Hot off the Press! Details of scams reported to Bromley Trading Standards
this week:
Scam 1 - Residents are reporting receiving telephone calls from a company
claiming to be working with Bromley Council and offering to assist with previous
accidents claims. One 90 year old resident received repeated calls from the
company, calling themselves Accident Investigation Service, telling him he had
been awarded £3,000 in compensation for an accident in the B orough but he would
have to pay £200 in cash in order to claim it.
Scam 2 - A resident has been scammed into paying thousands of pounds for
bogus property repairs. The consumer, an older female, was cold called by two
men claiming to working on the property next door and who told her there were
significant damp problems in the loft. She was asked to pay several thousand
pounds for the hire of essential equipment in order that emergency repairs could
be conducted. She was later told the work was no longer necessary and she would
be refunded but in order to do so a further payment would be required for
financial regulations. Trading Standards w as alerted to the incident when the
resident went to her bank to make further cash withdrawals.
Scam 3 - A tree company has door knocked on the door of an 80 year old ma n
in Petts Wood and persuaded him to part with money for gardening work. An
initial payment of £400 was made and the gang was due to return the following
day to collect a further £1,100. The family of the resident alerted Trading
Standards who attended and confronted the gang, who then ran off. They were
driving a lorry with the words “Local Tree Services”.
Trading Standards reminds residents to:
* be suspicious
* never deal on the doorstep
* never be pressured into making quick decisions
* never give personal or bank details top anyone
Call the Trading Standards rapid response number, 07903 852090 if you have
any concerns or you want to report suspicious activity in your area.
Kind regards,
Bromley Neighbourhood Watch Association
Find us on the Web
at: www.bnwa.co.uk
