Fight the scammers, urge trading standards

Help stamp out scams - that's the message from the Royal Borough's trading standards officers who, for the third year running, have joined forces with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Consumer Direct to support the nationwide Scams Awareness Month.

From Tuesday 1 to Tuesday 15 February residents are asked to collect any potential scam mailings and emails they have recently received and drop them into designated Scamnesty bins in public buildings across the borough.

Then, later in the month, trading standards will provide information on dealing with bogus holiday clubs and ticket scams, two areas where there have been increasing problems for consumers.

Nearly half of the UK population has been targeted by a scam and more than three million adults - 6.5% of the UK population - fall victim, losing a total of £3.5 billion every year.

Cllr Phill Bicknell, Cabinet Member for Public Protection, said "Scamnesty aims to raise awareness about scams that arrive in the post and email and also to give trading standards an up-to-date snapshot of the type of scams currently being inflicted on the public.

"These range from fraudulent lottery wins to clairvoyancy and miracle health cures and can look very genuine, but I urge people not to fall for them. If you haven't entered a draw or lottery you will not have won it and any mailing which asks you to pay a deposit or administration fee for the goods, services or 'prize' being offered will be a scam.

"If you or a friend or relative have recently received any suspicious offers in the post or by email make sure you alert trading standards by dropping it into one of the Scamnesty bins."

Scamnesty bins can be found at the Town Hall in Maidenhead, York House in Windsor, main libraries and other public areas across the borough. For a full list see below or phone 01628 683672.

The bins will be easy to spot with their distinctive 'Scams are Smart, Prove You're Smarter' logo.

If you are online you can report scams to: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/reportascam

Notes:
1. Scamnesty runs from 1 to 15 February as part of the Office of Fair Trading's Scams Awareness Month. Collected mailings will be used by participating local authority trading standards services and the OFT to aid intelligence gathering or inform investigations.

2. In the Royal Borough Scamnesty Bins will be located at
• Council reception, York House, Sheet Street, Windsor SL4 1DD
• Windsor Library, Bachelors Acre, Windsor SL4 1ER
• King George VI Day Centre, Clarence Road, Windsor SL4 5AR
• Age Concern, Spencer Denny Centre, Park Corner, Windsor SL4 4EB
• Eton Wick Centre, The Village Hall, Eton Wick SL4 6LT
• Ascot Day Centre, Bagshot Road, Sunninghill SL5 9PD
• Council reception, Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead SL6 1RF
• Maidenhead Library, St Ives Road, Maidenhead SL6 1QU
• Woodlands Park Centre, Manifold Way, Maidenhead SL6 3GW
• Elizabeth House Centre, Station Hill, Cookham SL6 9BS

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