Mayor warns of rising risk of scams

She said: “Scams are a growing concern and can have an impact upon the whole community.

“Criminals use lies and deceit to fool you into parting with your cash and as scams are getting more sophisticated and difficult to spot, it’s important to know what to look for.”

The ScamwiseNI Partnership can help with this. They exist to raise an awareness of the very real risk of scams and educate the public on how to become more scam-wise. They advise that one of the best way to fight scammers is to take steps to prevent being caught out in the first place using a simple four-step scam test: you’re being scammed if something Seems too good to be true; you’re Contacted out of the blue; you’re Asked for personal details and Money is requested.

Mayor Councillor Maureen Morrow said: “Don’t assume an email or phone call is authentic. Just because someone knows your basic details it doesn’t mean they are genuine. Be mindful of who you trust – criminals may try and trick you by telling you that you’ve been a victim of fraud or they are trying to protect you from prosecution. Criminals can also make any telephone number appear on your phone handset so even if you recognise it or it seems authentic, do not use it as verification they are genuine.

“Remember, if you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

All scams should be reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) or alternatively contact Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040.

For more information visit: www.nidirect.gov.uk/campaigns/scamwiseni