Gardening fraud: A landscape gardener has pleaded guilty to a string of offences, including defrauding his victims out of thousands of pounds, after Suffolk Trading Standards pursued a conviction against him. Darren Moore, 42, of Old Warren Farm, Wimbledon, traded as Darren Moore Garden Landscaping & DIY and operated across Suffolk. He first came to the attention of Trading Standards after a consumer complained of his poor work in April 2022. An investigation was subsequently launched into Moore, during which statements were taken from eight witnesses who alleged that he had acted dishonestly by taking payment for his services but failing to complete the work. Collectively the witnesses paid over £10,800 to Moore, £2,900 of which was refunded to three of the customers, leaving the rest out of pocket by almost £8,000. Concerns were also raised about the quality of work carried out by Moore, with an independent chartered surveyor concluding that these “fell well below an acceptable standard” and that “the amount paid by consumers for his work was completely excessive”. In addition, Suffolk Trading Standards uncovered that Moore had failed to return all monies owed to creditors and acted dishonestly in his communications with customers. At a hearing at Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday, 22 May Darren Moore pleaded guilty to carrying out garden landscaping work for a fraudulent purpose, contrary to Section 9 of the Fraud Act 2006, and will be sentenced in July. Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said: “The actions of Darren Moore have caused financial loss and significant distress to his victims who placed their trust and good faith in him only to be let down and fed a web of lies about why he was unable to carry out the agreed work. Despite making almost £8,000 in ill-gotten gains from defrauding innocent people, Moore has not co-operated with our investigation leaving us with no choice but to seek a conviction due to the severity of his crimes. We are very grateful to the wronged consumers who brought his despicable behaviour to light; their bravery has stopped other people in Suffolk from suffering a similar fate at the hands of Moore and will see justice served.” Councillor Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for Public Health and Public Protection, added: “I welcome yesterday’s outcome, which reflects the continued work of our Trading Standards team to help protect customers who are on the receiving end of unsatisfactory services or products. We are fortunate to have many legitimate traders in our county who don’t deserve to lose out on business to crooks such as Moore; and I hope that him reaping what he sows following his guilty plea will ensure a fairer playing field for Suffolk’s gardening industry. Consumers can also fight back against fraudulent traders by carrying out their research and reading trusted reviews before paying for any services.” Anyone who believes they may have been the victim of a fraudulent or substandard trader should contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Cold callers: We are receiving reports of traders visiting properties in and around Felixstowe offering to carry out block paving on driveways. The individuals (two men) are wearing hi-vis coats, claiming to be working on a neighbour’s property. One resident described them as very pushy. Our advice is to never deal with traders on your doorstep. Do your research before agreeing to have any work carried out. Don't be fooled by sign printed vans, glossy leaflets and a website. While it might be tempting to agree to low prices being offered on the doorstep, think twice. Our advice is:
- never agree to have any work done as a result of a cold call, and don't be pressurised into having the job done immediately
- if you think work needs doing to your home, get quotes from 2 or 3 traders
- ask for the full name and address from a trader before considering dealing with them, and never rely solely on a mobile phone number
- ask for a written quotation detailing all the proposed work and a final price for the job BEFORE the work is started
- only pay once the work is completed to your satisfaction, don't pay up front for materials, don't pay cash
If you have any information, or if you have been approached by doorstep callers, please contact us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Car sellers duped: A Suffolk resident has been duped by fraudsters who purchased their car for £9,000 under the asking price. The resident advertised the car for sale on Autotrader for £13,000 and was contacted by a potential buyer. A viewing of the vehicle was arranged with two men arriving to examine the car. The seller took the men to test drive the vehicle, when suddenly the engine appeared to be smoking. The buyers insisted that they would still buy the car, but at a reduced price due to the engine failure. Under much pressure the seller agreed to accept £4,000. The scam, which has been reported across the Country, sees con-artists secretly pour oil into the coolant reservoir of the vehicle for sale, and then offer a cut-price because they falsely claim the vehicle has a major fault. The scammers often arrive to view the car in pairs or threes and will try and distract the seller — one may ask to look at the engine whilst the other wants to see the spare tyre in the boot. When the car is taken for a test drive, the engine may smoke or make loud noises, which will prompt the scammers to ask for a cut-price deal. In March fraudsters approached a seller of a vehicle in Felixstowe and attempted the same method of distraction. The seller in that case refused the offer to buy at the reduced price, confident that the fault could be easily rectified.
Beware of rogue buyers:
Stay with the buyers - don’t leave them alone with the car or allow yourself to be distracted at the rear of the vehicle whilst someone is looking at the engine
Be aware of suspicious behaviour - scammers will often request an enormous discount due to the ‘fault’ with the vehicle
Be confident to refuse the sale - if you are doubtful about how genuine the buyer is, or you believe that something suspicious is going on, don’t hand over the keys.
Anyone who knows who was responsible or has also experienced a similar incident should contact Suffolk police.
Knockers: We’ve had reports that doorstep callers known as "Nottingham Knockers" or "duster sellers" have been calling at properties in Ufford and Martlesham Heath. They may still be in the area, or could have moved on elsewhere in the County. These individuals are claiming to have been in the army and have left due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The individuals go on to then try and 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. The individuals work in groups across the country pretending to be working on behalf of a charity, to support their family, or that they are ex-offenders working as part of a rehabilitation scheme. 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.
Lookout for scams: It’s important to always keep an eye out for scams.
They can and do affect anyone. Something might be a scam if:
It seems too good to be true – like an email saying you’ve won a competition you don’t remember entering
Someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly
You’re being urged to respond or pay quickly
You’ve been asked to pay for something urgently or in an unusual way – for example by bank transfer or gift vouchers
You’ve been asked to give away personal information
How to protect yourself from scams
If you’re not sure about something, get advice from a trusted source.
Don’t be rushed into making any quick decisions. It’s okay to take your time
Never give money or personal details, like passwords or bank details, to anyone you don’t know or have only met online
Pay by debit or credit card. This gives you extra protection if things go wrong
Be suspicious. Scammers can be very smart. They can appear like a trusted business or government official, have a professional website and say all the right things
Keep your online accounts secure. Use a strong password for email accounts that you don’t use anywhere else
There is more information on how to protect yourself from scams on the Citizens Advice website. www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scamsadvice
Friends Against Scams also have advice on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams. www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk
Bluebell baby monitors: If you have a Bluebell baby monitor you need to take action. Bluebell has ceased trading. Its website and any associated applications for its products will cease to operate in the forthcoming days. The app for their baby monitor is no longer supported. This means that there is a potential risk of the child not being monitored correctly. You can still continue using your camera on a separate app called "Tuya Smart app". If you purchased your Bluebell product from a retailer, please contact them for more information on any potential refund policy. If you purchased using a credit card, please contact your credit card provider.