News
One in three Brits targeted by a scammer so far during lockdown
Posted 15/06/20
Over a third of British adults (36%) have been the target of a scam since lockdown听began, new research by Citizens Advice reveals.
Polling conducted on behalf of the charity also showed that certain groups were at an听increased risk of being contacted by a scammer, often those who could least afford it:
鈼� Of those with a disability or long term illness, 45% said they had been targeted
鈼� Half (50%) of those at an increased risk of coronavirus or shielding had been听contacted
鈼� Over half (54%) of those who have lost personal income due to the virus have听also been contacted.
The charity has seen calls from members of the public concerned about bogus testing听kits, vaccinations and government refunds. It鈥檚 reported a 19% rise in people coming to听its website for scam advice. Citizens Advice web pages relating to scams saw an average听of 49,000 page views a month since lockdown began in March, compared to an average听of 41,000 page views in the three months prior.
From this research, the majority of people (64%) say they are worried someone they听know will fall foul of a con. And most people (90%) reported they felt wary of scammers听taking advantage of the situation.
Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership have launched their annual听Scams Awareness campaign to encourage people to share and report about their听experiences and look out for others.
Worried consumers can report scams to Citizens Advice Consumer Service and听help keep others safe, as Martin, 34, from West Sussex did:
鈥淢y friend showed me a company on social media who claimed to be selling a special听product which they claimed protects your home from Covid-19.
鈥淚 knew it sounded too good to be true and checked out their Facebook page which was听only 12 days old, something which immediately raised my suspicions. They鈥檇 posted听videos of their products being used in different customers鈥� homes. But these looked听bogus, I could tell they were all taken in the same house.
鈥淲hat's more, even though people were asking questions about the product on the听company鈥檚 page, the company was being vague and evading answers.
鈥淚 was worried that other people could fall victim to this con so I contacted Citizens听Advice Consumer Service to report it. It鈥檚 horrible to think that some people are willing听to capitalise on people鈥檚 fears. Particularly at this time when so many are already low on听money and worried about their finances.鈥�
Dame Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said:
鈥淲e鈥檝e seen thousands of people coming to our website for advice on scams during the听coronavirus outbreak as opportunistic scammers take advantage of the public鈥檚听concerns.
鈥淲orryingly one in three of us has been targeted by a scam since lockdown began. This听shows it鈥檚 really important we all do our bit and, like Martin, report them when we see听them.
鈥淏y learning how scammers operate, and helping each other understand what to look听out for, we can all work together to stop fraudsters in their tracks.鈥�
Paul Scully, Consumer Minister, said:
鈥淚 am utterly appalled by this new research showing how opportunistic scammers are听targeting people made most vulnerable by the pandemic 鈥� those suffering from illness,听or facing financial difficulties.
鈥淣ow more than ever it is vital people remain vigilant to scams, and know how to听protect themselves and their loved ones 鈥� especially those who are isolated, or live听alone - from being exploited.
鈥淐itizens Advice plays a vital role in safeguarding people against scams, which is why the听government recently gave them up to 拢15 million extra funding to help deal with听Covid-19.
鈥淚鈥檓 backing Scam Awareness Fortnight, and urging people to follow guidance on how to听defend themselves and report any scams or suspected scams, so we can stop听fraudsters in their tracks and deprive them of the chance to target more victims.鈥�
Leon Livermore, Chief Executive of 51黑料, said:
"I have spent much of lockdown shocked and appalled by the opportunists preying听upon the increased vulnerability of members of the public.
"Trading standards departments up and down the country have united to protect those听that need protection most. I could not be prouder of how the profession that I love has听adapted and risen to the challenges facing us all during these unprecedented times.
鈥淲orking in partnership is key for campaigns like Scams Awareness, and initiatives like听Friends Against Scams. We are informing and arming consumers with the knowledge to听spot potential scams, so they know where to turn if they need help.鈥�
Louise Baxter, Head of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, said:
鈥淎s people continue to stay indoors to prevent the spread of COVID-19, criminals are听preying on people who are vulnerable because of their situations especially those who听are socially isolated and living alone. There鈥檚 never been a more important time for听neighbours to look out for each other, which is why we鈥檙e encouraging communities to听prevent scams in their local area by using the free Friends Against Scams resources.
鈥淥ur online courses will help you spot a potential scam, identify people at risk and help听you protect local residents from falling victims to scams. We鈥檙e urging communities to听protect each other from scams and encourage people to share the latest advice with听families, friends and neighbours鈥�
Citizens Advice consumer expert Kate Hobson said:
鈥淏eing at home doesn鈥檛 protect us from being targeted by scammers. We can all take听steps to look out for ourselves and anyone who might be at risk of falling victim to a听scam.鈥�
If you鈥檙e worried you or someone you know is being scammed, Kate has some useful听tips:
鈼� Look into installing a call blocker to help combat telephone scams
鈼� Talk to your or their bank immediately if there is any suspicious activity or
transactions from their account or credit cards
鈼� Report the scam to Citizens Advice who will give you advice on what to do next
and report the scam to Trading Standards
鈼� Report the scam to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
鈼� If you or someone you know is struggling to pay bills or outstanding debts
Citizens Advice may be able to help
Kate also suggests taking the following steps to safeguard yourself and others:
鈼� Be suspicious if you鈥檙e contacted out of the blue, even if it鈥檚 from a name you
recognise
鈼� If it sounds too good to be true it probably is
鈼� Never send money to someone you鈥檝e never met
鈼� Never give out your bank details unless you are certain you can trust the person
contacting you
鈼� Don鈥檛 be rushed 鈥� you never need to make a decision straight away and if you
feel pressured say 鈥渘o鈥�
鈼� Suspect a scam? Hang up, wait five minutes to clear the line or use another
phone to call
鈼� Don鈥檛 suffer in silence 鈥� speak out about scams
Citizens Advice is urging anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by or has
seen an online scam to report it to its Scams Action service, either online or on 0808 250
5050
For in-person, mail and telephone scams, concerned consumers can report issues to the听Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808 223 1144 for Welsh听language speakers. Citizens Advice will give advice on what to do next and report the听scam to Trading Standards.
Scams should also be reported to Action Fraud, the national fraud reporting centre.
ENDS
For more information contact: Abigail Reynolds at
[email protected]
Tel: 07726 700399
Out-of-hours contact number: 0845 099 0107
We give people the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward听- whoever they are, and whatever their problem.
Notes to editors:
1. Citizens Advice commissioned Opinium Research to carry out a survey of 2,009 18+ UK听adults between 13th and 19th May 2020. Fieldwork was carried out online. Data is听weighted to be representative of the population.
2. The government defines those at 鈥榠ncreased risk鈥� from the coronavirus as anyone aged听over 70, or those aged under 70 with a chronic underlying health condition, with听compromised immune systems, or anyone pregnant, or severely overweight.
3. Citizens Advice commissioned Populus Data Solutions who conducted fieldwork of an听online sample of 2022 18+ GB adults on 28th May 2020. Data is weighted to be听representative of the population of Great Britain.
4. Page view data was taken from the Citizens Advice website on 1 June 2020. Consumer听pages focusing on scams on the Citizens Advice website had 55304 views in May this听year, 49089 in April, and 45263 in March. This is compared to 39366, 37932, and 46857 in听December 2019, January 2020, and February 2020 respectively. Year on year data is not听available as Citizens Advice set up a dedicated scams service in July 2019 (see below note)听meaning more pages containing scams advice were added to its website.
5. Citizens Advice set up a dedicated online scams service in July 2019. The service is funded听by 拢3 million donated by Facebook following its settlement with Martin Lewis. The service听provides one-on-one help for those worried about online scams. It also undertakes听scams prevention work identifying, tackling and raising awareness of online scams in the听UK.
6. Scams Awareness is an annual campaign which aims to create a network of confident,听alert consumers who know what to do when they see a scam. This year's campaign will听take place over two weeks, from the 10th-23rd June. The campaign includes a range of听organisations across the Consumer Protection Partnership, including Trading Standards,听the Department for Business Energy and Infrastructure, and Citizens Advice Scotland.
7. Citizens Advice is made up of the national charity Citizens Advice; the network of听independent local Citizens Advice charities across England and Wales; the Citizens Advice听consumer service; and the Witness Service.
8. To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
9. For consumer advice, call the Citizens Advice consumer service on 0808 223 1133 or 0808听223 1144 to talk in Welsh.
