Elderly Swansea residents get help from council to beat scammers

COUNCIL tenants in Swansea have been given expert help on spotting and avoiding becoming a victim of financial scams.

Thousands of residents are targeted regularly in Swansea either through the post, over the phone or via email. Many of the scams seek to con the public out of money using a variety of tactics.

Tenants, especially elderly residents in sheltered accommodation in the city, have been given helpful, free advice from the Council’s Trading Standards during the last couple of months.

July is National Scam Awareness month but the council is organising events and tips throughout the year to keep worried residents updated.

Cllr Mark Child, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Healthy City, said: “For many, spam email, ‘junk’ post or unsolicited phone calls are just a nuisance. But increasingly there is evidence that thousands of consumers are falling victim to the illegal approaches of scammers and
are losing hundreds and in some cases thousands of pounds.

“Lots of people are aware of these activities and can deal with it effectively, but there are some elderly and more vulnerable people living in our city who need our help to spot and avoid these scams.”

In 2008 an Age UK survey revealed that seven out of ten older people in Britain (around 6.6m people) are targeted by scams every month.

Tips for residents

* Be vigilant for anything that offers a get rich quick deal, intimidates you, asks you to part with money up front, or asks for your personal details. Remember that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
* Consider registering your details, or those of anyone you care for, with the Mailing Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service to reduce unwanted mail and telesales calls. Removing your telephone number from the directory may also help.
* Report scam e-mails and phishing attempts to your Internet Service Provider and consider installing anti-spam software on your computer.