Staffordshire Trading Standards, Watchdog Alerts
Staffordshire Police are asking residents to be on their guard against doorstep criminals after a serious incident took place on the Highfields area of Stafford. A resident was attacked by 2 white males (one aged approx 18yrs and an older male aged about 40yrs) who called at the house saying they were from the Water Authority and needed to do an inspection.
Once inside they attacked the resident and stole cash and a banking book after searching the house for valuables. Should anyone see any persons impersonating the Water Authority or any other traders, they should report the incident immediately to the Police. When dealing with unknown callers at your door always remember these three rules:
STOP - check who is at the door, think: are you expecting anyone?
CHAIN – put the chain on before you open the door.
CHECK - always ask for identification from the caller and check it carefully. Make sure that you verify their identity with their organisation before letting them through the door. Do not use the telephone number on their identity card but use one from the phone book.
Remember, you do not have to let anyone into your house if you cannot verify their identity. A genuine representative from any energy supplier or other business will understand your concerns and will not demand entry, if in doubt just say no to doorstep traders.
Staffordshire Trading Standards Officers are warning consumers to be on their guard against a firm reportedly targeting local residents and using high pressure sales tactics to persuade them to buy unnecessary new windows.
One sales person told a consumer that there was ‘new legislation coming into effect which would enable consumers to get a discount on their council tax if they got double glazing’ - this is totally untrue. Some consumers who already had double glazing were told they had to have their existing windows replaced every 6 years.
These salespeople are using what’s called ‘high pressure tactics’ to get people to buy their product quickly, and they will say anything to get your money.
Many sales people who work like this are very experienced and can make their ’sales pitches’ sound really convincing, even ’official’ and can become very assertive to get you to sign on the dotted line.
Staffordshire Trading Standards Officers are advising consumers to be vigilant when dealing with traders.
Don’t agree to let salespeople into your home. If you are tempted by a product or service, don’t buy it straight away but go see if its cheaper elsewhere—it usually is! And remember ‘the customer is always right’ so don't let them bully you into paying for something you don't even want or need. You have consumer rights and the right to say “NO THANK YOU”.
The Watchdog scheme is Trading standards equivalent to Neighbourhood Watch, a way to help protect your local community against rogue traders and scams. The meeting is open to all and is your chance to find out more about the work of Trading Standards Watch Dog Scheme.
Staffordshire Trading Standards Officers are warning people to be on their guard after the Food Standards Agency reported that over 25 other local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales have seized counterfeit vodka.
The 70cl bottles of vodka are copies of Glen’s Vodka and are reported to contain higher levels of methanol than normally found in authentic Glen’s Vodka. The Food Standards Agency are advising people not to drink it.
If you are purchasing Glen’s Vodka and are unsure whether it is genuine or counterfeit, 70cl bottles of genuine Glen’s Vodka can be easily identified. The genuine bottles are marked on the base with the logo ‘AGC’ which confirms they were supplied by Allied Glass Containers. The back of the label will also have a distinctive glue pattern – horizontal lines approximately 2mm apart.
The counterfeit vodka has so far been identified as having either the codes SE607 700ml 66mm, 8509 700ml 66mm or 7828 700ml 66mm embossed somewhere on the bottle. The labels also appear to be self adhesive as there is no glue pattern.
If you come across any of this counterfeit vodka, or have reason to believe someone is selling this, please contact your local Trading Standards Office. To find out more please contact Cath Wohlers Tel: 01785 277835 or Email: cath.wohlers@staffordshire.gov.uk
Staffordshire Community Services are warning Internet users to be wary of an email currently in circulation claiming offer images of a recent lunar eclipse.
Malware writers have distributed spam emails offering 'footage' of the event that attempt to dupe users into downloading a video of the solar eclipse. The download is actually a Trojan program that could allow a hacker full control of the user's PC.
Sample subject lines include:
'Lunar Eclipse Video, Your guide to the total lunar eclipse'
'Shocking video with Total moon eclipse'
'Total Moon Eclipse Video on NASA TV'
'Moon Eclipse is visible today'
Using topical news stories to trick unwitting users into opening emails and downloading malicious code is a common ploy by hackers. Officers advise users to delete such emails immediately, AND ON NO ACCOUNT SHOULD THEY OPEN ANY ATTACHMENTS.
Officers advise Internet users to ensure that their PCs are running up-to-date antivirus, antispyware and firewall software, all of which is available free of charge for personal use. They also advise turning off any ‘auto-preview’ modes in their email software, and encourage all email users to observe their tips for avoiding email spam (Avoiding Spam).
