Campaign launched to Shut out Scammers

A nationwide Shut out Scammers campaign has been launched by Trading Standards Scotland and Police Scotland to combat a rise in doorstep scams linked to the cost of living crisis.

As more Scottish consumers struggle with price increases and rising energy bills, Trading Standards Scotland and Police Scotland have launched a nationwide Shut out Scammers campaign.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the mis-selling of energy efficiency measures, doorstep crime, rogue trading scams and other forms of financial harm to which consumers are susceptible.

The campaign aims to empower consumers rather than make them fearful and to encourage the reporting of doorstep crime.

Rogue traders and companies may attempt to exploit the cost of living crisis and scam consumers by providing misleading information about products and services and posting misleading adverts and reviews online.

In addition to more traditional doorstep scams reported during the summer months, with rogue traders offering to carry out home maintenance, gardening work or services such as gutter cleaning or pressure washing, fraudsters have adapted their methods to take advantage of consumers’anxieties and uncertainties around the cost of living crisis.

In recent months, there has been an increase in reports from Scottish consumers about cold calls and scams relating to energy efficiency products such as boilers or roof insulation.

Dishonest companies target those who want to make their homes more energy efficient, saying that funding or grants are available for their products, yet asking consumers to pay for the products up front or take out a loan. Consumers are told that they will receive their money back over time but rarely do. They often overinflate their prices and then apply‘discounts’which are supposedly equivalent to government grants.

The campaign will run unti May 25.