Cold callers: We have received a report that individuals have been cold calling at properties in Ipswich, offering to inspect the solar panels on the roof. If you are approached, please report them immediately to us via 0808 223 1133. Our normal advice is to never agree to anything, including a home visit, when approached by a cold caller on the phone, at your door or via email. Do your research first, and find out if it is a product or service that you want or require. You may be entitled to a grant to help you with the cost of energy improvements on your home, but don’t trust a cold caller who advises you that you are. In Suffolk you can contact Suffolk Energy Action locally on 0345 0371234, or call Simple Action Energy on 0800 444202. Both will be able to clarify the current grants available, and what you may be eligible for. More information can be found here: www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk/
GHIC cards: The introduction of the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) has led to criminals creating fake websites designed to look like that of the NHS. The sites claim to either fast-track or manage your application process before charging you an up-front fee. It’s important to remember that the GHIC, which replaces the European Health Insurance Card, is FREE to use and can only be obtained directly via the NHS website. You also don’t need to apply for a GHIC until your current EHIC expires. You can report scam ads appearing in paid-for space online by visiting the Advertising Standard Authority’s website where you can complete their quick reporting form. https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/apply-for-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/
Safety alert: The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the UK’s national product safety regulator, has issued a Safety Alert to warn of the risk of serious injury and death from swallowing small high-powered magnets. The OPSS Safety Alert follows increasing reports of injuries from ingestion of magnets, particularly among children and young people. OPSS has identified a particular hazard arising from the use of high-powered magnets in products, where the magnets can be swallowed, such as fridge magnets, earrings, tongue piercings and drink charms. Businesses and online platforms have been reminded of their obligations under product safety law. They must remove from the market products containing small magnets which breach the safety requirements of the Toy Safety Regulations or the General Product Safety Regulations. Specifically, businesses and retail platforms are advised to remove from the market any products that breach the magnetic flux index where there is a risk that magnets may be ingested by a child. They must also ensure that clear warnings are included with any products that contain magnets, where there is a risk of ingestion. The public is being asked to take appropriate steps to keep these products away from children as ingestion could result in a serious or fatal injury. Parents or guardians should understand the signs of magnetic ingestion (stomach pain, vomiting and fever) and act quickly to get immediate medical treatment if they believe a magnet has been swallowed. In March 2021, an awareness campaign was launched to highlight the dangers of small, high powered magnets, in conjunction with Child Accident Prevention Trust, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. There have been several incidents involving children and young people swallowing small magnets and there is a very real risk of serious injury or worse. If a child swallows the small balls, magnets effectively burn holes in their intestines or bowels. The magnets stick together internally and through organs and tissues, and can cut off blood supply causing tissue to die. They are much more complex than button batteries to extract. The child will need emergency surgery, then, depending on the severity of the injuries, they may need numerous operations, bowel resection and time in paediatric intensive care.
Fake ‘TV Licence’ email: How to spot the fake ‘TV Licence’ email:
- Check for spelling and grammar.
- Check the sender’s email address. Real emails from TV Licensing will only come from donotreply@tvlicensing.co.uk.
TV Licensing will always address you by name as they’ll have you on record. A good way to spot a scam is that scammers will often address you with a generic term like ‘customer’. The real website address is www.tvlicensing.co.uk. Scammers do their best to replicate the link but there will always be one missing detail, whether that’s by inserting a dash or changing a spelling by one letter. If you’re unsure, contact TV Licensing directly by looking up their details separately. Do not click on any links or call any numbers contained in a suspicious email.
Scam Census texts: Beware of these scam Census text messages. These texts have been sent by criminals who have created the fake website to look similar to the genuine Census website, with the same branding, layout and font choices. The website asks you for personal information, including financial information. 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.
Holidays: Following a year of travel bans, quarantine, uncertainty and missed holidays, many of us are desperate to get away for a break, whether it’s a holiday in the sun or a weekend by the sea in the UK. You may be taking the plunge and booking right now, or waiting cautiously until the travel situation becomes clearer. Or you may be booking travel and accommodation for that face-to-face meeting you’ve yearned for every time you go on a video call. But cybercriminals are busy thinking about holidays and travel too ... not taking them but exploiting your desperation for a break, with fake websites, advertisements, emails, social media posts, texts and phone calls for holidays, flights, accommodation or pilgrimages that don’t exist. Avoid disappointment and financial losses: start by reading our expert tips on searching and booking holidays and travel safely and securely.
Top tips to ensure your holiday or travel booking is safe:
- Do thorough research on accommodation, flights, cruises, package holidays or pilgrimages advertised via private advertisements, to check they’re authentic.
- Check that accommodation really exists by finding it on Google Maps and looking for independent reviews and recommendations. If you can, call and speak to the owner/agent directly. If the number is not provided, email and request it.
- Check reviews on TripAdvisor or similar sites.
