BEWARE

[zody]

BEWARE!

 

David Skinner, an active crusader for community causes in Coventry, put together the following facts and tips to raise awareness of fraudulent activities and to provide some very helpful hints. Whether it is Coventry, Havering or Cardiff the message is still the same and extra vigilance against this type of crime can help tackle the problem.

 

Complaints

 

There are about 11,000 – 13,000 enquiries per annum. ¾ of complaints are about faulty goods.

Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report in 2000 said that the purchase of unsatisfactory goods & services is estimated to cost us £8.3 billion a year - £180 for every adult in the UK.

 

Faulty work

 

A TS survey in June 2005 found that 76% of garages failed to service cars properly, and 35% of those left the vehicle with major faults, including one with imminent brake failure. Another survey found that 67% of garages failed to pick up faults, while 23% did unnecessary work.

 

Deliberate fraud

 

A few Statistics;

 

Leading brand-holders of gin & whisky estimate that, nationally, 15% of spirits sold in bars and restaurants have been substituted for a brand of inferior taste or quality.

 

Car clocking: cost is £2 million per week - £100m per year.

 

Counterfeits

 

In UK alone, TS officers and Customs officials seized £70 million in one year - Fake goods cost us £6.5 billion a year & often fund other illegal activities & organised crime.

 

Cigarettes: Over 1 million fake cigarettes are seized every day – some containing sweepings off the floor, others containing high levels of substances like lead & arsenic. Smuggled goods now make up 15% of the UK cigarette market.

 

Bouncing cheques

 

How it works: a person advertises a high-value item like a car. An overseas buyer makes a generous offer, & then sends a cheque, which includes a substantial sum – either for delivery of the car, or on the pretence that the firm who wrote the cheque owes the buyer a large amount of money. The buyer then tells the "victim" to send the car & send them the balance of the money. The original cheque clears – so the buyer gets paid & thinks it's genuine & sends off the balance. But a few days later, the cheque bounces & the bank claws back the money they have paid into the person's account.

 

"Phishing" – 2 types

 

The first is an email that looks as if it's come from your bank – has all the right details like logos – asks you to confirm your details by clicking on a link – which will look exactly like your bank's website – but it's not.

 

The other type of phishing also starts with an email, this time with screen shot of what looks like a well-known website, offering great deals on products, which look too good to be true – and are! Once you click on the link to buy the product, they ask you for your credit card details so that they can rush this special offer to you – but that's the last you'll see of your money.

 

What is a scam

 

Misleading, deceptive or fraudulent marketing practice ( not all are against the law – e.g. product guaranteed to kill cockroaches; 2 pieces of wood were sent).

 

Clothing Collections for 3rd world – really rag & bone men. OFT estimates loss to genuine charities to be £1million p.a. One I received at home in June 2005 was from a firm that was wound up in May 2004.

 

Top 'Mass mailing' Scams

 

Premium rate scams Eg. Purple Rock premium rate mailing – mailshot to 2.1 million people – gave misleading impression that recipients had won competition for Mini / flat screen TV or camera. 137,000 people called the premium rate line at £1.50 per minute (£9 for call) – actually selling a cheap mini key-ring camera for £24 each.

 

Bogus competitions: Telephone lottery scams: Nigerian advance fee frauds: Work at home / business opportunity scams: Property Investment schemes: Pyramid schemes: Prize Draw & Foreign lotteries: Investment scams: Conservative estimate: £1billion p.a.

 

Even "Normal" doorstep sellers often sell poor products. Our advice is never to buy on the doorstep – certainly never if you don't know the caller personally.

 

At home

 

The main way into your home is through the front door. Two ways of getting through it:

 

The letterbox – used by junk mailers and con artists for a variety of cons. Examples;

 

Homeworking schemes – anything from making up kits for lampshades, necklaces, radios – but which can’t be put together to their “exacting quality standards” – so you never get paid. When Police & Trading Standards raided a place in Birmingham, they found over a £1/3 million in postal orders cheques & cash.

 

Other junk mail cons include letters that say you’ve won a prize draw. If you haven’t entered a draw or competition, you can’t win it.

 

Nigerian scam letters known as 419 fraud or West African fraud because they started in Nigeria, and 419 because that’s the part of the Nigerian penal code that these letters are breaking. There are now hundreds of these letters, which have different twists, but carry a similar message: we (usually Government officials, members of an ex-Government or directors of large petrol companies) have managed to stash away millions of Pounds or dollars, by corrupt means. "We can’t get the money out of the country, so we are looking for reliable partners to help us by putting the money into their own English bank account. In return, we offer a commission – say 25% of £40 million. Just send us your bank account details & we’ll do the rest." And they do – they’ll empty your bank account.

 

The easiest way of avoiding junk mail is to register with Mail Preference Service.

 

Doorstep conmen

 

The easiest way of getting through someone's front door, is to talk someone into letting you in:

 

“We’ve been doing some work on the motorway & have some tarmac left, so we can do a cheap job on your drive”. “I was walking past & noticed you have some loose slates on your roof”

 

“My ball’s gone into your back garden, can I come through and get it?” these crooks often use even very young children. “I’ve just come to read your meter” or do a survey.

 

Scale of the problem

 

Recently a tenant, with learning difficulties, was approached by a man who persuaded her to pay him £60 to trim the hedge. It took less than ½ an hour & the hedge doesn't belong to her. Paid cash – white van – gone.

 

The Police now have greater powers: fines are no deterrent, but now have ASBOs & Proceeds of Crime Act – courts can order forfeiture of goods where criminal cannot account for how they were paid for from declared earnings – examples include cars, houses & a yacht!

 

At the end of the day, the best person to protect you is you yourself – it’s your front door. Our simple advice is don’t buy anything at all on the doorstep unless you already know the seller. Also notify local Police of any incident.

 

Three main messages to pass on to the vulnerable people you meet:

 

a) Bin/shred junk mail.

Don't let someone in without checking their ID.

c) Don't buy anything on the doorstep unless you know the seller.

[onebreast]

i am so glad i read this post

[Kaiser Jnr]

What a load of sh*t Zody!

[and1inthetree]

Cigarettes: Over 1 million fake cigarettes are seized every day – some containing sweepings off the floor, others containing high levels of substances like lead & arsenic. Smuggled goods now make up 15% of the UK cigarette market.

 

I have never sold ciggies containing sweepings from the floor. all my cigarettes are genuine bought abroad extra suitcase jobs.

[TB&G]

Cor blimey.

 

Look what you've done now Zody.

 

You've got everyone feeling guilty about doing their friends favours.

 

I can't wait for your next gem of information.

 

Where are you browsing at the moment to source this from so that I can prepare myself for the cerebral onslaught.