Scams
- Scams: please report all scams to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040.
- Suspicious emails: please forward to report@phishing.gov.uk
- Suspicious websites: please forward to the National Cyber Security Centre
- Suspicious texts: please forward to your service provider by using the FREE text 7726 to enable them to investigate.
- Fight the Fakes: report counterfeit goods 01785 330 356.
- Doorstep Crime; contact Staffordshire Trading Standards Confidential hotline on 01785 330356 to report local doorstep crime and protect vulnerable persons.
- Citizens Advice consumer helpline; 0808 223 1133 for free advice on your consumer rights and report scams.
- Crimestoppers Sometimes you may not wish to contact the police directly but have information about a crime to pass on. CrimeStoppers is an independent charity that will never ask for your personal details. Fraud | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)
- Report a Loan Shark If you spot a loan shark or you’ve borrowed money from one you can report them anonymously to the Illegal Money Lending team by phone on 0300 555 2222 or online at Report a loan shark online.
1. Is This A Scam? Tool
As scammers become ever more sophisticated, we all have times when we want to check if something might be a scam. Citizens Advice have put together a handy tool to help you determine what might be a scam. By answering a few simple questions, you’ll receive some guidance on what to do next;
Where did you see the possible scam? - Scams online tool - Citizens Advice
2. A Safe Route To Contact Your Bank; 159 Call Service
If you’re concerned that someone is trying to trick you into handing over your money, then stop, hang up and call 159 to speak directly to your bank. Stop Scams UK have launched this easy-to-remember number that offers you a quick way to speak to your bank safely. Worth noting that 159 will never call you & only a fraudster will object to you calling 159.
159 — Stop Scams UK
3. Call Blocker Devices
Do you, or someone you know, suffer from unwanted nuisance and scam calls on your home phone? Staffordshire Trading Standards team have a number of free call blocker devices for vulnerable residents that can block up to 95% of unwanted calls. For more information and to apply go to
Call Blockers - Staffordshire County Council
4. Scam Awareness Newsletter
Our Trading Standards team puts together a monthly Scams Email Newsletter highlighting emerging threats both nationally and within Staffordshire. By raising awareness of common scams, as well as highlighting support and assistance available, our aim is to help protect Staffordshire residents from ongoing scams and fraud. You can sign up over at;
Scam Awareness Newsletter - Staffordshire County Council
5. Ring Doorbells
Ring doorbells can offer a further layer of protection for those concerned about unwanted callers. Cameras & motion sensors allow you see and/or speak to anyone at the door. Some devices allow you to share ring doorbell access with a trusted friend/family member. Ring doorbells can also work as a deterrent to keep nuisance callers from your door.
Ring doorbells are not suitable for everyone but worth considering bogus ring doorbells that can help deter unwanted callers.
6. Friends Against Scams
National Trading Standards, (NTS) have put together more information about scams and how to protect yourself & others. Take their free online training to help take a stand against scams. You can also sign up to become a Scam Marshal & send in your scam mail to the NTS Scams Team for it to be investigated.
Friends Against Scams website.
7. Take Five – To Stop Fraud
Take Five is a national campaign offering straight forward impartial advice to help prevent email, phone-based & online fraud, particularly where fraudsters are attempting to impersonate trusted organisations.
Take Five - To Stop Fraud | To Stop Fraud
8. Free Personalised Cyber Action Plan
Pick up a free personalised cyber action plan by answering a few simple questions. By making just one or two changes to our online habits, we can all improve our online safety.
Stay protected online with a Cyber Action Plan - NCSC.GOV.UK
9. No Cold Caller Stickers; distributed free of charge from Staffordshire Trading Standards.
10. Check Your Email to See If Its Been Compromised: Heres a free tool to check your personal data and some smart steps to increase security.
Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach
11. Staffordshire County Council Let’s Talk Engagement Website
Let's Talk Staffordshire aims to be a safe & trusted community space where you can get information about emerging scams & share your thoughts and ideas about local issues and initiatives.
Community Intervention | Let's Talk Staffordshire
12. CIFAS
The CIFAS Protective Registration is a fraud prevention measure for individuals concerned that they are vulnerable to identity theft. There is a charge involved for this service and registration last for 2 years.
CIFAS website
13. Lasting Power of Attorney
No one has the right to take control of your finances or your care without your authority to do so – not even your spouse or partner.
A power of attorney is a way of giving someone you trust the legal authority to make decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself – or if you don’t want to.
You can set up different types of LPA: one for health and care decisions and one for financial decisions. The LPA for health and care decisions can only be used if you lose mental capacity. The LPA for financial decisions can also be used while you still have mental capacity if this is what you’d prefer, but you need to choose this option when setting it up*.
* Taken from AgeUK’s comprehensive guide to Lasting Power of Attorney.
ID204967 Power of attorney (ageuk.org.uk)
14. Mail Preference Service, (reducing post)
The mail preference service will prevent the receipt of unsolicited direct mailings through your door from member companies of the Data & Marketing Association. It will not stop mail that has been sent from overseas, un-addressed material or mail addressed to ‘The Occupier’ but can be an effective way to reduce unwanted post. It can take up to 4 months for the service to be fully effective.
MPS Online
15. Telephone Preference Service, (reducing calls)
Central opt out register where individuals can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls. Once a number has been registered, it will take around 28 days to become effective. As well as your home landline phone, you can also register mobile phones.
