wary of anyone selling products that have a suspiciously low price or are hard to find, the item could be fake or may not even exist!
  • Check out a seller’s social media profile before you buy. If it’s relatively new, then be especially cautious

It’s National Consumer Week 2021

If you're looking to be a more environmentally friendly consumer - whether that's buying eco-friendly products or making your home more energy efficient - it's important to make sure you can be confident in your decisions. That’s why in National Consumer Week we are raising awareness of how people can protect themselves from misleading energy efficiency and environmental claims, such as “green scams”, rogue traders and greenwashing. With our advice and support you can arm yourselves with the knowledge and confidence you need to make the best decisions: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ncw21-advice

More help and advice

Published: 8th December 2021

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