Scammers: A Suffolk resident has lost £170 to scammers after they were contacted by a "friend" who needed help. They initially received a text message from "Julie" updating them with their "new number". A week later they then received messages from who they thought was their friend, asking for help to pay a bill. The kind-hearted victim was busy at the time and so couldn't call their friend to discuss the matter, but went on to agree to send cash to an address provided. The text messages from the "Julie" explained that they owed money to a company and the next amount was due. They told the recipient that they only accept cash sent in an envelope. The recipient of the text messages only realised that they had been a victim of the scam when they received a genuine message from their friend on their original number. They then spoke about the messages received and their friend confirmed that they had never sent the messages. This is an ongoing scam, targeting individuals across the Country. The scam usually includes a message on WhatsApp, but sometimes a text or phone call, from a person claiming to be a friend or family member, and has the aim of encouraging the recipient to transfer money. If you receive a suspicious message (even if you think you know who it is from), calling or requesting a voice note is the fastest and simplest way to check someone is who they say they are.
STOP: Take time before you respond. If you use it, make sure your WhatsApp two-step verification is switched on to protect your account, and that you are happy with your privacy settings.
THINK: Does this request make sense? Are they asking for money? Remember that scammers prey on people’s kindness, trust and willingness to help.
CALL: Verify that it really is your friend or family member by calling them directly, or asking them to share a voice note. Only when you are 100% sure the request is from someone you know and trust, should you consider it. If it turns out to be untrue, report it to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
If you receive a suspicious message, whether by email, website or text message you can take the following actions:
Email – if you feel unsure about an email you have received, you can forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Services at report@phishing.gov.uk
Website – If you have come across a website which you think is fake, you can report it here: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website
Text message – Report suspicious text messages for free to 7726. Your provider can investigate the text and take action if found to be fraudulent.
Cold Callers: Police and Suffolk Trading Standards are urging people to be alert for cold callers after receiving a report from a member of the public of doorstep callers operating in Dowes Hill Close in Beccles, around lunchtime on Wednesday 19 January. The men said they were working for a home improvement company and saying the householder could get grants. They had paperwork on them, but not ID, giving the excuse it had been left at home. The householder phoned the legitimate business First Choice Home Improvements, who confirmed the males were not working for them and it was a SCAM. The men were wearing black sweatshirts with a logo of a little red house. A description of the males - white male with slight tan, approximately 27 years of age, well spoken, black jumper and beige trousers with holes in. A second male was in a vehicle. Officers searched the area, but there was no trace of these males.
If you do have someone knock at your door:
Use a spy hole, chain or window to have a look at the caller before answering the door and keep the chain on. If you do not recognise the caller then speak through the closed and locked door.
Always ask for proof of identity. Take it from the person (through the letterbox) and read it carefully before deciding what to do.
Never use a phone number provided by the caller as it could be a false number to an accomplice.
Never give bank details to a caller, even those claiming to be from charities. Police will have a list of charitable organisations visiting your area which can be checked by calling 101. We recommend that you contact the charity directly if you wish to make a regular donation through your bank or building society.
Display a No Cold Calling sticker on your door which are free from Trading Standards and never buy goods and services from people calling at your door.
If you have any doubt, keep them out and remember you do not have to open the door.
Further advice on how to deal with cold callers and rogue traders can be found here https://www.suffolk.police.uk/sites/suffolk/files/coldcallers1.pdf
Report all doorstep callers to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Tenants beware: Ipswich based letting agents Goddard & Co are warning renters to be on the lookout for fraudsters posing as agents and landlords. Goddard and Co are aware of rental properties in Ipswich that are being cloned by scammers and advertised on Facebook. A post on their own Facebook page warns:
"SCAM - TENANTS BEWARE
We have been made aware of a scam going around whereby one of our properties has been cloned, and advertised on Facebook for let. The person has intimated that they are the owners and are looking for a quick let at a reduced price. They have then requested the applicant to pay a deposit over - and then stops any contact. Tenants - It if looks too good to be true - most of the time it is, please do not transfer any funds until you see the actual property."
