We have just received a report of rogue traders cold calling in South Croydon offering to clean gutters.

A resident agreed to their gutter being cleaned and then found themselves being pressured into having roofing work done which was not needed. They eventually managed to get the traders to leave, but have been left with tiles missing from their roof.

Croydon Trading Standards reminds residents never to engage traders who cold call at your door!

If you do need work doing, source traders through reputable websites such as:

Buy With Confidence – www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk – 01392 383 430
Which? Trusted Traders – http://trustedtraders.which.co.uk/ – 0117 405 4689
Trust Mark – www.trustmark.org.uk/find-a-tradesman – 0333 555 1234

If you have been the victim of doorstep crime, please report this to:

The Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 (Minicom users should call on 08451 281384) open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays and public holidays.

Action Fraud via https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

The tax office is sending around 4 million income tax refund letters between June and August. Scammers commonly pose as HMRC.

HMRC is sending tax calculation letters – also known as a P800 – to people who are due an income tax refund. This could impact employees who receive their salary via PAYE, as well as pensioners, who may have overpaid tax on pension income.

Fraudsters regularly attempt to impersonate HMRC to pressure victims to part with their cash, so it’s important to make sure any communication you receive is genuine – and stay safe from scams. Follow these steps below to make sure you don’t get caught out.

1. HMRC will always send a letter about any tax you’re owed – it’ll never text, email or call you unexpectedly and pressure you to take action.
2. If you’re owed tax and HMRC says it’ll send a cheque, you don’t need to do anything. It’ll automatically send any cheque by post within 14 days of the date on your letter. If you’re owed tax from more than one year, you’ll get a single cheque for the entire amount.
3. If HMRC says you must claim your tax refund online, use the correct website address. Be wary of following links in letters or messages as they could be scam sites replicating the original.

If you’re unsure or worried, use this Gov.uk link (www.gov.uk/tax-
overpayments-and-underpayments/if-youre-due-a-refund) to get you to the
right place. You can bookmark it to use later if that’s helpful.

Source article from Money Saving Expert – follow the link below for more information:

Check if your HMRC tax refund letter is genuine – MSE News

If you have been the victim of a fraud, please report to Action Fraud:
Online – https://www.actionfraud.police.uk
Phone: 0300 123 2040