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Scams Awareness Month

Campaign highlights the plight of elderly victims who suffer in silence

February 2008 is Scams Awareness Month, designed to raise awareness of mass marketed scams, which cost the UK public £3.5billion a year.

Every year an estimated three million UK consumers fall victim to scams sent by post, email, text, the phone and internet. One of the main themes of this year's campaign is to highlight the hidden misery of thousands of elderly and vulnerable consumers who repeatedly fall victim to scams such as bogus lotteries, deceptive prize draw and sweepstakes, fake psychics and 'miracle' health cures.

If you have spent any time on the internet, you will probably been set emails from 'desperate' people from Nigeria who want to 'get their rightful inheritance' out of their country. Maybe you have recieved mailings telling you that you have won a prize in a comptition that you do not remember entering, and you 'only have to pay a small fee to release your prize'. These are just two examples of common scams.

The OFT has today unveiled a new leaflet for carers and care professionals, 'Can you stop the person you care for from being scammed?' and an accompanying leaflet, 'Don't Let them Con You'. These and other useful leaflets on how to avoid being scammed can be found at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/watch_out/scams/

Anyone can fall for a scam but the elderly are often hit hardest. OFT research shows that older victims are likely to lose nearly twice as much per scam as others. Victims are often socially isolated, over-trusting or afflicted by illnesses such as dementia and can be repeatedly targeted by the scammers. Many lose their life savings and suffer depression and ill health as a result.

The OFT is working with partners such as Carers UK, Help the Aged, Age Concern, Citizens Advice, Action on Elder Abuse, Neighbourhood Watch, housing associations and Local Authority Trading Standards Services to raise awareness of the plight of elderly serial victims of scams and provide advice on how to recognise and help such victims.

Mike Haley, OFT Director of Consumer Protection, said:

'Scammers use sophisticated psychological techniques to target people who are often the most vulnerable in society. Those who fall for these scams not only lose their savings, but often live in fear, suffering debt and depression and being too afraid to tell anyone of their plight. We want to ask family members, carers and others to help spot the warning signs before it is too late.'

The OFT is also launching a nationwide 'Scamnesty' campaign asking the public to help in the fight against scams, which cost the UK an estimated £3.5 billion a year.

As part of Scams Awareness Month the OFT, in partnership with over 50 local authority Trading Standards Services, is asking members of the public to collect any potential scam mailings they have recently received and drop them into designated 'Scamnesty' bins or boxes at local libraries and other public areas across the country.

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