Consumer Scams
Protecting residents from scams is a key priority for Trading Standards. Fraudsters often target vulnerable individuals, causing financial and emotional harm. By understanding how scams work, you can help protect yourself, your family, and your community.
Explore this page for practical advice, current scam alerts, and information on where to get help if you think you've been targeted.
Consumer scams typically involve fraudsters using digital communications, phone calls, postal services, or face-to-face contact to obtain money, personal information, or financial gain through deception. Consumer scams generally fall into the following categories:
- Online and Digital Scams – Fake websites, phishing emails, social media scams, online shopping fraud, and identity theft.
- Telephone Scams – Fraudulent calls claiming to be from banks, government departments, or trusted organisations.
- Text Message (Smishing) Scams – Messages designed to trick people into clicking malicious links or revealing personal information.
- Email (Phishing) Scams – Emails requesting personal details, payments, or account information.
- Doorstep and Rogue Trader Scams – Unsolicited visits offering home repairs, gardening work, or other services that are unnecessary, poor quality, or overpriced.
- Investment and Financial Scams – Fraudulent schemes promising high returns or fake investment opportunities.
- Prize, Lottery and Competition Scams – Claims that a prize has been won but requiring payment or personal details to collect it.
- Romance Scams – Fraudsters creating fake relationships online to gain trust and obtain money.
- Courier and Banking Scams – Criminals posing as bank staff or police officers and persuading victims to hand over cash, cards, or personal information.
- Subscription and Service Scams – Hidden charges, misleading contracts, or unauthorised recurring payments.
Consumer scams typically involve fraudsters using digital communications, phone calls, postal services, or face-to-face contact to obtain money, personal information, or financial gain through deception.
Useful Information
- Deepfake and AI Scams Factsheet
- The latest scam alerts from Which?
- Friends Against Scams Awareness Session and App - the Friends Against Scams app gives you more than alerts: recover stolen money with a reimbursement toolkit, check suspicious messages with Ask Silver, access Which? scam alerts, and use ready-made resources to educate others. Plus, quizzes, training, and tools to stay up to date on latest scams. https://linktr.ee/Friends_Against_Scams
- Which? Scam Alert Team - our Scam newsletter alerts can help you to stay ahead of the latest scams, spot scams and protect yourself, take steps if you’ve been scammed and understand the way scams work. Please share this information with your friends, family and neighbours – anyone who may find it helpful. Sign up here to receive Scam alerts directly to your inbox.