Scams Alert Campaign by Trading Standards
1st February 2011
Scams Alert Campaign Launched by Highland Council Trading Standards
Highland Council Trading Standards in partnership with The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) annual Scams Awareness Month is reminding consumers to be ever vigilant against possible scams.
The nationwide 'Scamnesty' campaign runs from 1st to 28th February 2011 and aims to warn consumers not to be fooled by mass marketed scam mailings that bombard UK consumers every year.
OFT figures states that nearly half of the UK adult population has been targeted by a scam. It is estimated that 3.2 million adults, (or one in 15 people), falls victim to a scam. And in the UK consumers lose around £3.5 billion every year to scams.
Consumers are being urged to be on their guard not only from scam mailings that they receive through the post but also unsolicited phone calls, emails and text messages.
Figures above are based on the top five complaints received by Consumer Direct, (the OFT-managed consumer advice service) during 2010. These complaints include scams relating to:
Advance fee and money transfers,
Prize draws and sweepstakes,
Ticket scams
Foreign lotteries,
Career or job opportunities.
Consumers can find out more information about how to tackle scams: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk or by telephone on 08454 04 05 06.
Alternatively consumers can visit or write to Highland Trading Standards, 38 Harbour Road, Inverness IV1 1UF for free and confidential advice.
For further Highland Trading Standards news please go to: www.highland.gov.uk/tradingstandardsnews
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Yesterday, Thursday 16 May, representatives from the tourism sector in the Highlands gathered in Inverness to take part in a Sustainable Tourism Strategy Workshop hosted by The Highland Council. The meeting, which was well attended with representatives from across Highland and different interests, follows the launch of the Council's public consultation on its Draft Sustainable Tourism Strategy.
First Minister John Swinney has confirmed the opening of a £1.5 million fund to support councils in removing the impact of school meal debt from families across the country. Mr Swinney said this commitment will help ensure no child is penalised for struggling to pay for school meals as a result of the cost of living crisis.
Todays Audit Scotland report Local government budgets 2024/25 reveals how dire council budgets are. This makes many more cuts in services likely in coming years.
At the Highland Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee. (Thursday 2 May 2024) Members had the opportunity to review the work the Council is doing to progress active travel and improve road safety before approving the next steps.
At the meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee members had the opportunity to review the last two years of the Community Regeneration Funding Programme before agreeing changes to how the 2024/25 programme will be delivered. Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Following a successful two years, it is a good time to review what has gone well and what can be done better so we can continue to build on success, and seamlessly move the focus onto how best to support the delivery of projects." "With 279 live projects and over £6million of committed funds still to be claimed, there is no doubt as to the value and impact of the programme's potential.
The Highland Council's In-House bus service pilot project was launched in January 2023. The success of its first year of operation in delivering savings and creating a valued and reliable service was highlighted at today’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 May 2024) approved the local authority's draft Ecology Strategy and Action Plan which will now move forward to an 12-week public consultation. The Ecology Strategy sets out an ambitious set of actions to tackle biodiversity loss and address the ecological emergency.
Economy and Infrastructure Committee members today (2 May 2024) agreed to direct £100K from the Council's share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund a new staff training programme at the Inverness Castle Experience. The funding will enable the project team to provide specialist visitor attraction training to young people identified through partners at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and noted the Housing Service performance report 2023/24 that met the agreed priorities and associated initiatives in the Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028. The report highlighted a number of achievements in 2023/24 in increasing housing supply.
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.