Scammers who prey on vulnerable Scots face new crackdown
SCAMMERS are to be targeted in a fresh crackdown after figures showed soaring numbers of ruthless criminals are preying on vulnerable Scots.
It comes after research showed that half of Scots say they have been targeted by fraudsters in the past year.
The Scottish Government will publish a ‘scams prevention strategy’ setting out action it will take to stamp out the problem. It will consider how to tackle traditional ‘bogus callers’ who try to deceive vulnerable people, including the elderly, on their doorsteps and by telephone.
It will also look at how to prevent scams that are carried out online using email or social media.
It comes after Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) found nearly half of Scots had been the victim of attempted scams at least once in the past year.
The YouGov survey of more than 2,000 Scottish adults found that 22 per cent said someone had tried to scam them at least once in the past year. A further 10 per cent said it had happened at least two times and 14 per cent said it had happened three times or more.
In addition, CAS said the number of scams reported to it more than doubled in 2018-19 compared with the previous year.
A Scottish Government source said: ‘We know that older people and other vulnerable groups can be particularly susceptible to scams, and we want to do more to protect them.
‘Scammers are becoming more and more sophisticated in the way that they target their victims, using the internet and other technology to trick people.
‘Our scam prevention strategy is still being developed, but it will draw on a range of expertise to help us combat the fraudsters who are responsible for causing so much distress.’
The most common type of scam is email, followed by telephone landline, mobile phone, online and text. Campaigners want any action to include encouraging people to report scams when they are targeted and action to target the wide range of scams, from online adverts on social media to ‘old fashioned cold callers’.
Citizens Advice Scotland chief executive Derek Mitchell said: ‘We are delighted to see a scams strategy as part of the new programme for government, and we are keen to work with the Government to help develop this and make it as effective as possible.
‘It’s time to crack down on scammers because a scam is a crime. As such it should be reported and dealt with like any other crime. Too many people are losing money to fraudsters and we all need to work together to beat them. It’s great to have government focus on the issue.’
A Scottish Government-funded advice service says that the most common scams include doorstep rogue traders and nuisance callers who often target the vulnerable to obtain personal financial information.
Andrew Bartlett, chief executive of consumeradvice.scot, said: ‘Being scammed is financially and emotionally distressing. People operating scams often target the elderly or vulnerable, but anyone can be affected. There are a number of ways that Scots consumers can protect themselves against scams. This could include obtaining multiple quotes for any works on your house and never giving your bank details out over the phone or via email.’
The Government launched a nuisance calls action plan in 2017, which is considering measures such as a single complaints system and a voluntary code of conduct for call centre operators.
The consumer group Which? wants company bosses to be held personally accountable by facing substantial fines for annoying people with unsolicited calls.
Caroline Normand, director of advocacy at Which?, said: ‘Scottish consumers are at risk of being targeted every day by ruthless fraudsters using increasingly sophisticated tactics online, over the phone and face-to-face – and people are losing life-changing sums of money as a result. We welcome these ambitious plans to start tackling consumer harm.’
‘Dealt with like any other crime’