£19K cost to Buddies from bad traders in just 6 months
Renfrewshire residents are among those to have lost more than £19,000 to rogue traders in just six months, new figures from consumer watchdogs reveal.
Trading Standards Scotland (TSS) has urged vigilance amid a surge in doorstep scams, mis-sold services and botched household repairs.
Figures from TSS show that, between October last year and March, a total of £19,330 was lost by six households across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
The average amount lost was £3,222. The organisation has launched a nationwide ‘Shut out Scammers’ campaign with Police Scotland designed to raise awareness about the risks of accepting work offered by cold callers. It has seen a van touring Renfrewshire offering advice.
On Friday, police worked in partnership with Renfrewshire Trading Standards Officers with stop checks.
The aim was to identify traders and disrupt rogue traders who may have entered the division with the intention of targeting people living in the community.
This comes after a month-long effort to stop this particular type of crime.
Constable Mary Connolly of the preventions and interventions team explained: “During April, the divisional preventions and interventions team have been working with key partners to provide engagement with groups across Renfrewshire, providing information and advice on the type of scams and schemes that are being perpetrated and steps that can be taken to avoid them.
“It is hoped that by sharing this information, we can raise awareness and give people confidence to protect themselves from such scams.
“The team also worked with retailers in Renfrewshire to highlight the campaign to their customers and encourage consumers to share the information with their families, friends, and neighbours, who may be more susceptible to financial harm.”
The warning follows increasing reports of incomplete or unsatisfactory roofing, gardening or driveway work.
In each case, rogue traders had cold called the occupiers and offered to carry out work related to roofing, gardening or driveways. A shocking example from East Renfrewshire involves an 88-year-old man who agreed to pay £7,500 for roof work, providing a £2,500 deposit by cheque.
Concerned about the high price, his family advised him to cancel and reclaim the deposit.
But when he contacted the company, they made a series of excuses and eventually stopped answering his calls.
Councillor Maureen Chalmers, chair of Trading Standards Scotland’s governance board, said: “Scammers are constantly adapting their tactics to take advantage of people, especially when many households in Renfrewshire are struggling to make ends meet. So, it is more important than ever to remain vigilant and be on your guard.
“With our campaign and van, we aim to equip people with the tools and confidence to spot scams effectively.
“Do plenty of research into companies, remembering that online adverts can be misleading and that reviews can be faked.
“It is advisable to check at least three different review sites and to get more than one quote for a piece of work.
“We are also asking people to look out for family members, friends, and neighbours and to report any suspicious behaviour.”
Consumers are advised against dealing with cold callers and encouraged to seek reputable local traders, with vetted options available on the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) approved trader portal at www. approvedtrader.scot
Anyone caught out by a scam or suspicious activity should report it using the national advice service Advice Direct Scotland’s tool at www.consumeradvice. scot or contact 0808 164 6000 for support.
Victims of fraud should report it to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency.