FRAUD is increasingly becoming a part of daily life but Essex Police is working hard to make sure people are protected from scams as much as possible.
They have three fraud prevention co-ordinators working across Essex whose aim is to prevent frauds from happening by educating people and raising their awareness – if you are ‘fraud savvy’ you are less likely to become a victim.
And they also help to safeguard vulnerable victims who may be susceptible to further attempts to trick them out of money or personal information.
Tammy Blest says: “It is surprisingly easy to fall victim to even simple frauds because we are so busy in our daily lives. If we don’t stop to read or listen to something properly and look out for the signs to tell us whether something is genuine or not then it is far more likely that we will be tricked out of parting with our hard-earned cash or giving away valuable personal information.
“So we urge everyone to Take Five to stop fraud – that’s five minutes to think about whether the request is genuine or to consult a family member or friend. It’s OK to say no and only a criminal will try to rush or panic you.”
Tammy and her two fellow fraud prevention co-ordinators are each responsible for a group of districts across the county.
- North: Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, Tendring and Uttlesford: Tammy Blest
- South: Basildon, Castle Point, Rochford and Southend: Nikki Godfrey-Shaw
- West: Brentwood,…
