Fake Royal Mail texts: It seems that a lot of people are being bombarded by these fake Royal Mail text messages. The texts have been sent by criminals who have created fake websites. The websites that the text links to has been created to look similar to the Royal Mail website, with the same branding, layout and font choices. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK.
If you think you have provided scammers with your financial details, contact your bank immediately. If you receive what you think is a fake message, forward the text message, including the phone number or company name, to 7726. It won’t cost you anything and it means your phone provider can investigate the sender. Report all scams to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133
Unsafe scooters: 150 unsafe toy scooters have been detained by our Import Surveillance Officers at the Port of Felixstowe. The wheels on the toy are too small and and as such do not meet the legal product safety requirements. The scooters have no warnings, labelling, instructions and do not display the required importer/manufacturer details. The scooters also have no CE or UKCA marking.
Importers are responsible for ensuring that all the products imported comply with UK product safety legislation. It is a criminal offence to supply an unsafe or non-compliant product. If you import consumer goods, you can find out more about your responsibilities and obligations here: https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/product-safety
Fake emails: We have received a number of reports of these fake emails being received. The emails purport to be from Currys PC World, with the opportunity to win a MacBook Pro or Nespresso. We can confirm that they are bogus emails and are not sent from Currys PC World . They are phishing emails intended to obtain your personal information. If you have received an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you think you may have compromised the safety of your bank details and/or have lost money due to fraudulent misuse of your cards, you should immediately contact your bank.
Fake jobs: Criminals are using the potential rise in unemployment as an opportunity to advertise fake job listings that require little skills or qualifications and offer high salaries. Applicants are generally asked to pay an upfront fee to cover the cost of DBS checks or training programmes for jobs that don’t exist, with job descriptions taken from genuine companies to convince you they’re real. Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Make sure you conduct your own due diligence before applying for any jobs and avoid sharing your personal information such as your National Insurance number and passport details unless you’re absolutely certain both the company and role are genuine. If you’re concerned about a job scam you can report it to a trade association such as the REC, APSCo or TEAM, and to SAFERjobs using their online reporting tool https://www.safer-jobs.com/
Boots recall: Boots has recalled Boots Multivitamins supplements because they have been incorrectly packed with multivitamins containing iron. This resulted in vitamin K not being present within the supplement and iron incorrectly added to the supplements instead. Iron has not been mentioned on the label. This means the product is a possible health risk to individuals who may also be consuming iron supplements in addition to these multivitamins. This affects multivitamins sold between 12 and 19 January 2021 only.
Batch code: 1805 and 1806
Best before: end of November 2022
Excess supplemental iron can result in gastrointestinal effects such as pain, discomfort, constipation or nausea and vomiting. If you have bought the above product, and are currently taking iron supplements, stop taking the multivitamin supplements. Instead, return them to the Boots store from where they were bought for a full refund. Full details can be found here: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-07-2021
Salmonella warning: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) along with Public Health England (PHE), are reminding people once again to take care when handling and cooking frozen raw breaded chicken products at home, such as nuggets, goujons, dippers, poppers and kievs. This comes as they issued two further product recalls of products linked to two ongoing outbreaks of Salmonella Enteritidis (a food poisoning bug).
An investigation is ongoing into two particular strains of Salmonella linked to frozen raw breaded chicken products. There was an increase in salmonellosis cases caused by these strains of Salmonella throughout 2020. Control measures were put in place, businesses undertook product recalls and the FSA published alert notifications. Given the long shelf life of these products and the fact that we continue to receive reports of disease caused by these Salmonella strains, the FSA and PHE are reminding the public again about the importance of cooking and handling frozen breaded chicken products.
