Stay alert and don’t fall victim to the scammers

I’m getting involved in this year’s Scams Awareness campaign, which is taking place until June 23, writes Ben Bradley MP.
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Being targeted by scammers is unfortunately a common occurrence.

Research from Citizens Advice has found that nearly 40 per cent of people have been targeted five or more times.

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I met with Nottinghamshire Police recently to talk about what actions can be taken to prevent people from being victims of a scams.

Ben Bradley MPBen Bradley MP
Ben Bradley MP

Mansfield has some of the highest levels of people being taken in by scams, so

I want to help make people aware of the risks so that they don’t get caught out by scammers.

Anyone can be targeted by a scam, but it’s really important that we pay attention to the most vulnerable in our society who are seen as easy targets.

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Scamming can be done in a variety of ways and you could fall victim by phone, online, by post or even in person.

If something seems suspicious then there’s no harm in taking time to get advice.

Citizens Advice consumer services offer help with what to do next and potential scams can also be reported to Action Fraud.

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Remember, it’s better to be cautious than to get caught out.

You’re more likely to spot a scam if you know what to look for.

The Citizens Advice website has a great page on how to recognise if something might be a scam.

Tips include being wary of someone asking you to transfer money quickly or if you’ve been asked to give away personal information, such as passwords.

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Almost half of people surveyed by Citizens Advice said that they have taken no action to protect themselves against scams.

This needs to change and I’d urge all of you to spend just a few minutes to research ways to make sure you don’t fall for a scam.

You can then share advice with family and friends.

It’s so important that we all take notice of campaigns such as this to protect people from falling victim to scams.

Remember if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.