Consumers in Staffordshire are being targeted by a firm using confusion about the changeover to digital television to sign people up to unnecessary contracts.
The firm is cold calling local consumers saying that they are selling Sky digital boxes and aerials for a reduced price. The firm also asks people if they want to agree to further Sky packages or contracts.
However these ’digital boxes’ are just a sales incentive the firm is using to sign people up to Sky subscriptions. Many people who have agreed to buy them but refused the offer of subscription have found themselves being signed up to unwanted contracts anyway.
Consumers should remember that they are under no pressure to accept offers that are made to them over the phone and should either just say ‘NO’ or hang up the phone. Unfortunately if something looks too good to be true it probably is.
Staffordshire Trading Standards are advising residents that they are under no obligation to accept telephone marketing offers and that if they do accept any type of contract they have a cooling off period of 7 days in which they are totally within their rights to cancel.
All our alerts are available in a range of formats and languages, including large print. Please contact Cath Wohlers if this would be helpful to you, or to someone you know.
Staffordshire County Council is reminding residents to be extra vigilant when dealing with doorstep callers. The warning comes after complaints were received about persons visiting residents in Staffordshire who said they were from the government.
The bogus officials visited homes on a number of occasions saying that they were conducting a survey into government expenditure. It is a criminal offence to impersonate a government official.
Residents should remember to always check identification is valid and true. A recent survey found that 50% of bogus callers carried fake ID so residents should always check by phoning the head office of the organisation by obtaining the number from the phone book, not directly from the caller.
You have the right to say no to doorstep callers, even if they are who they say they are – they do not have the right to enter your home without a warrant or your permission. If you are unsure or if the caller will not go away you should inform the police immediately.
Staffordshire County Council is issuing a warning about tarmac gangs that are targeting churches and village halls in the area.
In some cases the gangs are claiming that work has been agreed, in others they are allegedly providing substandard services and over charging for badly done work. Churches and village halls should not feel pressurised into parting with money for substandard work; if you haven't asked for the work then you do not have to pay for it.
The advice being given is to check thoroughly any claim made about work being agreed or pre-approved. Always act with caution before parting with money for work and ensure that you get three written and detailed quotations for any work you require. Traders who have agreed to do a good job at a fair price can be contacted through Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Trader Register on 01785 600610 or by visiting www.traderregister.org.uk
If you have been approached by a tarmac gang that is offering to work on your property, seen one that is working in your local area or if you have already authorised tarmac work on your premises and are not happy with the work that is being carried out, you can report the incident immediately to our Fraud and Special Investigation Team on: 07773 792252.
Email: cath.wohlers@staffordshire.gov.uk
Address: 14 Martin Street, Stafford, ST16 2LG
We all know what a nuisance some door step callers can be, and most people are aware that some can even turn out to be more than a nuisance with links to doorstep crime such as distraction burglaries and fraudulent scams such as bogus tarmacers.
Trading Standards are currently doing an audit of the number and type of door to door callers throughout the County and they need your help.
If you have a caller at the door as well as following your usual security measures of keeping your door chain on and checking verifying ID, can we please ask where possible that you make a note of :-
Who is calling?, and where possible the company name and contact details,
the purpose of their call?
If they are carrying ID?
Not forgetting the time and date of their call.
This includes every type of caller from the genuine callers at the door such as meter readers and council employers, as well as sales visits such as double glazing and the not so bonafide visitors such as blue bag sellers.
This is only until the end of the month of March 07, with the purpose of helping Trading Standards get a sample of the quantity and reasons for door step callers throughout the Borough, in order to help inform any future initiatives tackling such issues.
If you have a suspicious or aggressive caller at the door do please still report them to the police on 08453 30 20 10, but also follow this up also with a call to Cath or Gemma on the details below. Remember this is only until the end of the month of March.
Contact Cath or Gemma at Trading Standards on 01785 277818, or email myself at this address and I will forward the details on your behalf.
OVERPAYMENT SCAM
Staffordshire County Council Health and Consumer Services are warning residents about scams which involve overseas buyers intentionally overpaying for products and services. The overpayment occurs following internet purchases from UK residents.
In many circumstances the buyers will say that they made a mistake and they have overpaid you for the price of your goods and ask you to refund them the difference or they will say that they are living in a different country but that someone in England owes them money! They will offer to send you a cheque for far more money than the actual price and then ask you to send them the difference with the goods you sold them.
