Salford City Council is urging people to spread the word about scams and expose the tactics of fraudsters to protect others.
The council’s Trading Standards team is supporting scam awareness month and want to help stop people falling prey to scams by following a three-step rule – get advice, report it and tell others about it.
It comes as national research by Citizens Advice finds scammers are using a variety of tactics to get people to part with their cash, with people losing an average of £2,500 across all types of scam.
Scam methods include vishing whereby scammers cold-call people in a bid to get their bank details, and offers of fake services, such as telling people their computer has a virus which they can fix remotely.
Investment scams carried the highest price tag, with people investing in fake diamonds or bogus stocks and shares losing of on average £20,000 each.
Councillor David Lancaster, Lead Member for Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council, said: “Scammers are parasites who prey on the most vulnerable in our society and steal cash from them.
“Most scams come from people being contacted out of the blue, so if someone phones, emails, knocks on your door or sends a letter that you are not expecting be very suspicious. You do not need to act instantly so resist any pressure to make a decision immediately and speak to other people before taking action.
“Always remember the golden rule – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
