Consumer campaign In this feature mass-marketed scams hasty decisions activities Spread the word Alison Blackwood discusses how Citizens Advice and trading standards departments are working together to protect consumers during Scams Awareness Month this summer E ach year, millions of people in the UK fall prey to scammers. Estimates of the total cost of mass-marketed scams are as high as 5bn: the truth is, with reporting levels as low as ve per cent, this could be far higher. However, talk of thousands, millions or even billions of pounds fails to measure the wider social cost of scams: the blight to peoples lives; the emotional trauma for families; and the loss of condence among not only the victims of scams, but every consumer who hears about them. Sometimes the impact is ruinous: a lifetime of careful saving wiped out in the space of a telephone conversation, at the stroke of a pen or on the click of a mouse. Scams: Dont be rushed and dont be hushed Scams Awareness Month 2015 (SAM15) is taking place in July, with the theme Dont be Rushed, Dont be Hushed. The campaign aims to stop people being forced into hasty decisions by scammers and to encourage victims not to be hushed into silence by a sense of shame, foolhardiness or weary acceptance. It is about consumers getting together with the help of their representative organisations including our network of Citizens Advice Estimates of the total cost of Bureaux (CAB) and trading standards mass-marketed scams are as services (TSS) to improve peoples high as 5bn: the truth is, with awareness of scams and so prevent them reporting levels as low as five per from becoming victims. It is about ensuring cent, this could be far higher that scammers are reported to the right authorities and that we look out for potential victims in our communities, who may be repeatedly targeted unless we speak out. Activities During the month of July, we will look at the four key channels used to conduct scams. Well be covering telephone scams in week one, before looking at the ever-growing number of cons perpetrated online in week two. In the third week, we will focus on mail scams before ending the month by warning against doorstep crime. SAM15 is a perfect opportunity for local CAB and TSS to work together to highlight scam activity in their area, to protect people from becoming victims and to ensure that everyone feels empowered to report these crimes so that they can be stopped. You can work with your nearest CAB now to prepare case studies, brief local or regional media that the awareness month is happening and talk to other potential partners in advance about scams evidence and priority activities. Good partnership work between CAB and Sometimes the impact of a scam TSS, as well as other local organisations, will is ruinous: a lifetime of careful be central to a successful month and ongoing scam-ghting activities throughout the year. saving wiped out in the space of a telephone conversation, at the stroke of a pen or on the click of a mouse Get involved Citizens Advice will be providing resources for SAM15, including model press releases, blogs and a range of online content to reect the weekly themes. In addition, look out for the SAM15 website www.citizensadvice. org.uk/sam15 when it is launched in June, where you will nd more details about activities and resources to help you take part. Whatever you do for Scams Awareness Month in 2015, please let us know about it. You can tweet #ScamAware or email pictures and updates to campaigns@citizensadvice.org.uk A WOR D FROM LOU BA X TE R , CT S I S JOINT L E A D O F F I C E R F O R C O N S U M E R E D U C AT I O N Mass marketing fraud is an international problem, where between 5bn and 10bn is lost each year from the UK. The more work that is carried out in this area the larger the problem becomes. We need to do more work to educate and support people before they become victims. We need to tackle this in a multi-agency approach. These are people one boot does not fit all. The more local and national partners we can get on board to tackle this problem from a victim and enforcement perspective, the greater impact we can have. As a profession we want to make it impossible for the scammers to operate here. This is an international crime affecting millions of people and we need to do something about it. Credits Published Alison Blackwood is senior campaigns Thursday 7 May, 2015 manager at Citizens Advice. Images: NEGOVURA / Shutterstock To share this page, in the toolbar click on