Trading Standards Alert: Scam mailings

Kent Trading Standards are warning of a scam mail being sent out telling people that they have won a substantial amount of money and that all they have to do is to order an item from a brochure enclosed with mailing. They are then promised that the cheque will be in the post. They won't. THIS IS A SCAM.

Every year thousands of adults respond to scam mailing, half of these have lost more than £50 in total, others have lost more than £5 000. Kent Trading Standards have found that many of the people who have replied to these mailings are then contacted again by the criminals and are asked for even more money and/or personal information.

Each year over £3 billion is lost to scammers, it is a growing concern.

Kent Trading Standards have warned people not to reply to these mailings and are asking that anyone who has responded, or has been tempted to respond to this sort of scam mail, contact Trading Standards through Consumer Direct 08454 040506. They also ask that offending mailings and envelopes in which they were sent, particularly with a UK connection, are sent to them at: Advice and education, PO Box 71, Ashford, TN24 8WB