Sometimes criminals impersonate Trading Standards Officers to carry out fraud or facilitate a scam.

We would never ask you for money, ask you to draw money out, or ask you for your PIN.

If you need to check the identity of a Trading Standards Officer – please call Croydon Trading Standards on 020 8407 1311.

If you have actually been the victim of a scam and need help, or you require consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133. Please remember to report any scam to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has issued a stark warning in regards to the number of scams appearing in relation to the cost of living crisis and wants to warn consumers about unwittingly engaging with scammers.

CTSI Lead Officer for Scams and Doorstep Crime, Katherine Hart, said:

“There has been a huge surge in energy-efficiency scams offering rebates and offers to apply for grants. With the rise of costs in fuel bills and the cost-of-living concerns during the upcoming winter months, I urge the public to be on its guard because these types of emails and texts are attempts to scam.

“I also expect that scammers will target households in the coming weeks regarding the £150 Disability Cost of Living payment. Households don’t need to apply for the rebate as suppliers are automatically applying it to bills for six months from October. If consumers receive emails or texts out of the blue, then report texts to 7726, emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and delete the message.

How to protect yourself

Energy Bill Discount: £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain from October 2022. You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.

Disability Cost of Living Payment: £150 rebate. You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.

Spotted a suspicious text message? Forward it to 7726 (it’s free of charge). If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.

Received a suspicious email? Do not click on any links – simply forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk and the National Cyber Security Centre will investigate.

• For advice on how to stay secure online, visit: www.cyberaware.gov.uk
• For the full CTSI article please visit: CTSI issues warning on energy scams – Journal Of Trading Standards

Please remember to report any scam to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.
If you have actually been the victim of a trader or scam such as the above and need help, or you require consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133

Illicit tobacco is often sold from small shops and comes in the forms of non-duty paid known branded cigarettes, this includes genuine plain packaged items which have simply been smuggled in. Other brands are likely to be brands you cannot buy legally in the UK and will come in coloured packaging. Some may well be counterfeits of well-known brands, Amber Leaf Hand Rolling Tobacco being one of the most common counterfeited tobacco items. What they will all have in common is that the vendor will be selling them cheaply compared to legal cigarettes.

When people buy cheap, illicit tobacco they are supporting organised crime and making it harder for legitimate businesses to run successfully.

We would encourage you to report any instances where a retailer is selling illicit tobacco. They will often be hidden under the counter, or nearby and bought into the shop at the point of sale. Some criminals even build secret hides within the shops to store the goods.

To report the sale of illicit tobacco please use the following channels:

• London Trading Standards Reporting Tool – https://www.londontradingstandards.org.uk/report-consumer-crime/
• Citizens Advice Bureau – 03454 04 05 06
• https://keep-it-out.co.uk/anonymous-reporting/ – report online anonymously

Please remember to report any scam to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.

If you have actually been the victim of a trader or scam such as the above, or require consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133

Action Fraud has received 139 crime reports relating to fake text messages purporting to be from the UK government. The texts state that the recipient is “owed” or “eligible” for an energy bill discount as part of the Energy Bill Support Scheme. The links in the emails lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal your personal and financial information.

How to protect yourself

• Energy Bill Discount : £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain from October 2022. You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.
• Spotted a suspicious text message? Forward it to 7726 (it’s free of charge). If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender, if it’s found to be malicious.

For advice on how to stay secure online, please visit: www.cyberaware.gov.uk

Please remember to report any scam to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.
If you have actually been the victim of a trader or scam such as the above, or require consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133

Action Fraud has received over 1500 reports in recent weeks relating to fake emails purporting to be from Ofgem.

The emails state that the recipient is eligible for a rebate as a result of the government scheme and that you should “claim your rebate now”. The emails are using the Ofgem logo and colours, and the links in the emails lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal your personal and financial information for use in fraud.

• Remember, your bank, or any other official organisation, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you need to check that it’s a genuine message, contact the company or your bank directly using details from their official website or app.
• Spotted a suspicious email? Forward it (without clicking any links) to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) – report@phishing.gov.uk
• For advice on how to stay secure online, please visit: www.cyberaware.gov.uk

Please remember to report any scam to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.

If you have actually been the victim of a trader or scam such as the above, or require consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133