Top food hygiene tips:
- Always carefully check the advice on food packaging and follow the cooking instructions provided
- If the packaging advises the product should be thawed/defrosted before cooking, follow the instructions
- Consume or freeze food by its use-by date
- Wash your hands with soap and water after touching raw chicken products and before you handle ready-to-eat food
- Avoid cross-contamination by cleaning any surface, plate or utensil that has been in contact with raw meat
Salmonella is a common bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Salmonella can be found in raw meat (processed and unprocessed), undercooked poultry and unpasteurised milk. Inadequate cooking and cross-contamination in the kitchen during food preparation can lead to Salmonellosis.
From January 2020 there have been 480 cases of Salmonellosis caused by two strains of Salmonella Enteritidis and linked to consumption of frozen, raw, breaded chicken products.
The following recalls are linked to this Salmonella outbreak:
- SFC recalls SFC Chicken products because of the presence of Salmonella
- Vestey Foods recalls Chick Inn 32 Jumbo Chicken Nuggets because of the presence of Salmonella
- Lidl GB recalls Red Hen Breaded Chicken Nuggets and Red Hen Southern Fried Chicken Pops because of contamination with salmonella
- Aldi recalls Roosters Southern Fried Poppin’ Chicken and Roosters Breaded Poppin' Chicken because of the possible presence of salmonella
- Iceland recalls Chip Shop Curry Chicken Breast Toppers and Southern Fried Chicken Popsters because of the presence of salmonella
- Aldi extends its recall of Roosters Southern Fried Poppin’ Chicken and Roosters Breaded Poppin' Chicken because of the possible presence of salmonella
Find out more about salmonella and how to avoid salmonella infection
Door to door sales: We have received reports of a man cold calling door to door in and around Laxfield, driving a grey Mercedes Sprinter van, offering teak garden furniture for sale. These individuals often visit Suffolk and use the same sales patter - “last one”, “great price” "ex-exhibition stock" etc, They currently state they have stock because they have not been able to sell them at the usual Garden Shows. Our advice is to NEVER buy at the door!
Tier 4 and lockdown guidelines mean that door to door sales should not be carried out, and sales activities should be undertaken remotely (such as by phone, online, or mail). If you are approached at the door and are not expecting a caller, our advice is not to answer.
If approached report to us via 0808 223 1133. When reporting doorstep incidents, please try to supply key information such as the description of the individual and their vehicle, including the make, model and vehicle registration if seen.
We’ve had a number of reports of Nottingham Knockers calling at properties in Woodbridge, Melton as well as around Ipswich and Kesgrave. They may still be in the area or could have moved on elsewhere in the County.
Tier 4 and lockdown restrictions mean that door to door sales should not be undertaken, and sales activities should be carried out remotely (such as by phone, online, or mail). If you are approached at the door and are not expecting a caller, our advice is not to answer.
If a doorstep callers knocks on your door, please do not deal with them, and report to us via 0808 223 1133 or to Suffolk Police online here: https://www.suffolk.police.uk/contact-us/report-something
These individuals are claiming that they have just come out of prison, and are on a youth offending scheme, attempting to mend their ways. They then try to sell the householder everyday household products at very high prices. Trading Standards always advise residents to refrain from buying at the doorstep and not to buckle to pressure from salespeople offering supposedly one-off ‘buy it now’ low prices. These Nottingham Knockers work in gangs across the country and they are NOT involved in any officially recognised offender rehabilitation programme. Many do not possess Pedlar’s Certificates, which are issued by police. If you are approached at the door, please refuse to buy. Report all doorstep callers to us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Holidays: With the prospect of restrictions lifting and the desire for many to book a holiday abroad, you may well see the holiday of a lifetime - at a price you probably shouldn’t believe! Criminals may take advantage of customers booking flights by advertising “too good to be true” offers or prices on flights or accommodation.
Make sure you read online reviews from reputable sources to check websites and bookings are legitimate. Always use the secure payment methods recommended by reputable online retailers and don’t accept requests to pay separately via a bank transfer. Where possible, use a credit card when booking holidays over £100 and up to £30,000 as you receive protection under Section 75.
