Scam Awareness Fortnight is an annual campaign by Citizens Advice, in partnership with the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP), which takes place from 13th to 26th June 2022. The mission is to help society become #ScamAware. In essence, this means teaching people to spot a scam, how to take action against scams, and motivating people to share their scam experiences. Sadly, the amount of people being scammed is on the rise and the consequences can be extremely harmful. It is critical that we raise awareness of scams, especially in light of the current cost of living crisis making people more vulnerable, which is the focus of this year’s campaign.
At CEL Solicitors we help victims of fraud and scams to claim back their money. We understand the importance of educating the community on current scams, as well as the need to minimise the number of victims across the country. There are so many types of scams that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to spot them. Some key, telltale signs of a scam are:
- If you have been contacted by someone who you do not know
- If there has been a request to share personal information
- If there has been a request to transfer money and/or an offer that sounds too good to be true.
Many scam victims feel too ashamed to share their experiences, believing that it is their fault for falling for the scam, though this is not the case. Due to the complexity of scams, it is becoming harder and harder to avoid them. It is not something that anyone should be ashamed of and it is something we need to encourage people to talk about. Sharing these experiences can not only make the victim feel better but also help them discover ways to recover lost money and help prevent others from getting scammed.
This campaign aims to inform people that they can and should act if they think they have been scammed. It also aims to highlight just how a victim of a scam can get their money back, as it is often unclear. Reporting is vital because if we can find and stop the scammer then we can prevent others from suffering the same fate. If you have been scammed, you can report it to Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 or to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Additionally, there are other routes you can go down to try and get your money back. Your bank should be notified as soon as possible as they can often help you to recover your lost funds. If your bank is unable to help, or they cannot return the full amount lost to you, then you should contact solicitors who specialise in these types of claims. Here at CEL Solicitors, we have a dedicated fraud team who have a 95% success rate on accepted cases. We have recovered millions of pounds for our clients.
There are many ways that you can participate in this campaign, from simply sharing the campaign using the hashtag #ScamAware on social media, to working with your local community to raise awareness of current scams. Any contribution to this awareness fortnight could be crucial in helping someone else avoid being scammed.
If you would like to learn more about Scam Awareness Fortnight please visit Citizens Advice.
