In this feature l doorstep crime l scams l partnership working CONFERENCE 2015 Silence of the scams The launch of Scams Awareness Month provided the perfect opportunity for a panel discussion on how to encourage communication with the victims of this underreported crime. rob Coston reports I n the media, there is a feeling that consumer news is the less important stuff, said facilitator Winifred Robinson as she concluded Thursdays plenary on Coming Together to Help the Individual. What I have taken from this is just how very important it is and how we mustnt lose sight of the value of the work that we do. It was the natural conclusion to draw after hearing the panellists discuss the positive impact that their help and that given by volunteers and communities across the country can have on the lives of vulnerable individuals. Facilitator: winifred robinson, BBC radio presenter Panellists: David Travers QC, regulatory practice group at 6 Pump Court l gillian guy CBE, chief executive, Citizens Advice l ruth Andrews, head of investigations and safeguarding, North Yorkshire County Council l Louise who to help Clockwise: Leon Livermore, CTSI chief executive; facilitator Winifred Robinson with Gillian Guy; and an audience member debate the issues Baxter, manager of the National Our programme [You and Yours, which Robinson presents Trading Standards Scams Team on Radio 4] relies on the expertise of you, as professionals particularly to provide us with the real people whose lives are damaged by scams, fraud and illicit trading, said Robinson when opening the session. This kind of crime is among the most damaging, because it involves working hard to win somebodys deep trust with the sole intention of betraying that trust. Weve become aware of something that Im sure you allknow: that the reported cases are really just the tip of the iceberg. Research from trading standards suggests only five per cent of cases are being reported. There is a massive problem out there that is beginning to affect us and particularly our parents and that we need to come together and tackle. Of course, the first step in tackling the problem is to find out who to help. Leon Livermore, chief executive of CTSI, said: Ive often wondered why someone becomes a victim when somebody in very similar circumstances doesnt. Are we mapping that journey? Older people are, of course, at risk as they become less mobile, more isolated or affected by dementia; Robinsons comment about parents implied this. However, they are not the only ones disproportionately affected by scams. During the Q&A session, Janice Chisholm, of Islington Trading Standards, told the panel that inner London local authorities such as hers are home to many different groups of vulnerable individuals: A lot of the population dont speak English as their first language, she said. They can become quite easily confused by some of the messages that were trying to put out in terms of scams awareness. We signed up to the National Scams Hub some time ago and were now getting more and more victims through who are not native English speakers. They have sent away for things because they think they are going to win a prize all they see is You have won 100,000 pounds! and they dont understand the implications of the rest of the text. Louise Baxter, manager of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, said she sometimes works with another vulnerable group young people, who are just starting out on their consumer journey and dont have ready access to the experience of their parents any more. It seems that isolation of one kind or another because of age, language or some other factor may be the best predictor of how vulnerable a person is to scams. Supporting this, Baxter said: The worst victims I have dealt with are not people who are listening to messages, seeing television programmes about scams, going to bowls clubs, or even going anywhere at all. They are the ones who are utterly isolated people who stay in their homes, who are unknown to the police, trading standards or adult services. They are the real challenge for us and there are so many of them. How to help Many scammers are aware of this correlation between isolation and vulnerability. During the session, Robinson discussed the example of telephone scams, for which criminals pretend to be police officers. Thesecriminals encourage people to stay on the phone, knowing that if theirpotential victim has the chance to talk with a friend or somebody officialthey are unlikely to see through the fraud. So if loneliness makes people vulnerable, the best way to tackle scams could be through the efforts of the community and officers to find and communicate with those who have become victims. Several panellists, aswell as members of the audience, talked about the need to talk directly with victims, but also to inform others in the community about how to help their friends and neighbours. A member of the Bournemouth Older People Forum stood up during the Q&A to illustrate this kind of communication, describing how they look after the welfare of elderly people in the town. Members act as ambassadors, coming to meetings to learn about scams and then going out to spread the knowledge face to face. Although there is a tendency to focus on educating older people about the dangers of scams, Baxter believes there is another effective method: Weve found that if you educate young people about scams, they educate their grandparents. If we can get in at the school level, or at youth clubs or through a Girl Guide badge or something like that then the information filters back up. working together Partnering with other agencies can be extremely useful in reaching vulnerable consumers, as David Travers QC, of the regulatory practice group at 6 Pump Court, made clear: Austerity is not exclusively a threat it is also an opportunity. One of the positive features that has come out of the funding constraints for local authorities has been the requirement for people to think in new ways and take imaginative steps withco-workers. Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, provided a good example involving the NHS: Our recent research showed that GPs spend 20 per cent of their time on non-health issues like welfare, debts and relationships. Four in five of the people who receive help from Citizens Advice tell us they feel less depressed or anxious following that intervention. Thats why were supporting our local Citizens Advice to increase the number of advisers available to GP surgeries and other health settings. During the Q&A session, Carol Brady, chairman of CTSIs board, brought up a similar co-working strategy from her time at Kent Trading Standards. There, district nurses were the eyes and ears of the service a case of using NHS resources to help find vulnerable people of all kinds. As for people who speak English as a second language, Chisholm explained Islingtons approach during the Q&A: This year, weve set up a multi-agency team and are doing work on some of our social housing estates. Were talking to the caretakers, whom residents see on a daily basis, and getting them to look out for isolated people and those who are getting a lot of mail. We are also working with community leaders, people trusted by the speakers of different languages. Individual response Ruth Andrews, head of investigations and safeguarding at North Yorkshire County Council, brought up the importance of understanding the individual and their specific vulnerability. For every person that weve dealt with, theres an underlying reason why theyve become a victim of a particular type of fraud, she said. It might be because of isolation; it might be because of dementia; or it could be that some other traumatic event in their life that means receiving and answering scam mail is a distraction for them, or something they actually enjoy that provides them with company. Andrews illustrated her point that people require individual responses with two contrasting examples: We had a gentleman who lost 250,000 to doorstep crime. Arresting the offenders meant that he was even lonelier than before, because we took away all his male company. What we did was replace that with a befriender service a man who takes him out to the shops or the cinema once a week. But we also have a victim whos lost more than 200,000 to scam mail and has rejected everything weve offered her. Were still struggling to find the right response. Its about understanding the person, and whats been important in their life, to help them escape that fraud. Baxter pointed out the legislative requirement for an individual approach: The new CARE Act that came in in April is about making safeguarding personal. We need to remember that were dealing with individuals and one shoe wont fit all. I think we need to be a bespoke service with regard to safeguarding and providing support packages, whether that means contacting a befriending service or having a chat with someone about the fact that they feel embarrassed about being scammed. Just a conversation can change the persons behaviour so that they dont fall victim to that scam or a different scam again. Encouraging individuals Above: Ruth Andrews and (above right) an audience member Of course, there is also a place for broader educational campaigns that target certain groups or the public at large, rather than specific people. Livermore pointed out one such example: Theres a wonderful opportunity to create community capacity as in upskilling our communities because they are the people that are embedded where victims live. That was the value of last years National Consumer Week, Good Neighbours Stop Rogue Traders: it was about giving people in the community the skills they need to help others where they live. In a call to action for a campaign launched that morning, Gillian Guy also recognised the importance of informing members of the public so that they can help each other: Scams Awareness Month is a fantastic example of our organisations working together to inform, educate and protect consumers. Iurge you all to get involved and make it a success. If our experience in the health sector can teach us anything, its that there are no limits to what we can achieve on behalf of consumers if we work across boundaries. Credits Published You might also like Rob Coston is a reporter for TS Today Monday 3 August, 2015 Moneys worth July 2015 Images: Sam Atkins The right move July 2015 To share this page, in the toolbar click on Clockwise from top: Gillian Guy, David Travers QC and Louise Baxter