Innovative toolkit to help residents avoid financial harm launches
Trading Standards have launched a new specially designed financial harm toolkit to advise residents on how to stay safe and avoid scams.
Published: 18 August 2020
The toolkit has a number of simple steps individuals can take to protect themselves, family members, clients or neighbours from fraud.
The scams awareness toolkit aims to empower residents to avoid unnecessary personal and financial harm, with a particular emphasis placed on protecting residents in vulnerable situations.
Created as a self-help area, the toolkit contains a wealth of useful information on many areas including doorstep crime, email scams, unwanted mail, online shopping, Covid-19 scams, financial abuse, power of attorney and much more.
With a host of useful links and websites included to help guide the user to safety, the toolkit also covers scam prevention tailored to protecting residents living with cognitive impairment/dementia, financial abuse of the elderly and what to do if you are receiving nuisance phone calls.
Councillor Alan Lafferty, Convener for Environment said: 'The council's Trading Standards team have provided a wealth of knowledge and guidance with this new toolkit. It will be a welcomed resource for residents across the area and I'm sure it will help us all to avoid the increasing number of scams which are now circulating. In the UK alone, it is estimated that over £190 billion is lost to acts of fraud per year, with an estimated £9 billion lost by individuals, so this toolkit is an absolutely essential way to help protect our residents from financial losses.'
Anyone who has been a victim of a scam should report it to Trading Standards via Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 800 9060 or by visiting the Advice Direct Scotland website (opens new window).
Trading Standards also offer bespoke solutions specifically tailored to individuals, families or local community group's circumstances, including call blockers. To discuss the support available email tradingstandards@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk or call 0141 577 8487.
