David Rees AM advises residents to be phone-scam aware

David Rees, Assembly Member for Aberavon, is joining numerous organisations in promoting Scams Awareness Month (#scamaware) and this week’s focus on phone scams.  The second most common type of scam in UK, 29% of scams use phone calls or texts to target consumers. If you get a call out of the blue, be scam aware.

David said: “People across my constituency of Aberavon tell me about calls they have received asking for bank details.  It is really important that people are scam aware. As May 2014 is Scams Awareness Month, this provides an ideal opportunity for consumers and campaigners to learn and share, and take that knowledge into the year-round fight against scams. It’s only through spotting the signs of scams and spreading the word as wide as possible that consumers can help to stop scams.”

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you think something sounds a bit suspicious, take your time and don’t be pressured into quick decisions. For example, computer firms do not make unsolicited phone calls to help fix your computers.

David is also reminding people not to suffer in silence. If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, please report it. If you are at all worried, you can also contact organisations like the Citizens Advice Bureau and trading standards or visit http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

For more information, visit: http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/campaigns/current_campaigns/consumer_campaigns/sam14/sam14-resources.htm