News

14 Feb 06

Scams Awareness Month - how to protect yourself

February 2006 is Scams Awareness Month. This is being organised by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

For details of the latest types of scam, and how to avoid them visit the OFT website link will open in new window .

The campaign will consist of:

nationwide radio advertising, features and competitions \n
web advertising and online quizzes \n
distribution of over half a million leaflets on how to spot a scam \n
a step-by-step guide on protecting yourself from scams \n
first results from the OFT research project into prevalence of scams
an international internet sweep to identify 'traps online'.

UK consumers lose an estimated £1 billion per year to such scams - the aim of the campaign is to reduce this figure and raise consumer awareness.

Vicky Gunther