Register with TPS by telephone: 0845 703 4599 (option 2) or online;
TPS website
16. The Fundraising Preference Service, (all correspondence)
Set up to help people stop direct marketing from charities, you can also register on behalf of someone else. You can call the helpline on 0300 303 3517 our apply online at;
Welcome | Fundraising Preference Service
17. Think Jessica
Postal scams target vulnerable people at home causing untold harm and distress to many. Hear the real-life story of Jessica who received 30,000 scams letters in just 5 years.
Think Jessica is an educational documentary drama produced by Think Jessica, the charity committed to protecting elderly and vulnerable people from fraud. To read the full story about Jessica, see the East Sussex website.
18. Contacting Royal Mail, (reducing post)
You can tell Royal Mail to stop delivering leaflets and brochures to your address. You'll stop getting unaddressed junk mail within 6 weeks of Royal Mail receiving your form for 2 years & then you’ll need to fill in another form. You can call 03457 740 740 or email optout@royalmail.com.
19. Return To Sender, (reducing post)
For junk mail that has a return address, you can return to sender & you won’t have to pay postage. This isn’t a guarantee that it will stop the junk mail but it’s a way of letting the company know that you don’t want any more mail. Simply write ‘unsolicited mail – return to sender’ on the envelope and post it.
20. Register with the ‘Your Choice’ scheme, (reducing post)
Registering with the Direct Marketing Association’s ‘Your Choice’ scheme will help reduce the amount of marketing junk mail you get. Contact DMA and ask them to send you an opt out form by contacting them on 020 7291 3300 or online at Preference Services | DMA
Direct Marketing Association
DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London
W1W 8SS
You’ll start getting less junk mail in about 12 weeks & after 2 years you'll need to fill in another form.
21. Put A Sign On Your Door/Letterbox, (reduce post)
Put a ‘no junk mail’ sign on your door to help stop junk mail.
You can make a sign yourself - write “No commercial leaflets”. You can also write “No free newspapers” or “Yes free newspapers” depending on whether you still want to get free newspapers.
1. Act Quickly - Report It
Anyone can be a victim of a scam. Fraudsters are becoming ever-more sophisticated in the techniques they use that makes it increasingly difficult to spot a scam in time.
We know that people sometimes don’t like to report a scam, often blaming themselves that leads to a huge amount of under-reporting. We want to challenge this thinking & place the responsibility firmly onto the fraudsters for these crimes. Find out more about the #NoBlameNoShame campaign that aims to increase reporting of scams & frauds.
Friends Against Scams - #NoBlameNoShame campaign
2. Contact Your Bank
Let your bank or building society know as soon as possible. They might be able to stop any payment being made or at least help protect you from any future scams.
3. Try To Get Your Money Back
If you have been a victim of a scam, then there are things you can do to see if you can get your money back. Many of the options open to you will depend upon how the money was paid. You can find out more information in the following guides;
How to get your money back after a scam - Which?
Check if you can get your money back after a scam - Citizens Advice
4. Financial Ombudsman
Your first port of call in attempting to get your money back is to contact your bank at the earliest opportunity to explain what has happened. If you are unhappy with the bank’s final response, you can take the matter further through the Financial Ombudsman.
Fraud and scams (financial-ombudsman.org.uk)
1. Citizens Advice Consumer Service
Run by Citizen’s Advice, the Consumer helpline can be used to report scams as well as receive free advice on your consumer rights & what you can do next.
0808 223 1133
Advice on scams - Citizens Advice
2. Staffordshire Victim Gateway
Staffordshire Victim Gateway provides support and assistance for all victims of crime within Staffordshire. Help is available to all, regardless of whether you have reported the crime to the police or not, via a dedicated telephone helpline as well as through one-to-one support.
0330 088 1339
home - Staffordshire Victim Gateway (staffsvictimsgateway.org.uk)
3. StopLoanSharks
If you have been a victim of a scam, you could find yourself vulnerable to loan sharks as you try to make ends meet. If you, or someone you know, has borrowed money from a loan shark, then you can reach out to StopLoanSharks for support and assistance.
0300 555 2222
Home - Stop Loan Sharks
Research suggests that isolation and/or a lack of connectivity to others can increase a person’s vulnerabilities. Find out more information about how you, or someone you know, can get involved in your local community.
1. Silver Line
A free 24-hour telephone support line that offers friendship, conversation & support to older people age 55 year & over.
0800 4 70 80 90
The Silver Line Helpline
2. Staffordshire Libraries; Telephone Reading Friends
Reading Friends is a telephone initiative, for those interested in books and reading. Library colleagues and volunteers spend time ringing those struggling to visit a library to speak to with them about books, stories, interests and hobbies.
Telephone Reading Friends - Staffordshire County Council
3. Men’s Shed
Using practical skills to encourage men to socialise within their local communities. Men’s Shed is a place to pursue practical interests at leisure, to practice skills and enjoy making & mending.
Home - (menssheds.org.uk)
4. AgeUK Staffordshire
With a national helpline, Age UK’s advice line is a free confidential national phone service for older people, friends & carers. Providing information & advice including benefits, adapting your home, the line is open 365 days a year from 8am to 7pm. You can also find a range of services available from AgeUK Staffordshire.
0800 678 1602
Our Services | Age UK Staffordshire
5. Staffordshire Connects
On online resource listing useful information about befriending and companionship schemes running throughout the Staffordshire area to help reduce isolation.
Staffordshire Connects | Listings in Befriending / Companionship schemes