Aberdeenshire Council’s Trading Standards Service today issued its latest warning about scams.

Instances of doorstep calling in Aberdeenshire continues to occur with latest reports suggesting that services relating to driveway work are currently being offered. Residents should be cautious about accepting such offers and consider discussing with friends and family.

When faced with such a situation it’s best to politely but firmly decline the offer. Do not promise to consider the offer and do not part with any money (cash, cheque or otherwise), even in part-payment. Should work be needed on your driveway, use contractors recommended by friends or family, or from a trusted source of information.

Concerns about doorstep callers should be reported to Trading Standards or Police Scotland. When reporting doorstep crime or concerns about doorstep callers, try to remember key details about the trader such as business names, addresses, names, age, accents, descriptions, vehicle type, registrations and signage. Keep all original paperwork, leaflets and brochures.

• A resident received an unsolicited call purporting to be from their bank highlighting unusual transactions on their account. The resident was asked to confirm their bank details to prevent further fraudulent activity but these were instead used by the scammer in an attempt to remove money from the account.

• TV Licensing scams remain prevalent with residents reporting receipt of various unsolicited emails and telephone calls advising of overdue payments or that their license has expired. Both involve a request for bank details to resolve the matter and these are obtained either by following a link included in the email or during the phone conversation.

• Amazon scams continue to target residents through unsolicited phone calls. Scams associated with Prime Membership or vouchers are the most common. Whether received by email or phone call, scammers portray an element of extreme urgency that encourages the recipient to act NOW. This is a common tactic used by scammers to panic a victim into acting without thinking and clearly used in the instances noted above.

If you are unsure about the source of an email you have received, the information the sender is asking for, what they are asking you to do or the link contained in it, DO NOT reply to it as this may result in the scammer continuing to target you with emails; don’t click on any links in the e-mail and report the scam to Consumer Advice Scotland.

• It has been widely reported in the press that scammers are cold calling residents in Scotland purporting to be from NHS Test and Protect. The caller advises the recipient that they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive with Covid-19 and they will need to issue a testing kit to their home but will need bank details in order to do so. Residents are reminded that NHS testing for Covid-19 is free and anyone who requires or requests one will not need to provide bank details to obtain one. https://www.tsscot.co.uk/contact-tracing-scams/

Contact

For urgent Trading Standards matters, contact Aberdeenshire Council’s Trading Standards at 01467 537222. For non-urgent enquiries, please contact Consumer Advice Scotland at https://www.consumeradvice.scot/ or on 0808 164 600. Contact Police Scotland on 999 if you need urgent assistance or 101 for non-urgent matters.