High Peak Liberal DemocratsAndrew Stunell MP has reinforced Police warnings of a phone scam which aims to defraud the elderly and the vulnerable of their life savings.
Over the past two years 'Courier Fraud' has claimed 2,229 victims, most of whom were elderly. Police estimates show that consumers have been defrauded out of millions of pounds, with one victim alone losing £155,000.
Commenting, Andrew said -
"The Police figures show that over a hundred people in Stockport have been victims of this scam in the last year. It can be heart-breaking and costly to find you've been ripped off, so following police advice and never ever sharing your contact details or bank information with strangers is vital."
Now Mr Stunell is asking Ministers in Whitehall to get banks, phone companies and the Police to work together to step up protection for elderly and vulnerable residents.
"Once the scam has happened there is very little chance of ever getting your money back, so prevention has to be the priority."
New figures reveal over 22,000 reports of scams were made to the Citizens Advice service in England and Wales over the last 12 months.
It is estimated that UK consumers lose about £3.5 billion to scams each year. This is why Andrew Stunell MP is urging Stockport residents to take careful note of the following steps to protect themselves:
More detail on the scam can be found here: http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2013/03/police-warning-over-bank-card-courier-scam/
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