South Lanarkshire Consumer & Trading Standards

As we all know, scams are a huge problem in today’s society.
Modern technology makes it even easier for scams to grow in sophistication and complexity, pulling in more and more people and evading detection and defenses.
The aim of Trading Standards is to promote awareness, educating people in spotting the signs of a scam in an effort to help them avoid falling victim to one ✅
... The more information there is out there, the better. Martin Lewis is covering the topic of scams in his show tonight 👇
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️ Beware of cold callers in South Lanarkshire ❗️
We put a message out about this a few weeks ago but unfortunately the problem persists.
We’ve had further reports of rogue traders operating in the East Kilbride and Rutherglen areas – a business has been gaining home energy contracts by telling householders they can secure government funding for a new boiler, then offering discounts on maintenance packages. The business claims to be working in partnership with South Lanarkshi...re Council.
The specific streets affected in East Kilbride so far are: • Shiel Avenue • Blackbraes Road • Old Mill Road • Blackbraes Avenue • Jamaica Drive
In Rutherglen, the only street we are aware of being affected is Stuart Avenue.
If you’re looking to check your eligibility for government grants, contact Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282. Avoid signing up for anything with a cold caller at your home, online or over the phone.
If you’ve been approached at your home by a cold caller offering to carry out work under a government grant, get in touch with us on 0303 123 1015 or consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk ✅
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❗️ Beware of emails about Coronavirus ❗️
Scammers are sending phishing emails about safety precautions for Coronavirus (yes, really 🙄). The emails are titled ‘Singapore Specialist: Corona Virus Safety Measure’. The email asks the reader to click on the button to download the attachment ❎
After clicking on the button, you are directed to a fake version of the World Health Organisation’s homepage, where you are asked to enter personal information. The information is passed to... the scammer and you are redirected to the real World Health Organisation homepage.
Don’t click on links in unsolicited emails ✅
If you've been the victim of a scam, get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 👍
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Tips for avoiding holiday scams 👇
FAKE WEBSITES ✅ Make sure you’re only booking through trusted sites. Check for the padlock symbol and if you’re internet security flags it up, don’t enter any information at all.
... DIVERTING TO A DIFFERENT SITE ✅Don’t be lured away from the site to make payments or to give further information. Make sure all payments go through the site you start your booking on.
“AMAZING DEALS” ✅Avoid clicking on pop-ups or links sent via email with offers on cheap holidays. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
✅FAKE LISTINGS Another reason to use a trusted platform/site – they authenticate and verify listings, ensuring that descriptions match pictures etc.
If you've been the victim of a scam, get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 👍
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️ Beware of Paym scam texts ❗️
Paym is a legitimate payment service that lets you pay people using their phone number. Some banks allow you to integrate Paym into their banking app.
Scammers are sending texts pretending to be Paym, informing people that someone has transferred money to them. The scammer advises the recipient to click on the link in the text and register their bank account details to receive the money 😡
... The scammer then retains the account details, using them to steal money from people’s bank accounts 💸
As we’ve said many times before, don’t click on links in unsolicited messages. Always use independently sourced contact information to contact the company directly ✅
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If you’re contacted by a company stating they are working with South Lanarkshire Council, offering grants for energy efficiency work to be carried out in your home, contact the council directly to check the offer is legitimate 👍☎️
We’ve had reports of companies purporting to be working with the council, when they are not 😡 If the company has access to South Lanarkshire Council funding, there are a number of criteria they will have to meet, including being signed up to the B...uy With Confidence scheme ✅
For free, independent and impartial advice and information regarding home energy efficiency contact Home Energy Scotland on 0808 808 2282 🙂
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‼️ Beware of scammers pretending to be from Apple ‼️
Scammers are sending text messages to Apple customers, claiming their lost iPhone X 64GB Space Grey has been found.
