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This
page currently includes reports and contact numbers
for:-
Stop Loan
Sharks - Scamnesty
2010
Volunteer
Drivers needed for Beeline Community Transport -
CLAIM IT!
Benefit Take Up Campaign - Atherstone Town
Trail leaflet
Anti-Social Behaviour
- Nuisance
Motorcycles - WCC Trading Standards Service
NWBC Bouncy
Castle Hire
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A loan
shark lends money illegally. They are unlicensed
traders who rip you off and often use threats and
violence to enforce their loans.
If you have
borrowed money from a loan shark you haven't broken the
law, they have. To report them in confidence
call
0300 555 2222 (local call rate)
text 'loan
shark' and the details to 60003
e-mail
reportaloanshark@stoploansharks.gov.uk
To check if
someone loaning you money has a licence from the Office
of Fair Trading, visit
www.oft.gov.uk/consumercreditregister
More
information on
www.direct.gov.uk/stoploansharks
*****************************************************************
26th January 2010
Scamnesty 2010
Don’t Let Them Con You
or Someone You Know
Have you received a scam
letter for a Prize Draw or Mystery Psychic may be you’ve
received a bogus letter claiming you’ve won thousands or
millions on a Euro Lottery you’ve never even entered! If
you have, Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
would like to hear from you.
February is national
Scams Awareness Month and Warwickshire Trading
Standards Service would like members of the public
and business to forward any potential scam
letters/mailings they have received and any phishing
emails and information on potential scam telephone
calls.
Working
in partnership with the Office of Fair Trading the aim
of Scamnesty is to raise awareness of the many
scams that are targeted at people of all ages and
backgrounds. This
information will be recorded and used to investigate the
scale of the problem both in Warwickshire and across the
country.
The OFT
estimate that £3.5 billion is lost from the economy to
scams and in
this tough
economic climate these criminals are becoming more
sophisticated in the ways in which they obtain
information, personal details and money from people.
Victims can be targeted in a number of ways; telephone,
letter, email or classified adverts – and be aware,
everyone and anyone is the potential victim of these
scammers.
Common Scams
include:
-
Foreign
Lottery Winning Notification Mailings
-
Prize
Draw Mailings
-
Phishing
emails from bogus banks, building societies, tax,
office etc
-
Miracle
Cure Mailings
-
Psychic
Mailings
-
Mock
Business Advertising Telephone Calls
Warwickshire County
Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community
Protection
says “Anyone can be hit on by these criminals, but
elderly and vulnerable people are often more
susceptible. Scams Awareness Month is the ideal time to
talk to your elderly friends and relatives about being
scammed and warn them about the dangers.”
During “Scamnesty Month”
in 2009, Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
received over 150 scam letters and emails from concerned
residents and business. This information was reported to
the OFT who have recently issued High Court proceedings
against the companies & individuals behind 5 UK prize
draw promotions. The proceedings aim to prevent
mailings and the distribution of scratch cards which,
the OFT consider are misleading.
Avoid
being Scammed – 5 rules
·
Never send
money to anyone who says you’ve won a prize or the
lottery
·
Never give
out your bank account details or other personal
information to people you do not know.
·
Never feel
pressured to respond immediately
·
Never send
money in response to bogus psychic mailings.
·
If something
sounds too good to be true it probably is!
Scamnesty 2010 - Send your information to:
Scamnesty
Warwickshire County Council
Trading Standards Service
FREEPOST
Old Budbrooke Road
CV35 7DP
Email: tsnews@warwickshire.gov.uk
Further information can
be found on our website:
www.warwickshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards or contact
Consumer Direct: 08454 04 05 06.
-Ends-
Note to Editors
For further information please contact:
Lisa Stirling, Senior
Information Officer, 01926 414075 or
07500 993 287
Householders who believe they have received a 'scam'
letter can forward it to Trading Standards using a
Freepost Address:
Scamnesty
Warwickshire County
Council
Trading Standards
Service
FREEPOST
Old Budbrooke Road
CV35 7DP
Email: tsnews@warwickshire.gov.uk
·
The
Office of Fair Trading estimates that over three million
people in the UK
fall
victim to mass marketed scams every year, collectively
losing £3.5billion.
·
Fewer
than 5 per cent of victims report their experience - one
reason the OFT and local authority Trading Standards
Services carry out public reporting drives for scam
mailings.
