Nearly three quarters of people living in the North East have been targeted by scammers as the cost-of-living crisis bites. As Citizens Advice and the Consumer Protection Partnership launched their annual Scams Awareness campaign, it was revealed that 73% of people have been targeted by a scammer so far this year – a 14% increase compared to this time last year.
Citizens Advice Newcastle has seen a range of different cost-of-living scam tactics, from emails claiming to be from Ofgem asking for bank details to get the £400 energy rebate to claims that the Government is giving £200,000 out at random to people who are of pension age, disabled or on a low income.
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The top five most common types of cons reported in Newcastle were:
- Deliveries and courier services – 59%
- Texts or emails pretending to be from the Government or HMRC – 40%
- Offers of fake investment or financial ‘get rich quick’ schemes – 34%
- Online shopping – 30%
- Banking – 27%
Tracy Armstrong, chief officer of Citizens Advice Newcastle, said: “A shocking number of people in Newcastle have been targeted by a scammer so far this year. We know scammers prey on our worries and fears, sadly the cost-of-living crisis is no exception. Anyone can be targeted by a scam, and as the purse strings are tightened and financial pressures pile on, it’s important we work together to protect ourselves and each other.”
Citizens Advice…