The text message includes a link, which claims to show the exact location of the phone. Researchers have found the phishing domain is hosted on a Russian server 😠
... As we’ve said before, don’t click on links in unsolicited messages. If in doubt, go directly to the source ✅
If you've been the victim of a scam, get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 👍
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
For more information and tips for identifying scam messages, read the article below 😉👇
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Scammers often pose as landlords advertising properties for let. If you’re looking to rent a property here’s some tips to avoid being scammed 👇
Before paying any deposit money make sure you do the following 👉
✅ Arrange and attending a viewing of the property
... ✅ Ask to see the tenancy agreement
✅ Ask to see any safety certificates such as gas and electricity
✅ Ask for details of the tenancy deposit scheme your money will be held in
Also, In the interest of safety, you should take someone with you to viewings…just in case 👭 👫
If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 👍
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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The #BankingProtocol was put in to action by a vigilant TSB staff member 🦸‍♀️ in Hamilton, when a senior member of the community was taken to the bank by a company cold calling in the G72 area ❗️
Good catch 🎣 ✅
If you’ve signed up for boiler replacement after being visited by a cold caller, remember you have 14 days to cancel the agreement and request a refund if you change your mind. If in doubt, get in touch with us 👉consumer.enquiries@southlanarksh ire.gov.uk or call us o...n 0303 123 1015.
Check with your elderly relatives, especially in the G72 area, if they’ve had any cold callers in the last week or so, and if they’ve signed up to anything they might not need 🚫
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️Beware of scam text messages claiming you’ve won a competition❗️
A South Lanarkshire resident contacted us to say they had received a text message from Currys PC World, claiming they had a spot on the “Currys Xmas list”.
The message included a link to a page that asks for information about your age and if you use Currys PC World. Once the information is entered, you are advised you have won an iPhone 11 Pro. You are then asked for your address and card details to pay a £2 ...delivery fee 👎
This is a scam 🚫
Never click links in unsolicited text messages. If in doubt, contact the company independently or get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 ✅
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️People have had their accounts hacked due to SIM swap scams❗️
Posing as the customer, the scammer convinces the phone company to port their victim’s number to a new phone 👉📱 😡 Once they have control of the victim’s phone number, the scammer can transfer money out of any accounts they have hacked as most banks require transfers to be confirmed with a call or a text.
Scammers also scour their victim’s social media accounts looking for personal information often used as passwo...rds, such as a mother’s maiden name, date of birth or a pet’s name. They will also have access to anything that is linked to your telephone number, including apps, texts and emails 😱
Be careful about what you put on social media – especially information that you use in your passwords. If you get a text message from your mobile phone provider about a PAC being generated, contact them straight away to make sure your number has not been moved ✅
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️ Beware of scammers posing as genuine buyers online ❗️
Scammers target sellers online as well as shoppers. They make up stories about having to pay shipping or insurance costs, claiming they need your help to cover the costs with the promise of reimbursement 🤥 😈
A South Lanarkshire resident contacted us recently as he suspected a scammer had answered his advert in the local paper. The scammer did not ask questions about the goods on offer, the standard of English used was p...oor and they did not provide a name or address when it was requested. They also claimed the seller would receive a cheque…he didn’t 😡 If a cheque had been received, it would more than likely have bounced – the scammer is banking on the goods being delivered before this happens.
If you’re selling goods online, make sure you receive the payment before you send the goods ✅ If you’re paid by cheque, wait for it to clear and don’t give too much personal information out 👍
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️ Beware of emails about changes to T&Cs in relation to Brexit ❗️
Scammers are sending phishing emails to BT customers, requesting they click the link to agree to their new terms of service 💻❌
The email claims that the new terms are in relation to the changes to data protection law in the UK after Brexit. The scammers are trying to persuade people that they need to agree to the new terms to continue with their service 😮😡
... Never click links in unsolicited emails. Do an independent search for the company’s contact information then get in touch and check if the correspondence is legitimate ✅
If you’re unsure or have any questions, get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 👍
#ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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❗️ Beware of loan scams this Christmas ❗️
Christmas is an expensive time of year 💰, with many people taking out a loan to foot the bill. Victims of loan scams will have their application approved speedily, regardless of their credit history. They will then be asked to pay an upfront fee for insurance or for the money to be released. Once the payment is made, the loan company disappears 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️
For more information on safely applying for a loan, check out the Financial Con...duct Authority’s website 👇
If you’ve been the victim of a scam, get in touch with us at consumer.enquiries@southlanarkshire. gov.uk or call us on 0303 123 1015 👍
#ScamSmart #ScamAware #SouthLanTS #Scams #TradingStandards
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