- Never pay for holidays or travel by bank transfer. If you do and it’s a fraud, you may never see your money again. Paying by credit card means more chance of getting your money back if something goes wrong.
- Make sure travel agents and tour operators you book through are members of trade associations such as ABTA or ATOL, by checking on these bodies’ websites.
- Before paying online or providing any confidential details, type in the website address you know to be correct (instead of following a link), and ensure the payment page is secure (begins with ‘https’ and has a locked padlock in the browser window frame).
- Be wary of unusually cheap holidays or high deposits.
- Check terms and conditions prior to making any payment.
- Keep confirmations and payment receipts, and check statements for irregular entries.
Be wary of unsolicited approaches claiming to be from travel firms, insurance companies or claims specialists offering to arrange a refund for a holiday or travel cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of these look very authentic, and play on your desire for a refund so that you can book another holiday.
Coeliac disease: Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) is a serious illness where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when you eat gluten. This causes damage to the lining of the gut and means the body can’t properly absorb nutrients from food. Coeliac disease is not an allergy or food intolerance. Currently the only “free-from” claim which is covered by specific legislation relates to gluten i.e. “gluten-free”, “suitable for people intolerant to gluten” or “suitable for coeliacs”. The statement “gluten-free” may only be made where the food as sold to the final consumer contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. If you are a food business, guidance for labelling your products can be found here: www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/packaging-and-labelling To find out more about coeliac disease, there is a wealth of information on Coeliac UK's website: www.coeliac.org.uk/
Festivals & events: Criminals are always on the look out to take advantage of people booking for festivals and events by setting up fake websites or social media profiles to sell tickets that are either fraudulent or don’t exist. Don’t let them ruin your festival season. Make sure you book tickets directly through official sellers who are members of the regulatory body STAR, as anything else is likely to be a scam. If you have concerns about a website or seller, Stop and Take Five. Criminals will convince you to pay by bank transfer but it’s okay to say no. Protect your money by using the secure payment method recommended by online retailers. If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, contact your bank immediately. Report all scams to Trading Standards via 0808 223 1133.
Could a criminal crack your password? With so many of us spending time online, it's more important than ever we protect our accounts. Create stronger passwords with three random words. Find out how you can stay Cyber Aware at www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware/home If a hacker gets into your email, they could:
- reset your other account passwords
- access information you have saved about yourself or your business
Your email password should be strong and different to all your other passwords. This will make it harder to crack or guess. Using 3 random words is a good way to create a strong, unique password that you will remember. You should also protect your other important accounts, such as banking or social media. Be wary of fake emails claiming you need to pay a shipping fee to retrieve your parcel. Criminals are experts at creating spoof emails that use the official logo & branding of trusted organisations to trick you into taking urgent action by clicking on links without close inspection. You can protect others from falling for this scam by forwarding scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
If you think you’ve fallen for this scam, contact your bank immediately on a number you know to be correct, such as the one on the back of your bank card. It’s easy to understand how the promise of above-average levels of returns can reel us in but more often than not, these investment opportunities don’t exist. Criminals trick you into parting with your money by making you believe that you’re investing with a genuine investment firm, even sending you documentation that may seem legitimate to persuade you further. Investing in these opportunities could lead to your money going straight into the hands of criminals. So, it’s important you Take Five. Make sure you check the FCA’s register to ensure the firm you’re dealing with is authorised, and only use the contact details listed to make any enquiries: www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart If you think you’ve fallen for an investment scam, contact your bank immediately on a number you know to be correct such as the one on the back of your debit or credit card. In the rush to bag a bargain, it’s easy to forget that fake sellers, goods and offers are commonplace on social media and auction sites. Make sure you Take Five and research online sellers and websites to check they’re authentic. Criminals often use images taken from genuine sellers to convince you they’re the real deal. If you’re asked to pay by bank transfer, this should be a red flag. Only use the secure payment method recommended by online retailers and auction sites to make your purchase.
Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Greggs recall: Greggs is recalling Vegetable Bakes (2 pack) because the product may contain small pieces of green glass. The possible presence of glass makes this product unsafe to eat. This product is exclusively sold in Iceland Stores and does not affect the products sold in Greggs.
Pack size: 310g
Best before: 15 August 2021, 28 August 2021, 11 September 2021, 12 September 2021 and 26 September 2021
If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to the Iceland store from where it was bought for a full refund. If you have any queries, please contact the customer careline on +44 080 8147 3447 or email getintouch@greggs.co.uk
Nightdress recall: Next is recalling Lipsy Nightdresses because the fabric does not meet flammability requirements.
P20-765 BLACK SLEEP SQUAD
R56-243 I WOKE UP LIKE THIS
P20-764 DRAMA QUEEN
Next are requesting that you dispose of the nightdresses immediately and contact them for a full refund on 016 968 210.