Fake kits and fines among virus scams

Hundreds of people in Kent have fallen victim to coronavirus scammers who have disinfected residential driveways, ordered fines to be paid for allegedly breaking lockdown rules and have sold hand sanitiser for six times its market value. More than 1,000 Covid-19 scam referrals were made to Kent County Council’s (KCC) Trading Standards in April and May. At least 270 people in the county have fallen victim to these crimes, such as price “gouging” and doorstepping. Since the lockdown restrictions were imposed in March, at least 130,000 unsafe masks have been seized at Kent’s ports by a multi-agency team involving Kent Trading Standards, Border Force and National Crime Agency.

Cllr Mike Hill (Con), KCC’S cabinet member for communities, described the Trading Standards crackdown as “significant” during the global pandemic.

He said: “Roadside scammers have been offering fake personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitiser or fake home testing kits. “Localised scams have taken place such as inflated pricing increases - a £2 hand sanitiser is being sold for £15.”

His comments come after KCC’S Labour group leader, Cllr Dara Farrell (Lab), probed the cabinet member on illegal scamming taking place in the county. At a KCC virtual meeting last week, he asked: “What work has been undertaken by Trading Standards to deal with the prevalence of Covid scamming?” Councillors were told that Trading Standards had seen a “prevalent” increase in the level of demand since the public emergency health crisis hit Kent’s shores. Fraudulent crimes carried out in the last three months include text and email scams where residents have been told they have broken lockdown rules while businesses have been offered fake coronavirus cash grants. A surge in counterfeit PPE imports at Kent’s ports in Dover and Thanet has been uncovered during the public health crisis. A multi-agency team has seized thousands of unsafe masks from these areas amid the pandemic.

Cllr Hill told the KCC committee: “We have provided assistance to care homes with PPE to make sure they are safe and advised them on what to look for.”

Doorstep criminals have also been offering to disinfect driveways in exchange for money and “bogus” health authority officials have been offering to “inspect property”.

To combat this, a series of enforcement measures have been carried out by KCC Trading Standards, which can include fines and court prosecutions.

Hundreds of Kent businesses have been offered advice in dealing with scams while 24 residents have been given access to “direct contact” with a victim support officer for immediate assistance if they are targeted by scammers.

‘We have provided assistance and advice to care homes with PPE to make sure they are safe’