Victims of rogue traders and scam mailers in Salford have spoken out to stop others getting conned.
And they are warning people not to give work to doorstep traders or respond to prize mail letters.
Beryl, 65, from Broughton was targeted by heartless scammers after ending up on a national ‘victims list’. She was plagued by letters and phone calls which claimed she had to pay money to be entered into prize draws to win big cash prizes.
Beryl said: “Now I know I am being conned I don’t reply, but I still receive phone calls and about 10 scam letters each day.
“I was annoyed when I first found out I was being ripped off and thought about all the money I’d wasted. But now I’m not wasting it entering prize competitions, I’ve managed to save up and just had my first holiday to the seaside for years. I loved it.”
Salford Trading Standards intervened after they were made aware Beryl was being targeted by the National Scams Team. They identified almost 80 people who have been targeted in Salford.
And George from Swinton was tricked out of £3,500 when cowboy roofers knocked on his front door and said his roof was leaking.
George said: “They said it would cost very little to fix so I agreed to the work, but it quickly escalated to £3,500. After I gave them cash they wanted another £4,000.
“I felt like a mug and annoyed that it happened to me – and now I don’t want others to fall for the same tricks.”
The dodgy roofers eventually left George with no roof until another builder offered to repair it for free.
Trading Standards have now hit the streets to target doorstep traders. They are checking they are genuine workers with relevant insurance and documentation as part of a national crackdown codenamed Operation Liberal.
Frontline staff are also being given awareness raising sessions about signs to look for when they are dealing with the public.
Councillor Gena Merrett, Executive Lead for Housing and Environment at Salford City Council, said: “Rogue traders and scam mailers are parasites who prey on the most vulnerable in our communities.
“Do not enter into negotiation with doorstep traders or respond to mail saying you have the opportunity to win a prize.
“I’d also appeal for people to look out for their neighbours and relatives. We can only stamp out these type of incidents by looking out for each other.”
Victims are being encouraged to report incidents and not be embarrassed. For further information, advice and support you can contact:
