Shoppers to be given scams advice

Scammers' tricks of the trade will be exposed by Citizens Advice Shoreham and Trading Standards.
Julie Martin, chief executive of Central and South Sussex Citizens AdviceJulie Martin, chief executive of Central and South Sussex Citizens Advice
Julie Martin, chief executive of Central and South Sussex Citizens Advice

The teams are joining forces to give people the knowledge to spot scams.

There will be a stand at the Holmbush Centre, Shoreham, on Thursday from 10am to midday, as part of Scams Awareness Month, a national campaign encouraging people to report and talk about scams.

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Scammers can strike at any time, from cold-calling people with a fake investment opportunity to posting online adverts for products which do not exist.

Julie Martin, chief executive of Central and South Sussex Citizens Advice, said: “Knowing how to spot a scam is the best line of defence against being scammed.

“While scammers will always use tactics like cut-price deals and pressure selling to draw people in, there are more ways for scammers to reach people with different bogus offers - from texts and emails to social media and online adverts.

People will be able to take away a few key tips having talked to our team, which will help protect them against a range of different scams.

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“People are also often reluctant to talk about scams so we want this stand to help bring the issue out into the open. We look forward to seeing as many people as possible there.”

The team will have some top tips on spotting and avoiding scams, as well as reporting them so that the authorities can chase down fraudsters.

Reporting being scammed also means people can receive advice on how to try to get their money back, or any other steps they should take to protect themselves.

Anyone concerned about scams can get advice from the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 040506.

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