Scammers steal more than £1m from door-to-door fraud

FRAUDSTERS have claimed more than £1 million through door-todoor sales in the Thames Valley over the past year.

Data released by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) revealed £1.1 million has been lost during 227 doorstep visits from bogus tradespeople.

The figures have been calculated from reports made between August 2020 and August 2021.

Matthew Barber, police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, said while the figures are worrying, the number of unreported incidents is also a cause for concern.

“This is clearly not something to be proud of,” he said.

“We need to recognise that the Thames Valley force is the fourth largest in the country, so it will always see a greater scale of incidents.

“But getting reports through is not necessarily a bad thing and I want everybody to have the confidence to report something if it happens to them.”

The NFIB’s data revealed Metropolitan Police had the highest bill at £8.3 million, followed by Kent Police which reported £1.6 million lost.

Thames Valley Police came fourth highest out of 45 forces across the UK.

The force with the least door-todoor sales is Cleveland Police, which reported £18,000 lost more than 28 reports.

According to Mr Barber, fraud is a problem which needs to be tackled nationally, not just within the Thames Valley.

“Thames Valley Police has funded some projects in the past, including helping Neighbourhood Watch raise awareness of the signs of scammers,” he explained.

“There’s still obvious work for the police to do, as well as for local councils and Trading Standards.”

And he said doorstep fraud can have serious implications for victims.

“What may seem like a relatively simple, harmless incident can knock someone’s confidence,” he said.

“They could lose significant amounts of money, which will have a long-term effect.

“It can also be incredibly tricky for people to spot doorstep fraud.”

The police and crime commissioner advised residents keep a watchful eye for signs of a scam, including pressure to pay cash upfront.

Heating Force, which compiled the NFIB data, has also shared its top tips for avoiding doorstep fraud.

These include researching tradespeople to see if they have the correct qualifications, signing a contract before making a payment, and ensuring any money transferred can be traced through a bank.

“I would like to reassure people that all reported incidences are taken seriously,” Mr Barber added.

“If you’ve been a victim, the chances are those scammers will prey on others, so we all have a duty to report these crimes.

“It could prevent other people from being taken in.”

The data for all 45 police forces is available on the NFIB’s Fraud and Cyber Crime Dashboard, which can be accessed here: www. colpolice.maps.arcgis.com/apps/ opsdashboard/index.html