Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service Page 9 Trading Standards Sutton Local Committee Presentation Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Trading Standards Who are we? Trading Standards are part of The Kingston and Sutton Shared Page 10 Environment Service working across Sutton and Kingston. Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Trading Standards What is our aim? To protect our most vulnerable and elderly residents Page 11 from becoming victims of crime. Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 The problem Elderly / vulnerable resident are most likely to become victims of: Scams Prize draws Page 12 Telephone scams Rogue traders Bogus callers Criminal Damage Distraction Burglary Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
What can we do? • Raise an awareness of scams and doorstep crime, we aim to protect our residents from becoming victims. Page 13 • Take enforcement action against the rogues and scammers when possible. Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 What we can’t do! Respond immediately to every single complaint or incident that we become aware of. Page 14 Prosecute every rogue trader. Prevent all our residents from becoming victims Save the world!!!!! Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
What we can do together? Keep our eyes and ears open when we meet vulnerable or elderly neighbours and residents. Page 15 Report serious concerns in respect of their ability to handle their everyday finances to the Police Action Fraud Social Services or Trading Standards Join Neighbourhood Watch Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Scams Scams are schemes to con you out of your money. The scammers are clever and all kinds of people from all walks of life get duped. Page 16 Fraudsters can be very convincing so it’s important to stay vigilant Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Types of Scams • Phishing – fake emails that look genuine they will harvest your personal details • Pyramid Schemes - get rich quick • Lottery Scams – you’re a winner! Page 17 • Ticketing websites - bogus tickets • Racing tipster – the service doesn’t exist • Missed call scams – keep you on the line Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Types of Scams • Prize draw scams • Foreign money scams • Clairvoyant and psychic scams Page 18 • Investment scams • Homeworking scams • Miracle cure / slimming pills • Bogus holiday clubs Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
What you can do to help See what the conman would see: Is the garden over grown? (good indicator of possible victim) Page 19 House in poor condition – windows, driveways, roof, piles of rubbish? Parcels containing unwanted goods delivered by post? Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 What you can do to help? When visiting neighbours and residents, be aware of what else may be going on. Look out for piles of letters, special offers Page 20 and prize draws which may be scams. Watch out for shoddy building work being done. Ask questions Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Page 21 Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Page 22 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Scams – what are we doing about it? We are working in partnership with Adult Social Services, the Police, the postal industry and Trading Standards Officers across the UK developing a strategy to identify the silent victims Page 23 of telephone and mailing scams. Supporting victims Targeting mass mailing fraudsters Raising the awareness of scams with partners and through publicity and events across the borough Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Cheque Book Sticker Page 24 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Phone Sticker Page 25 Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Distraction Burglary The main offenders: Uninvited Coldcallers/Bogus Tradesmen Page 26 An elderly person’s life savings could disappear .........and cut short their LIFE. Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Page 27 A family of offenders: the Brazils Conspiracy to obtain £ 55,000 by deception from brain-injured man. Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Distraction burglary: £ 840 taken from victim’s bank account using her cashpoint card, stolen from her home… Page 28 …The brothers had previously conned the victim out of £ 50 by claiming she had “dangerously loose” roof tiles. Aaron & James VINCENT, each jailed for 30 months Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
BUT BEWARE : Cold Callers who make uninvited visits to your neighbours may well be committing Trading Standards offences, as well as more serious Police matters such as Fraud, Criminal Damage Page 29 and Blackmail– EVEN WHERE WORK APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 The offenders will usually use false names, false addresses, pre-pay mobiles, 0800 numbers glossy fliers Page 30 (accommodation addresses phone lines), incorrectly-registered vehicles … Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
…So when it goes wrong, Page 31 there is no realistic prospect of ‘Civil’ recovery. Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 But it’s not just about money. The impact of these crimes on such elderly victims can Page 32 sometimes be enough to kill them … Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Page 33 For this bodged windowsill £ 10,000 at London Road, Staines Repeat targeting of a 78yr old man, including being driven to the bank to withdraw cash. The victim was so ashamed that he attempted suicide. Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Page 34 £5000 obtained by deception. Targeting by offender Believed to have contributed to victim’s death . Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
So how do these cons work? Targets: usually the elderly & vulnerable Persuasive, with plausible stories Cheap initial prices quoted Page 35 Inability of victims to verify need for work to be done (e.g. climbing ladders) Befriending victims over many weeks or More… months Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 So how do these cons work? � The offenders create fear of the consequences of not having the work done � Prey on loneliness of victims Page 36 � Often don’t give victims a choice – they just turn up and start digging � Exploit enforcers’ confusion re status of the crime ( “ Sorry, it’s Civil ” ) Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
And what happens afterwards? � Victim feels shame & embarrassment � No traceability - so no civil redress � If the victim pays: Repeat Targeting Page 37 � If the victim refuses to pay: - Intimidation & Harassment… - Threats of violence & damage … Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 What are Trading Standards doing about it Page 38 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Trading Standards receive reports from: � the Public � the Police Page 39 � Banks/Building Societies via the Sutton Banking Protocol � Citizens Advice consumer service � Adult Social Services Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 … About uninvited builders/conmen (esp. roofers, tarmac, pavers, tree surgeons …) Charging extortionate prices… Page 40 Usually to vulnerable victims… For unnecessary, poor quality work… Aggressive practices …….. Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
So what do Trading Standards do? • Doorstep crime related incidents are investigated by Trading Standards Officers. Page 41 • Trading standards have the power to prosecute where necessary • Reassure and advise residents • Advise reputable traders on the law Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Safer Sutton Trader Scheme A list of reputable traders checked and vetted by Trading Standards Officers Page 42 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Door stickers Thousands of door stickers have been distributed to warn traders not to call at homes uninvited Page 43 Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Agenda Item 6 Cold Call Control Zones Work in partnership with police and residents Page 44 associations NHW to set an area where cold callers are not welcome Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
Bank Protocol Partnership with police to train front line bank staff to recognise when large amounts of cash withdrawn to pay rogue traders and report to police and trading standards Page 45 Agenda Item 6 Kingston and Sutton Shared Environment Service
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