SOMERSET NEWS: Don’t fall victim to the conmen – scam alert warning!

PEOPLE in Somerset are being urged not to give out personal information following several reports of cold callers pretending to be from Somerset County Council.

Bogus calls are being made by a person saying they are from Somerset County Council, claiming to be working in conjunction with the NHS investigating accidents.

“Let me be clear, this is not a Somerset County Council employee,” said Cllr David Hall, the council’s spokesman for Devon and Somerset Trading Standards.

“Please, if you receive a call which sounds similar to this one, don’t give out any personal details and end the call right away.

“You can report the call to Devon and Somerset Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506, or contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Speaking out can help combat this scammer.

“We are anxious for people not to be caught out, so please be on your guard for this, or any other bogus caller.”

But how do you know if it is a scam?

Trading Standards advises people to ask themselves the following – if they can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, there is a good chance someone is trying to scam them – in which case people should hang up.
•    Was the offer unsolicited?
•    Do I have to respond straight away?
•    Do I have to ring a premium rate number?
•    Do I have to give my bank or credit card details?
•    Is the business reluctant to give their address or contact details?
•    Am I being asked to keep it confidential?
•    Does it look too good to be true?

Please visit Trading Standards’ ‘Scams, Rogue Traders & Doorstep Crime pagehttp://www.devonsomersettradingstandards.gov.uk/consumers/rogue-traders-doorstep-crime/scams-doorstep-crime-online-training/ for more information and advice.

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