11/11/11….Hoax and scams warning from Thames Valley Police
THIS is a Community Message from Thames Valley Police about some of the latest scams and hoaxes, including those on the web, and what to do about them:
SCAMS
We have received an increase in concerns from residents in the South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse area about scams and hoax email messages.
There are hundreds of types of scams and hoax emails, fake lotteries and prize draws, incredible schemes to make money quickly, fake investment plans, the list goes on and on.
A lot of the emails received are urban myths, an example of one email that resurrects itself every year around Christmas time is the PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) scam, where a card is posted through your door asking you to phone a number for delivery of a parcel. This email is passed around every year but when checked no one has actually received a card, so if received please do not pass on again this year.
Before forwarding any emails about scams, please check on the following sites to find out if the scam is true or false.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DISCOVER A SCAM
If anyone thinks they have been the victim of a scam, or suspects a scam is being attempted, please contact Consumer Direct for clear, practical advice.
Tel: 08454 04 05 06 or visit: www.consumerdirect.gov.uk
Publications on scams are available free of charge from the Office of Fair Trading.
Tel: 0800 389 3158 or email: oft@ecgroup.co.uk
You can also contact Oxfordshire Trading Standards if you have concerns about scams or hoax emails.
Tel: 0845 051 0845 or visit: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/tradingstandards
Message Ends
