If you receive dodgy offers through the post, you can help the authorities by taking part in the nationwide ‘Scamnesty’ campaign which is launched today by the Office of Fair Trading.
Scams cost the UK an estimated £3.5 billion a year.
As part of Scams Awareness Month the OFT, in partnership with over 50 local authority Trading Standards Services, is asking members of the public to collect any potential scam mailings they have recently received and drop them into designated ‘Scamnesty’ bins or boxes at local libraries and other public areas across the country. The designated bins are being promoted locally by Trading Standards Services with the theme ‘Drop in and drop them in it’.
Every year an estimated three million people fall victim to mass marketed scams such as bogus lotteries, deceptive prize draws and sweepstakes, fake psychics, get-rich-quick schemes and miracle health cures. Many of these scams are sent through the post, as well as by email or over the phone, and target the elderly and vulnerable.
However, OFT research suggests that less than 5% of victims report the scam to the authorities.
The Scamnesty campaign continues until 27th February.
For more information you can go to http://www.oft.gov.uk
Or if you think you have been the victim of a scam, or you suspect a scam, call Consumer Direct for clear, practical consumer advice on 08454 04 05 06 or http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.
My father has recently been scamed out of about 50-55thousand dollars.I have to stop all this junk mail(sweepstakes winnings,lottery winnings,etc.) being mailed to him. His box is filled to the limit everyday. How can I stop this.
Please complement quickly,
Thanks,Gail
The only way to stop spam mail is to get a new email address and close the old one.
It is always a good idea to maintain two or three internet identities, and give a false email address if you don’t think a site can be trusted with it.
Update your passwords regularly and change email addresses or create one for serious use and one for more public use that you dont mind closing down if it does get too much spam.
You can also use an email provider that has good spam filters to keep this inevitable problem down to a minimum.