Trading Standards eCrime
The National Trading Standards eCrime Team (NTSeCT) has joined SAFERjobs and the Metropolitan Police in the fight against online jobs scams.
The British public lost £5.2 million to ticket fraud in 2015 compared to £3.35 million in same period in 2014, a rise of 55% according to new figures from Get Safe Online and the City of London Police.
Major sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup and Premier League football matches accounted for over a quarter of all incidents of ticket scams. Tickets for gigs and festivals accounted for 15%.
Trading Standards officers from across the North East took part in a multi-agency operation yesterday (Thursday 17 March) against Television set-top box piracy, resulting in 6 arrests and 7 search warrants being executed.
Trading Standards officers from across the North East took part in a multi-agency operation last Thursday 17 March against Television set-top box piracy, resulting in 6 arrests and 7 search warrants being executed.
Women aged 50 to 64 are most at risk from subscription traps offering health and beauty related products, according to the latest subscription trap survey by Citizens Advice.
Subscription traps are used for a wide variety of goods and services, but most of the problems are encountered with health and beauty products such as slimming pills and products as well as face and skin creams.
Fraud Prevention Month 2016 this March marks the start of a concerted international effort to tackle the problem of subscription traps, also known as free-trial scams. UK consumers can expect to see a steady flow of information on the issue over the next six months from a number of consumer protection agencies.
Starting tomorrow 8 March, Citizens Advice will publish their findings from a UK-wide consumer survey on subscription traps, gathered from direct reports, victim interviews, and an online survey.
Trading standards officers across England and Wales are getting complaints about a copycat website that charges disabled motorists £49.00 for applying for blue badges they can get for £10 from their local council.
People searching for disabled blue parking badges can easily end up on the copycat site, because the company behind the site uses online techniques to rank higher in search than the councils who officially supply them. People are often unaware they are on the wrong site.
Trading standards officers across England and Wales are getting complaints about a copycat website that charges disabled motorists £49.00 for applying for blue badges they can get for £10 from their local council.
People searching for disabled blue parking badges can easily end up on the copycat site, because the company behind the site uses online techniques to rank higher in search than the councils who officially supply them. People are often unaware they are on the wrong site.
In recent days fraudulent emails have been circulating offering compensation for the so-called “Microsoft Support Scam”. The e-mail purports to be from the “ALL Competition and Consumer Commission” – a fake organisation that doesn’t exist – and may include a made-up quote from Lord Harris, Chair of National Trading Standards.
Trading Standards are voicing concerns about the possibility of fraud through the recent upsurge in call recording services. Mike Andrews, National Coordinator of the National Standards eCrime Team, talked today on the BBC Radio 4’s ‘You & Your’ programme on the subject.
For information and advice on the safe use of call recording services, click here