Shrewsbury event to offer free expert advice on how to avoid scams
A free event that will advise people how to avoid being scammed is being held in Shrewsbury’s Darwin Centre on Monday 25 June 2018 from 10am to 2pm.
It’s been organised by Shropshire Council’s public protection team and will offer expert advice on how to combat and report scams.
It’s the latest in a series of similar, successful, events held over the past two years, and will offer valuable advice about:
- How to stay safe.
- How to avoid being a scammer’s next victim.
- What to look out for.
- What not to do.
- What to do if you think you have been scammed.
Gillian Denning, public protection officer with Shropshire Council, says:
“It is estimated that 48% of people in the UK – almost half – have been targeted by a scam, but only 5% of cases are reported. That’s why our goal is to make the public aware of the importance of reporting a scam, and who to report it to.”
Organisations attending the event will include:
- Shropshire Council’s community protection team
- National Trading Standards Scams Team
- Halifax Bank
- BT
- West Mercia Police
- Fire Service (vulnerable adults team)
- Severn Trent
- Safe Place
Further information
Chronic scam victims who are repeatedly targeted by scammers often lose many thousands of pounds. These people are usually elderly, socially isolated and in declining mental health and falling victim to a scam can have a detrimental impact on the finances and the health of older and at risk people.
It’s estimated that 6.5 per cent of the UK adult population – some 3.2 million people – fall victim to scams every year. The most common age of scam victims is 35 to 44, though older victims are more likely to lose larger sums of money and be repeatedly scammed.
