Residents in Shildon and Middridge are being warned to be on their guard against scams.
Durham County Council’s trading standards team is supporting a national campaign aimed at helping residents to spot potential scams and avoid falling victim to them.
New national figures show that more than 22,000 reports of scams were made to the Citizens’ Advice Consumer Helpline in the last 12 months.
But the figures don’t reflect the many more people who may have fallen victim to a scam and failed to report it.
To help people in Shildon and Middridge spot the warning signs, leaflets are being made available in libraries, customer access points, Citizens’ Advice Bureaux and housing association offices with advice and information on common scams.
Joanne Waller, head of environment, health and consumer protection at Durham County Council, said, “People are seeing their money go down the drain as con artists rip them off by promising lottery wins, work on their home or a new job, only to find there is nothing at the end.
“We are warning people to be on the look out for rogues looking to make a quick buck at their expense and reminding them that scams are crimes so it is vital that they are reported.”
Through the national campaign, consumers are being reminded that scams come in all shapes and sizes, including adverts, people knocking on the door, emails, letters, phone calls, texts and over the internet.
You can get advice or report suspected scams by contacting the Citizens’ Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
