Page 52 - BR-March-2018

March 2018 March 2018
DORSET TRADING STANDARDS

Dorset County Council Trading Standards Service check and
approve businesses so you don’t have to.
For more information visit www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk or
call 08454 040506.
To report or seek advice about problems you have
experienced when dealing with a trader call 08454 040506.

One million ‘Friends’ by 2020
A call to action for individuals, communities, businesses, neighbours and work
colleagues to help ‘take a stand against scams’ has just been announced by the
Government. The Friends Against Scams campaign, supported by Dorset County
Council trading standards to help people spot and report scams, aims to train up
to a million people to be Friends Against Scams by 2020.
Since its launch last year the Friends Against Scams campaign has already
provided training to more than 30,000 people, helping them understand how to
spot a scam and empowering them to help others from becoming victims.
Scams affect many people and anyone can be caught out by a scam. It is
believed that only about 5% of scams are reported and it is therefore seen very
much as a silent hidden crime. Victims can lose thousands of pounds, not just as a
one of loss, often small amounts quickly add up to more substantial losses over
many years.

You can support the Friends Against Scams campaign by completing a short
awareness training session in person or online. The training gives you the
confidence to spot and deal with scams yourself and to talk with and support
others more confidently about scams.
Those who want to can take further steps to become a SCAMchampion by
hosting awareness sessions to recruit Friends and driving Friends Against Scams
forward in their communities. You could sign your company or organisation up to
the campaign and train staff to become Friends Against Scams. Public figures
can become a SCAMbassador by using their influence to raise the profile of
scams at a national level.
For more information about the Friends Against Scams campaign and how you
can get involved please visit https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk . If you think
you have been the victim of a scam or would like advice about your consumer
rights then please contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454
040506.

52 25