Their cheques then clear into your bank, only to be stopped or refused weeks later. At this point your Bank/Building Society will take the full cheque amount out of your account. Not only will you have lost the goods, but you will also be out of pocket for the amount of their original cheque and the amount you gave as a refund on the difference.
9/11 INVESTMENT SCAM
Staffordshire County Council is warning residents about a new scam which is using the 9/11 disaster to trick people into parting with large amounts of money.
A letter which comes from a firm based in Madrid, Spain, states that a large sum of money has been invested with their firm by a person who had died in the World Trade Centre 9/11 disaster. The firm asks for recipients bank account details so that they can share the funds with them and transfer the money into their account.
BOGUS DEBT COLLECTION
Staffordshire County Council would like to warn residents about an off-shore debt collection scam that is currently targeting people in Staffordshire.
The warning comes after residents have reported receiving a letter from a firm which is based in the Czech Republic. The letter states the firm is collecting debts on behalf of an electronics firm and that the resident must call a special telephone number to resolve the debt.
Residents have reported that when the call the phone number, it is constantly busy so the caller is asked to hold until an operator is free and told that the number is charged at a high rate.
Trading Standards Officers advise that this is a SCAM and residents should not respond to the letter by phone.
Staffordshire Trading Standards Officers are warning residents not to reply to this email as it is a scam.
Residents should not disclose their bank details to unknown sources under any circumstances. If you do so you will be giving people access to your bank account.
LOTTERY SCAM
Staffordshire County Council is urging residents not to respond to an email which claims that they have won a European Lottery.
The email states that you are the lucky winner of at least £1,228,704.80 from a Euro Millions Lottery. Residents are told to reply to the email to collect their winnings. Residents should not respond to this email.
Trading Standards Officers are urging people not to respond to this email. If you have received an email of this sort please delete it. Residents are reminded that they should not disclose their personal details to unknown sources.
REPAIR SCAM
Staffordshire County Council are warning residents living in rented accommodation to be on their guard for itinerant traders who are using high pressure sales tactics to force people to replace the fascias on their homes.
The traders are informing people who live in housing association homes that they are allowed to carry out renovation work on their property. This is not true. The rogue workmen also dupe people into believing that it is their responsibility to replace their fascias, when it is the responsibility of the housing association or landlord.
If you are a resident in a housing association home or privately rented property then it is important that you do not carry out work of this nature without permission from your landlord.
If there are itinerants that are living or operating in your local area, please contact the Watchdog team on 01785 277835 or 01785 277818.
If you would like further information about this subject, please contact Cath or Gemma on: 01785 277818.
Trading Standards Officers at Staffordshire County Council are conducting a survey to find out what types of goods and services are being sold over the doorstep in Staffordshire.
If a person calls at your door offering to sell you any goods or service, please ask for details of what they are selling and their contact details (if it is safe to do so).
It is not illegal for people to sell products/ services over the door; Trading Standards Officers would simply like to know what products and services are being sold over the doorstep.
If you have had a caller at your door offering to sell you anything please contact Cath or Gemma on 01785 277818, with details of the product and trader if possible.
The survey will be conducted in Staffordshire from November 2006 to the 31st January 2007.
Staffordshire County Council are warning consumers not to purchase sofas from unknown sources who either operate by calling door-to-door or advertise in the local press.
The warning comes after several residents have been duped into buying fake leather sofas which do not comply with British fire and safety standards and are considered potentially lethal.
The sofas, which are believed to be imports from Poland, are being sold on the black market in the UK, either by rogue traders door to door or through adverts for prices as cheap as £300.
All sofas sold in the UK must comply with British safety standards and furniture must carry a permanent safety label. It is illegal to sell furniture that does not have the approved marking.
If a person calls at your door offering to sell you a sofa or if you would like further information about fake sofas please call Cath or Gemma on 01785 277835.
Staffordshire County Council Health and Consumer Services would like to make local residents aware of utilities suppliers that are stating they have a contract with your local council.
Representatives from a well known electricity supplier have been calling door to door, asking residents if they are getting the best deal for their current services. The firm state that the local council have contracted them to do street lights and asked them to check residents are getting the best deal. In many situations the firm asks to see your utility bills.
Consumer Services are advising residents to be aware that local councils have not asked the company to contact residents and are not connected with them.
If a door step trader says they are working for or with the local council, when they are in fact not, they are committing a serious criminal offence. For further information please contact Cath or Gemma on 01785 277818.
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