Fighting against Scam Mail

Havering Council is taking part in a campaign to raise awareness of mass marketed scams.

Scams can take the form of bogus and fraudulent offers sent by post, telephone or email. They try to persuade people to part with their cash on false promises of holidays or luxury items.
Although anyone can fall for a scam, the elderly and vulnerable are more likely to be targeted.
In the past year 112 residents have contacted the Council about possible scams. These include:

• 60 of these were about burglar alarms. Consumers were called and informed that they could have a burglar alarm fitted for £1 but the caller omitted to mention that maintaining the system could cost up to £4000 per year. Some of the traders purported to be working with the Council and/or the police.
• 16 calls were about prize draws.
• 10 people bought concert tickets that never arrived.
• Six people were called and told they had been chosen to have a reduction in Council tax.

Havering's 'Scamnesty' campaign, run jointly with the Office of Fair Trading, takes place during February.
The Council is calling on residents to fight back against the fraudsters by collecting any scam mailings they receive and dropping them into designated Scamnesty bins. Council officers will examine the contents of the bins and take the appropriate action.
The bins will be located at the following venues in February:

• Romford Public Advice and Service Centre (PASC) – Liberty Shopping Centre
• Romford Central Library – St Edward's Way
• Hornchurch Library – North Street
• South Hornchurch Library – Rainham Road
• Sainsbury's Harold Hill – Farnham Road