Trading Standards:

Working to Combat Scams

The Ongoing Work of the Glamorgan Group

The Glamorgan Group

• Bridgend, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan (Shared Regulatory Services)

• Merthyr Tydfil

• Neath Port Talbot

• Rhondda Cynon Taf

• Swansea

Case StudiesSarah Smith

Shared Regulatory Services

Courier Fraud / Voucher Scam

• Cold call following PPI online claim

• £380 in gaming vouchers requested

• Caller to return with money

• CACS, TS and SWP alerted

• Officers attended

• Caller requested voucher code

• Officer assistance prevented loss and provided assurance and advice

NTS Scams Team Referral

• Scam mail responder – cheque to return

• Visit to family – only recently found out

• Didn’t know what to do or where to go for help

• Person now in residential home

• Significant amount of scam mail responded to

• Also received numerous scam telephone calls

• Believed he was going to win

Investment Scam

• Vulnerable victim with mental health issues

• £65,000 paid in 5 instalments over 3 months

• Caller provided information to tell banks

• High end purchases – Car, family holiday

• Family support and LPA

• Call blocker installed, stickers, bank assistance

• Prevention but not redress – MONEY GONE

Education & TrainingRhys Harries

Swansea

Staff External Organisations

• Councillors

• HMO Staff

• Housing Officers

• Sheltered Housing Managers

• Social Services

• Area Coordinators

• Police and PCSOs

• Victim Support

• Banks

• Neighbourhood Watch

• Housing Associations

• Age Cymru

• Red Cross

Feedback: Very informative thought provoking and interesting.

Fantastic talk amazing points raised and info given thank you. Very interesting & informative & engagingly presented. Thanks.

Scams Awareness & FAS Presentations

to Community Groups

Swansea Trading Standards has over the past several years provided talks to a number of Community Groups.

We have provided Pop-up Shops in Local Banks and community events, Over-50s and local MP and Cllr events raising Scam Awareness and offering advice.

The Chairperson's details are added to a Swansea Trading Standards ‘Scams Network’ where they are updated via email of new Scams targeting the area.

Providing training and talks has resulted in a number of referrals to Trading Standards in addition to those received from the National Scams Hub.

We have undertaken joint visits with Social Services, Police, Local Area Coordinators and Victim support as a result of training where they have identified a vulnerable person who has been scammed.

During a pop-up shop at one of our Local Banks, an elderly lady visited the bank to withdraw money to send via Western union for a Lottery Scam.

‘Scams Network’: We have built up a number of contacts who we can inform via e-mail any new or live scams targeting local residents, so that they can cascade this information in the work place or via their community groups.

Support and Advice

Call BlockersJudith Parry

Rhondda Cynon Taf

Those Targeted by Scams

Local AuthorityTotal potential

victims1 Carmarthenshire 753

2 Rhondda Cynon Taf 598

3 Cardiff 587

4 Powys 548

5 Swansea 524

6 Conwy 481

7 Vale of Glamorgan 479

8 Gwynedd 468

9 Neath Port Talbot 412

10 Pembrokeshire 412

TrueCall Installation Project

• Consumer at risk of responding to Scam call

• NTS Project for persons with Dementia

• Connected benefits

• Data feeds into Financial Exploitation Safeguarding Scheme (FESS)

▫ Identifies that partner communication is inconsistent

• GDPR issues to ensuring person gets all the help they need

Obstacles & the FutureLucas Williams

Neath Port Talbot

Obstacles

• Variety of agencies offering support

• Who to report a scam to

• Fragmentation

• Legislative obstacles

• Communication

The Future

• Clear referral paths needed

• Clarity of roles

• Points of contact within each agency

• Agreed protocols for referring between agencies

• New technology / new scams

Thank you for listening

Any questions?