Scams Awareness Month - doorstep scams

As Scams Awareness Month comes to a close, Moray Council's trading standards service would like to focus on doorstep scams.

Trading standards regularly receives complaints about itinerant traders who travel around Moray offering to do work on gardens, roofs and driveways, or selling household goods and machinery door to door.

Consumers may feel pressurised to agree to work being done, and end up paying thousands of pounds for poor quality and unnecessary work.Such traders often target vulnerable consumers, telling them there is a problem such as a leaking roof.Quotes for relatively small amounts can increase tenfold, as fraudsters mislead householders that their property requires expensive repairs.

Advice from trading standards is never to contract on the doorstep.If you believe you need work done, get at least three quotes from reputable local traders and get personal recommendations from people you can trust.What may seem like a bargain at the time may turn into a very costly mistake, as the trader has long since vanished by the time any problems with the work come to light.

What you can do to help others:

• Are you aware of someone who is withdrawing unusually large amounts of cash from the bank?They may be doing this to pay a scammer.
• Keep an eye out for vulnerable friends and relatives.If you see workmen at their house, take the time to find out what work is being done and how much it costs.

If you or someone you care about has been the victim of any scam, please contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06 for further advice and assistance.