Con targets are brave to come forward.. unlike web trolls
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IT takes guts to admit that you’ve been the victim of a scam.
UPFRONT John Williams and wife Carol Almost 36,000 people have been conned out of £10million by nine cold-calling companies that are selling supposed health supplements.
“These shocking supplement scams are targeting thousands of the most vulnerable people in our society,” said Consumer Minister Andrew Griffiths.
“During Scams Awareness Month I am encouraging anyone who has fallen foul of these scams to speak up and report it, so we can stamp them out for good.”
The true number of victims will be higher because the list doesn’t include other sham supplement companies such as House of NatureCare Ltd and Nutri Care Quest Ltd, run by Fredy Fernandes Crooked cold callers are giving the impression they’re phoning from Sky to trick people into paying to renew insurance on their satellite equipment. They didn’t get anywhere with reader John MacAndrew, who told me: “I had a phone call telling me that my Sky box insurance had expired. “I replied ‘thank goodness’ as I cancelled my contract over 10 years ago and have been with Virgin ever since. I then hung up.”
It’s that time of year when garden waste bins are most needed, something scammers are trying to exploit. They’re making cold calls in areas where residents pay extra to have garden waste removed and claim that your bin service has been cancelled. They then ask for your bank details to supposedly give a refund.
Trading Standards in Flintshire, North Wales, said: “Do not provide them with any personal details including bank details. Please hang up the telephone – this is a scam.” and Salvador Rodrigues. I told last year how the pair were jailed for four years each after conning 2,000 people out of around £350,000. Their sentences are a rare outcome because most scam supplement firms operate from India and there’s no chance of getting the bosses to court. One woman whose late mum wasted £4,000 on the “remedies” says the answer is to keep an eye on vulnerable relatives and neighbours. “I feel we could have stopped it if we’d asked simple questions like ‘Has anyone rung?’ or ‘Have you agreed to anything?’,” said Sarah – who does not want to be identified. SENTENCE Fernandes, left, and Rodrigues