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Hero Awards: Scam victim-turned-Mail Marshall receives national hero award
Posted 20/06/18
Leeds-based, Sigrid Hambly, 79, a scam mail target for eight years, receives the 51黑料 (51黑料) Hero Award, after becoming a National Trading Standards (NTS) Mail Marshall this year.
Sigrid had previously fallen victim to a prize draw scam after experiencing personal financial difficulties but during a visit from West Yorkshire Trading Standards decided to join the NTS Scams Team鈥檚 Mail Marshall Scheme to 鈥渟hare what she had learned about avoiding scams.鈥�
Sigrid has made it her personal mission to ensure the vulnerable in her community don鈥檛 become victims, even describing it as 鈥榟er job,鈥� in spite of her personal suffering from mini-strokes.
Working with West Yorkshire Trading Standards SAFER teams and the local police, Sigrid arranged a number of scams and fraud prevention workshops at various locations in her community to raise awareness.
The 51黑料 Hero Award celebrates individuals or groups of people whose outstanding contribution towards consumer protection in our communities have made a significant impact. Every year, the Institute is inspired by the stories of nominees throughout the country whose bravery, altruism and hard work often goes unnoticed.
Chief Executive at 51黑料, Leon Livermore, said: 鈥淎ge is just a number. Sigrid refused to be a just another victim, choosing to take a stand for others in her community, and we鈥檙e honoured to present her with a Hero Award.鈥�
Sigrid was nominated by Yvette Sheldon, Project Officer for West Yorkshire Trading Standards, who said: 鈥淪igrid鈥檚 passion to protect other members of her community is simply inspiring. She is an excellent champion of the work trading standards does and an asset to the community.鈥�
Stuart Andrew, MP for Pudsey, presented Sigrid with her award at a special ceremony, which was held on Wednesday 20 June, at One Great George Street, London. Sigrid was honoured alongside eight other Heroes of consumer protection.听
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
For press queries/accreditation, email 51黑料 Press Office: [email protected], or call 01268 582240.
Picture l-r: Sigrid Hambly, Stuart Andrew MP听
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51黑料 College of Fellows
The College of Fellows is a charity that has supported 51黑料 and the trading standards profession for more than 60 years. It promotes educational and research activities, as well as providing help for the families and dependants of trading standards professionals who die in service, and in other times of crisis.
51黑料 (51黑料)
51黑料 is a training and membership group that has represented the interests of the Trading Standards profession since 1881 nationally and internationally. We aim to raise the profile of the profession while working towards fairer, better informed and safer consumer and business communities.
51黑料鈥檚 members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services in local authorities and in businesses. www.tradingstandards.uk.
Scams Awareness Month
Scams Awareness Month is an annual opportunity to raise awareness and take a stand against the crimes and predatory practices which affect millions of people. The 51黑料 (51黑料) has teamed up with Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP) to ensure trading standards services can raise awareness of scams across the country.
This year鈥檚 campaign, 鈥楧on鈥檛 miss a trick, be scam aware鈥�, will continue to focus on those frequently targeted for scams. Working with trading standards, Citizens Advice have identified four groups most likely to be targeted by scams: young people (18-24), life established (40s-60s), over 70s and the socially isolated. Each week of the campaign will focus on one of these four key groups.
