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The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is launching its 2010 Scams Awareness Month by highlighting how scammers are targeting unsuspecting people using increasingly sophisticated and manipulative techniques. New research carried out on behalf of the OFT shows the scale and types of scams carried out by post, email, text, phone or Internet aimed at vulnerable people and getting them to part with cash or personal details. The survey found that 1 in 11 people (4 million) have been scammed at some point in their lives with around a third admitting to losing money. The research also showed that one in 25 (about 2 million) adults had responded to a scam in the last 12 months. 49% of those scammed lost more than £50 with 5% losing more than £5,000. According to the OFT the most popular scamming method is email with 73% of adults admitting to having received a scam email over the last 12 months. Personally I’m in constant trouble with Barclays, Abbey and many other banks and building societies with whom I don’t have accounts and as for bloody parcels I’ve got hundreds of the things awaiting delivery from DHL and other carriers, even though no one has been kind enough to sent me anything. Fortunately AOL’s email checker is really good and deletes attachments that contain viruses before I can download them. Letter scams take second place at 21% and text messages 3^rd at 12%. Social media sites are coming up fast with 9% having received an approach so far (that’s scamming approach). 3 in 10 adults who responded to a scam received further correspondence from the scammer with 54% being asked to send money and 36% asked to send personal information.. The big leasing scam is the non existent deals that appear on the Internet, cheaper than anyone else. In the best cases they ask you to complete a finance application giving all your details including where you live, date of birth, bank details and employment details. Some applicants will send copies of utility bills, bank statements (useful to know how much you have in your account), driving licence, passport and even copies of credit cards (both sides). And all this to someone who ‘sounds honest on the phone’ but you don’t know from anyone you may pass in the street. In response to the findings the OFT, in association with 129 local authority Trading Standards offices, is launching a ‘Scamnesty’. The public are being encouraged to drop scam mailings they have received into designated Scamnesty bins or boxes at local libraries and public areas across the country. Consumers looking for their nearest depository can visit a website www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/scamnesty/ It also shows you where to forward scam emails and report scam websites. One of the more unusual things that the campaign is highlighting is the emotional effect on people that have been scammed, especially the elderly who felt they should have seen the scam and feel embarrassed. John Fingleton, Chief Executive of the OFT wants  people to be able to recognise the warning signs, especially as the scams become more sophisticated, and seek help straight away from friends, family and consumer direct. As Fingleton pointed out that scams can ‘bring real upset and misery to the victims.’ Ron Gainsford, chief executive of the Trading Standards Institute pointed out that amongst some of the obvious ‘you’ve won a prize’ scam are others that are simply trying to get your personal details to sell to criminals that operate internationally. The following advice has been provided by the OPT:

• Stop think and be sceptical. If something sounds too good to be true – it probably is
• Don’t be rushed into sending off money to anyone you don’t know, however plausible it might sound and even when an approach is personalised
• Ask how likely it is that you have been especially chosen for this offer- thousands of other people will probably have received the same offer
• Think about how much money you could lose from replying to a potential scam – it’s not a gamble worth taking.
• If you are unsure of an offer, speak to family or friends and seek advice from Consumer Direct before sending any money or giving out any banking or credit card details.

By Graham Hill