Recalls: Unisnacks Europe is recalling Meiji Hello Panda Cocoa Biscuits with Matcha Green Tea Flavoured Filling because they contain peanuts, which are not mentioned on the label. This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to peanuts.
Pack Size: 50g
Best Before: end of May 2021
If you have bought the above product and have an allergy to peanuts, do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.
Unsafe ladders: Last month our Import Surveillance Officers detained a shipment of 100 ladders. Officers were concerned after noting that they did not comply with the labelling requirements under the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, as there were no manufacturer or importer details, and no product details. The ladders were marked with a CE mark, however, ladders do not come under legislation that requires this mark, and as such they were illegally marked.
Officers sent a sample of the ladders to the Ladder Association’s Test & Research Centre. They carried out lots of tests on them, against the British and European ladder standard, BS EN 131. The ladders failed! In fact, the tests undertaken by the Centre showed that they were incredibly dangerous. The Test & Research Centre videoed their assessment. You can watch the shocking findings here: https://testandresearch.org/dangerous-ladders-prevented-entry-to-the-uk-with-tr-help
Spotting scams: Can you spot the difference between a genuine request and one that’s a scam? Criminals can pose as your bank and give a seemingly legitimate reason to trick you into updating your personal details through links contained in text messages. These may by embedded into genuine message threads making it increasingly difficult to spot.
It’s important that you TAKE FIVE and log into your account directly to update your information.
If you think you have fallen for a scam, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud. Make sure you forward scam texts to 7726, and if a scam text claims to be from your bank, then you should also report it to them.
Unsafe toys: Our Import Surveillance Officers detained 520 unsafe Ride-On Horse toys at the Port of Felixstowe. The horses failed to comply with the essential toy safety requirements, with the internal mechanism easily accessible, meaning that it could be an entrapment or finger crushing hazard. The toys were not labelled as required by The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011. There were no details of the manufacturer or importer, and the toys did not display any appropriate warnings.
If you import, sell or make toys they must be safe. It is a criminal offence to supply unsafe products. Guidance on the labelling and safety requirements of toys can be found here on Business Companion: https://www.businesscompanion.info/.../product-safety/toys
If you have a toy or any other product that you think is unsafe, stop using it and report it to us via 0808 223 1133.
Covid tests: New community test centres have opened across Suffolk to provide fast, free tests for people who cannot work from home, and do not have any coronavirus symptoms. With an estimated 1 in 3 people who have the virus not showing symptoms, this is an important new tool to prevent the unwitting spread of the virus in the workplace.
The centres use lateral flow testing to identify people who may have coronavirus but are not showing symptoms. They are open to anyone who cannot work from home, with same-day results provided by text or email. It is recommended that people have the tests twice a week, three to four days apart.
Anyone giving a positive test will be told to self-isolate and advised on what to do next. Financial support is available in some cases. Anyone receiving a negative result needs to continue to follow the social distancing guidance as they may only be at the early stages of developing the virus.
Test centres are available across Suffolk: https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/getting-a-test/covid-19-asymptomatic-testing/
The centres are operated on behalf of Suffolk County Council. For further information, and to book a test, visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/bookatest or call 0333 772 6144.
The centres are only for people who not showing symptoms of Covid-19. Anyone with symptoms, or who may have been in close contact with someone who has, should not visit a test centre. Instead, they should ring 119 or go to the NHS website to book a test at one of the symptomatic testing sites in Suffolk.
Toy recall: Flying Tiger are recalling their wooden truck with wooden cars as the green tow hitch can detach and become a small part which may cause a choking hazard for children. The toys were available for sale between November 2019 and April 2020. Customers should stop using this product immediately and keep it out of the reach of children. Consumers are encouraged to return the toy to their nearest Flying Tiger Copenhagen store for a full refund, when they reopen.
More information here: https://uk.flyingtiger.com/en-GB/product-information-recall
If you need advice, or want to report a scam or rogue trader, call us via 0808 223 1133.