A NATIONAL scam awareness campaign is being supported by Coventry City Council to encourage people to report scams and speak out to stop them from spreading.
Ran jointly between the trading standards team and citizens advice, the campaign also offers a chance for residents to highlight current scam activity in the city and help people tackle them.
Throughout July, four key channels used to conduct scams will be looked at.
These include telephone scams, online scams, mail scams and doorstep scams.
The campaign is asking people to keep two things in mind if they receive an unsolicited approach – residents are being urged to not be rushed and not suffer in silence.
Currently, it is estimated £5 billion is lost in the UK each year to mass-marketed scams via phone and post.
Debbie Morgan, consumer protection officer for Coventry City Council’s trading standards team, said: “Unfortunately there are people who make it their business to make money from unsuspecting people.
“Scammers often target the vulnerable but it is important to be aware that anyone could be a victim.
“Scam Awareness Month is a great way for our team to highlight how scams continue to flourish when people stay silent.
“This campaign is encouraging residents to report suspicious activities, get advice if they think they’ve been conned and to warn others to help stop scams from spreading.”
Visit www.coventry.gov.uk/tradngstandards to keep up to date on what scams are operating in the city.
