Doorstep crime & financial abuse: understanding doorstep scams better

Doorstep criminals (aka rogue traders, building and gardening scammers, cowboy builders,) cold call on dewy-eyed households offering persuasive deals to try to get you to consent to have work carried out. We know that if you assent to work from a doorstep criminal you’ll pay a lot more than you planned for very poor, wasteful and sometimes treacherous work.

Doorstep criminals none too rarely provide paperwork so they are fairly untraceable once they’ve quit your home. Names, addresses and business details are as a rule false and telephone numbers don’t get responded to. They have no stake in doing work honestly, their only goal is getting the cash and do the vanishing act long before Trading Standards or the police can apprehend them.

Shield yourself from doorstep scams

To prevent doorstep criminals from scamming you, do not forget that you must never:

•         Assent to work on your house or garden by someone who knocks at your door unsolicited
•         give money to or sign any forms for people who appear suddenly on your doorstep
•         open the door to strangers or permit uninvited callers into your home
•         allow somebody to take you to the bank to withdraw money for them.

Here is some advice for how to shield yourself against doorstep criminals.

Credible builders, gardeners and roofers do not cold call. If you require a tradesperson, you ought to visit the Trading Standards Checked website.  Never forget to get 3 quotes, do not ever pay upfront and don’t pay by cash.

The law says you have 14 days to change your mind and ask for your money back If you are buying goods from someone on your doorstep costing more than £42. This is called the ‘cooling-off period. Refrain from ever giving out your bank details or PIN and abstain from ever transferring money out of your bank account if advised to do so for ‘security reasons.

Don’t forget to keep your front and back doors secured. If you are not sure about the caller, no matter how persuasive they are, ask the caller to make an appointment to come back when a friend or family member can be with you if you are not sure about the caller.

Doorstep criminals none too rarely do return to the homes of people who have previously had poor work done, purporting to be a Police or Trading Standards Officer. They will declare arrests have been made and a court case is in progress. This is when they will insistently ask for money for all sorts of reasons.

Phone 999, If you feel afraid or threatened by a doorstep caller.

How do doorstep scams impact the vulnerable?

A National Trading Standards Doorstep Crime Project was consummated in 2014/15 and its report embraced a victim impact survey that highlighted four significant facts about health harms:  

• On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst affected, 50% plumbed the effect of the crime on them as between 6 and 10.  23% said it had impacted their health.38% said it had caused their having diminished confidence by and large.26% said it had left them depressed or let down.
•  In 2012 a Victim of Crime Survey arrived at the conclusion that 31% of victims of distraction burglary owned up that it impacted their health. The effect of burglary and scams is akin to each other owing to the shared attribute of intrusion into the home. 
• This agrees with Home Office commissioned academic research which showed that fragile adults cheated in their own home lose confidence and become more vulnerable to repeat the crime. Moreover, they are 2½ times more likely to either pass away or to go into residential care within two years relative to their non-defrauded elderly adult neighbours.
•  Ultimately, Age UK started research looking at the effect of fear of crime on the elderly. They concede that it is well nigh impossible to conclude if fear of crime is a cause of poor health or whether they are connected thru more complex two-way relationships. For instance, fear of crime may aggravate depression, but depression itself may exacerbate susceptibility to fear. 
• Nevertheless, they wind up that analysis does show that fear of crime can definitely be said to lead to poor health. scam victims are an issue for adult social care. each local authority is obligated to take steps to protect them.

Doorstep scams is financial abuse

Be alive to signs that someone you know has fallen victim to financial abuse by doorstep criminals. Anyone can be targeted, but criminals will frequently target socially abandoned people. Be alive to signs that someone you know has fallen victim to financial abuse by doorstep criminals. Anyone can be targeted, but criminals will frequently target socially abandoned people. Learn the signs of financial abuse so you can help aid your patients, customers, neighbours, or family members.

Mark  the signs of financial abuse

Doorstep scams is financial abuse and degrades lives. Criminals victimise the elderly by winning their trust and persuading them that urgent and usually wasteful work must to be carried out. Large amounts of money are then bilked from the victim.

How to mark the signs

Financial abuse is a heinous crime. You must resolve to report financial abuse before the victim loses large sums of money.

What is financial abuse?

To understand still more about what financial abuse is, here are some recent instances:

•         An elderly person was persuaded to submit his entire pension for subpar roofing work. The criminals then impersonated Trading Standards officers, making away with another £10,000 in the pretence the money was for a court fee.
•         A learning difficulties encumbered adult couple were persuaded to pay £22,000 for a subpar laid artificial lawn and roofing work which was stayed incomplete.
•         A deaf person was left fearful to leave their home after doorstep criminals convinced them into paying £3,000 for wasteful roofing work.

The signs and the potential for preparedness

Be vigilant as to signs that someone you know has fallen victim to financial abuse. Anyone can be  targetted, but criminals will frequently target socially abandoned people.. Learn the signs of financial abuse so you can help shield the vulnerable.

Has the person:

• Called upon the bank or cash machine somewhat frequently, or made any substantial online transfers?
• Had work done on their property or garden that wasn’t foreseen?
• Been under duress so that additional work that was also expensive was ‘done?
• Not been offered a detailed receipt for the work done?
• Understood precisely what work is being done?
• Began acting distracted /troubled?

Has the trader:

• Made contact by cold-calling the victim?
• Did not provide a ‘right of cancellation’ notice?
• Returned to the property now and then to do other work or drop off other workers?
• Demurred from speaking to anyone other than the potential victim?
• Completed work to subpar or left the work incomplete?
• Insisted on being paid in cash or a cheque made out to a name other than his own?

Conclusion 

Please resolve to work assist the police in protecting people from doorstep scams and financial abuse. If you have worries about a neighbour, family member, friend, patient, client or someone you visit, kindly report it:

•         call 999 to report a crime in progress,.
•         call the police on 101 to report a crime that has taken place,.
•         For sound advice contact Citizen’s Advice consumer helpline.

Any delay can precipitate more loss, criminals will insist on  cash, which is more difficult to trace and refund.

 Should you be in need of assistance, however, Fast Action Refund would gladly help.