RESIDENTS ARE being warned not to make payments to cold callers claiming to be from Croydon council’s trading standards team – and acting on behalf of businesses.
A Croydon council spokesman said: “There have been reports of incidents that have seen residents contacted by bogus trading standards claiming that the resident is entitled to compensation from a business that has done work for them.
“To initiate a compensation ‘claim’ the resident is asked to either hand over money or make a payment. “They are then given instructions on how to do this” he added.
Cllr Simon Hoar, cabinet member for community safety, said: “Residents should know that trading standards officers will never ask them for money.
“If someone calls at your home – either in person or over the phone – claiming to be from trading standards, you should ask for their full name, telephone number and the address of their office.
“Tell them to write to you but do not give them any personal information, such as bank account details, phone number, date of birth or full name.
“You should then contact the trading standards team, on 020 8726 6000, to check whether the caller was genuine.
“And if you’re able to give them any information at all about the caller – description, what he was wearing, if he had an accent – that would help enormously.”
Residents are advised to take extra caution when dealing with unknown callers and follow the official advice below.
Make sure your door is locked and don’t unlock it until you are certain of the identity of the caller.
Only open the door if you have first put on the door chain or bar. Keep the bar or chain on while you are talking – and, if you don’t have a door chain or bar, do not open the door but speak to the person through the letter box.
Ask for, and double check, their identity card. Shut the door and ring the company that they claim to be from. Don’t use the number on their card. Instead, find the company’s number in the phone book.
Tell the caller to write to you but do not give them bank details, a telephone number or any other personal information.
“To initiate a compensation ‘claim’ the resident is asked to either hand over money or make a payment. “They are then given instructions on how to do this” he added.
Cllr Simon Hoar, cabinet member for community safety, said: “Residents should know that trading standards officers will never ask them for money.
“If someone calls at your home – either in person or over the phone – claiming to be from trading standards, you should ask for their full name, telephone number and the address of their office.
“Tell them to write to you but do not give them any personal information, such as bank account details, phone number, date of birth or full name.
“You should then contact the trading standards team, on 020 8726 6000, to check whether the caller was genuine.
“And if you’re able to give them any information at all about the caller – description, what he was wearing, if he had an accent – that would help enormously.”
Residents are advised to take extra caution when dealing with unknown callers and follow the official advice below.
Make sure your door is locked and don’t unlock it until you are certain of the identity of the caller.
Only open the door if you have first put on the door chain or bar. Keep the bar or chain on while you are talking – and, if you don’t have a door chain or bar, do not open the door but speak to the person through the letter box.
Ask for, and double check, their identity card. Shut the door and ring the company that they claim to be from. Don’t use the number on their card. Instead, find the company’s number in the phone book.
Tell the caller to write to you but do not give them bank details, a telephone number or any other personal information.