Rental fraud happens when would-be tenants are tricked into paying an upfront fee to rent a property. In reality, the property does not exist, has already been rented out, or has been rented to multiple victims at the same time. The victim loses the upfront fee they have paid and is not able to rent the property they thought they had secured with the payment. Rental fraudsters often target students looking for university accommodation. Rental fraud is a type of advance fee fraud.
Protect yourself from rental fraud
Do not send money to anyone advertising rental properties online until you are certain the advertiser is genuine.
If you need to secure accommodation in the UK from overseas, seek the help of the employer or university you are coming to, or get a friend, contact or relative to check the property exists and is available.
Do not pay any money until you or a reliable contact has visited the property with an agent or the landlord.
Ask for copies of tenancy agreements and any safety certificates such as Gas Electricity or HMO Licence.
Do not be pressurised into transferring large sums of money. Transfer funds to a bank account having obtained the details by contacting the landlord or agent directly after the above steps have been followed. Be sceptical if you’re asked to transfer any money via a money transfer service like Western Union.
If you have given money or financial details to a scammer, contact your bank immediately. Report rental fraud to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
White goods: We all rely hugely on our fridges, washing machines and microwaves for keeping our busy lives on track, but would your appliance manufacturer know which machines you have and where to find you if a fault came to light with your model? The answer is ‘no’ for some 100 million appliances, according to recent research. But this could all be remedied by people taking a few minutes to register their much-loved items. To mark Register My Appliance Week – taking place from 17 to 21 January – Suffolk County Council is urging the public to register their many treasured appliances that, unlike our cars, are still off the radar if a free safety repair is ever needed. This is more important than ever, as it’s estimated that we are now running over 212 million essential appliances to cook, wash clothes and dishes, clean floors and store our food. While the recent increase in online purchasing (reportedly soaring as high as 70%) and the advent of smart appliances will all help to improve traceability, research found that 49% of us have never registered a product, leaving millions of large and mid-sized older machines totally untraceable. As part of the Fire Kills Campaign, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, along with Suffolk Trading Standards, is encouraging people to make their homes safer by registering machines at www.registermyappliance.org.uk
Councillor Andrew Reid, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection and Communities, commented: “We all aim to keep our appliances running efficiently for many years, benefitting both our wallets and the environment. This places an important emphasis on the maintenance and registration of machines – helping them to last longer, whilst also ensuring the safety of users. Registering an appliance can be easily done regardless of whether this was already in situ at a property when you moved in, bought second-hand, or installed many years ago, as you don’t need to have a receipt or know exactly when the item was first purchased. This campaign has prompted me to register my own appliances, and I would urge all Suffolk residents to do the same to help minimise the risk of fire posed by dangerous or faulty products which have been recalled.”
Register My Appliance is a web portal developed by the Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances (AMDEA) to improve ownership data by making it quicker and easier for householders to register old and new appliances. Offering access to over 60 of the nation’s leading brands, the vast majority of manufacturers on the site welcome registration of products up to 12 years old or even older. Handy tips guide the user through how to find the important model details, meaning all the user needs to supply is their name and address. This data then goes directly to the manufacturer for use exclusively in case of a recall. To increase safety and the life of appliances the Register My Appliance portal also offers a listing of appliance safety repairs and recalls, hints and tips on household safety, and recommendations for appliance care.
Safety alerts: Cosatto have issued a safety alert for its All in All+ and All in All Rotate car seats. They have identified a safety concern relating to the buckle used in the production of a batch of car seats manufactured between September 2019 and June 2020.
Cosatto car seats affected by this safety alert:
All in All+ car seats
Dragon Kingdom (model number CT4262)
Unicorn Land (model number CT4238)
Harewood (model number CT4239)
Mister Fox (model number CT4241)
All in All Rotate car seats
Sea Monsters (model number CT4263)
Fairy Garden (model number CT4242)
Fika Forest (model number CT4243)
Hedgerow (model number CT4486)
Hear Us Roar (model number CT4418)
On The Prowl (model number CT4451)
One World (model number CT4449)
Only batch numbers between 37/2019 and 24/2020 are affected. The batch number can be found on the rear of the car seat.
To check if your car seat is affected, please click here: https://cosattocuddle.typeform.com/to/KXTa8eEn A replacement buckle will be sent to all those affected by the alert.