·
Research
has suggested that an estimated 28 million UK consumers
are targeted each year by scams, which exploit low cost,
mass marketing techniques such as post, telephone,
e-mail and the Internet.
***********************************************************
Bounce your way to
a fun filled day!!
The Community Development Team
offer an action hire scheme, in which local groups,
organisations and the general public can hire a
variety of leisure equipment for events and parties.
For further information contact
Lori Harvey on 01827 719271 or the switchboard on 01827
715341
*************************************************************************************************************
Registered Charity: 1045957
59 – 61 Long Street
Atherstone, CV9 1AZ
Volunteer Drivers
Needed
¨
Do
you enjoy driving?
¨ Do
you enjoy meeting people?
¨
Do
you want to get out & about?
¨
Have
you got time on your hands?
¨
Do you own a car?
Beeline needs you
For more information call Pat or Josie on 01827 717074
***********************************************************************************
CLAIM IT!
Benefit Take Up Campaign
Claim it!
is a Warwickshire wide initiative to encourage
individuals of all ages to apply for help with rent and
council tax.
Council Tax
Benefit can help you if you are struggling to pay your
Council Tax and you have a low income.
Housing
Benefit could help you if you pay rent for your home and
you are struggling with those payments.
For further
information or help with form filling, and to request an
application form please contact North Warks Borough
Council and quote ref: GR/MA
Tel: 01827
719365 E-mail:
benefits@northwarks.gov.uk
Website:
www.northwarwicks.gov.uk
Address:
NWBC, The Benefits Team, The Council House, South
Street, Atherstone,
CV9 1DE
20/9/07
************************************
Beware Doorstep
Callers
Lock
Keep front and back doors locked
Stop
Are you expecting someone?
Chain
Put chain on before answering the door
Check
Identity of Caller
If In Doubt
Keep Them Out
Contact
Information: Warwickshire Trading Standards Service
01926 414040
(office hours)
Warwickshire
Police 01926 415000
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North
Warwickshire Community Safety Partnership - Advice for
Parents and Riders of Motorcycles being used off road
All motorcycles including:
Quad
Bikes/Mini Motors/Go Peds/Monkey Bikes/Scooters
Are NOT allowed to be used on:
Pavements/Disused Railway Lines/Rights of
Way/Bridleways/Canal Towpaths/Parks/Wasteland/Public
Land
They
can be used on the road if
they are:
Taxed/Insured/Registered with the DVLA and have an up to
date MOT certificate
The
confiscation of any motor-cycle ridden illegally leads
to it being crushed.
Advice for Parents
-
If you
buy a Motorbike or Quad Bike for your child, YOU are
responsible for that young person and their actions.
-
YOU as
a parent may be prosecuted for permitting your child
to fide illegally-this will affect your own car or
bike insurance.
-
The
only place off road vehicles can be ridden lawfully
is on private land with the land owners permission
or at off road centres (where you will probably need
off road insurance).
-
We
recommend that full protective clothing and a helmet
is worn at all times.
APPEAL FOR
INFORMATION
If
you see or know of motorcycles being used in a manner
likely to cause alarm, distress or annoyance to you or
other members of the public please contact:
The Police on 01926 415000 or anonymously to Crime
Stoppers on 0800 555111
*****************************************************
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)
The
Young Persons Safety Officer is based at the NWBC
offices in Atherstone. Part of his role is to
co-ordinate a multi agency response to anti social
behaviour (ASB), In order to do this he is
encouraging reports of ASB to be directed to a secure
e-mail address:
communitysafety@northwarks.gov.uk. These
reports will then be collated and input onto a database
to assess the areas in most urgent need of intervention.
This information will then be shared with the agencies
that can best respond to the issues.
When
reporting incidents of ASB it is important to include as
much information as possible to aid our response.
The information, which is most helpful is:-
Date/Time/Location/Description of behaviour/Names and
description of those involved
Although work is done alongside the Police, the capacity
to respond quickly to an incident is not possible.
Serious incidents of ASB should be reported to the
Police. Once information is received the areas
with the most pressing problems will be visited by the
Safety Officer and he will speak to the young people
about the nuisance/ASB.
There
is a new website that serves as a directory of services
for children, young people and families.
www.up2datecovandwarks.org.uk
This is an opportunity for
services in the parish to promote their activities and a
great resource from which we can direct people to
appropriate services.
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