Scam safety advice
Fraud affects thousands of people across Norfolk every year. Most often it is the vulnerable in our society who are targeted and exploited by scammers, but anyone can be a victim.
Supported by the agencies which make up the Norfolk Against Scams Partnership, the Scams Prevention Service identifies and assesses the needs of victims, working with them to improve their confidence and safety, and develop a plan to reduce vulnerability to being victimised again.
If you would like support after being the victim of a fraud, then contact
the Norfolk and Victim Care Service which offers free and confidential support to those who have been targeted by scams’ You can contact their website: www.nsvictimcare.org, call 0300 303 3706 or email: nsvictimcare@victimsupport.org.uk ‘
If you would like support after being the victim of any crime, whether or not you have reported it, then contact Norfolk and Suffolk Victim Care on 0300 303 3706.
Tips on staying safe
Criminals target people in person, online and over the phone.
- Trust your instincts. While many people are genuine, there are others who will try to take advantage of you. It is ok to reject, refuse or ignore any requests or offers.
- Never deal with unexpected cold callers on your doorstep.
- Take your time when making decisions. Only criminals will try to rush you.
- Make sure you can trust the person you are dealing with. If the person claims to represent a charity or organisation, ask them for ID.
- Never open attachments, click on links or make payments when you receive emails out of the blue.
- Never give out your bank details or other personal information to strangers over the phone or via email.
- If you are purchasing goods or services from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, or ask friends and family for advice.
- Where possible, avoid making payments via bank transfer. Credit card payments and payment services such as PayPal offer fraud protection and the chance to get your money back if you have been scammed.
- Type websites into search bars yourself, rather than following links in emails or texts. This ensures you access the official website and are not redirected.
- Use the scam prevention websites mentioned below to double-check anything you see on social media or receive via email.
Who can help?
As well as contacting the Scams Prevention Service, you can get help and information from the following organisations:
Friends Against Scams
Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards Scams Teams initiative, which aims to empower people to take a stand against scams. Check out their website for useful tips on staying safe and practical assistance such as Call Blockers to screen unwanted phone calls.
You can also complete their quick and simple Friends Against Scams online training which can help to better understand and spot scams, which can help you to better understand when people are being scammed in our communities.
Access Friends Against Scams Training
Norfolk Trading Standards
To help the public protect themselves, Norfolk Trading Standards offers a free scam alert service, which will send you email updates of any new scams in Norfolk. You can also follow their social media accounts for local updates.
Norfolk Trading Standards Facebook
Action Fraud
Action Fraud is the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. It serves as a central point where scams can be reported and you can find information about fraud and scams.