Category: Alerts

Trading Standards Alert – Illicit Tobacco

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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:

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

Scam Alert: Scam Energy Rebate Texts

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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

Trading Standards – Ofgem Fake Phishing Emails

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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

London Fire Brigade – Book Your Free Home Fire Safety Visit

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What is a home fire safety visit?

We believe that successful firefighting starts with prevention. So we have introduced a service where we can visit you, a loved one, or someone you care for at home to provide personalised advice about fire safety. It’s totally free, available 24/7, and we will even fit free smoke alarms during the visit if you need them.

On the day

We’ll visit your home at the arranged time, and share our expertise. The visit is friendly and informal, and there’s no need to tidy up or provide refreshments – we’re here to keep you safe, not for the tea!

After a chat about fire prevention, we’ll ask you to show us around your home so we can provide personalised advice on:

  • Cooking and smoking
  • Heaters and heating
  • Candles and fireplaces
  • Detection systems (smoke and heat alarms)
  • Bedtime checks
  • What to do if there is a fire

Free smoke alarms

If you need them, we will also provide and fit free smoke alarms in any room where a fire might start. This can be done on the day.

Extra help and support

Depending on your personal circumstances, we might also suggest extra help and support from other organisations. This could be to discuss things like fire retardant bedding or linking a smoke alarm to your Telecare system.

Click here to book a Free Home Fire Safety Visit.

Land Registry – Protect your Land and Property from Fraud

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More than 97pc of homeowners are at risk of their properties being sold fraudulently without their knowledge.

The number of people signing up for property alerts with the Land Registry tripled between 2020 and 2021 in response to rising levels of “title fraud”, according to a Freedom of Information request by Thirdfort, a risk management website. Title fraud occurs when a criminal steals the homeowner’s identity and changes the property title into another name.

You can take steps to protect your property from being fraudulently sold or mortgaged.

Homeowners can sign up to the Land Registry title alert service, which sends email notifications as and when activity searches and applications are made using the monitored address. You can get alerts for up to 10 properties – there’s no fee.

Users do not need to own the property themselves to set up alerts. The same property can be monitored by different people.

Property Alert is a free property monitoring service for anyone who feels a registered property could be at risk from fraud.

You can sign up to get email alerts when certain activity occurs on your monitored properties, so you can take action if needed.