Exploitation: Scams

1. What is a Scam?

Scams come in many forms, but all are designed to separate the victim from their money.

The following are a few examples:

Doorstep scams

Bogus callers, rogue traders and unscrupulous sales people who call, often uninvited, at victim's homes under the guise of a legitimate business or trade.
Telephone scams Calls from someone pretending to be from a bank, security or investment firm. Either offering to provide a service or fix a problem for a fee or by getting the victim to transfer money to a 'safe' account.
Internet scams Bogus websites or emails, which over time have become increasingly sophisticated and realistic in their appearance. Often malware is downloaded which can be used to access personal details, including bank details.
Postal scams Mass produced letters made to look like personal letters or important documents.
Romance scams Using social media and online dating sites, scammers befriend victims and gain their trust before asking for money, normally assuring they will pay it back.
Mate Crime See Mate Crime Procedure

2. Scams as Financial Abuse

Under S42 of the Care Act financial abuse includes:

  • Having money or other property stolen;
  • Being defrauded;
  • Being put under pressure in relation to money or other property; and
  • Having money or other property misused.

All types of scam are therefore financial abuse when the safeguarding duty applies:

  1. The adult has  needs for Care and Support (whether these have been assessed or are being met by the local authority or not);
  2. They are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect; and
  3. As a result of Care and Support needs they are unable to protect themselves against the abuse or neglect.

Scams are also a criminal offence under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006. As such, the police should be involved in any enquiries.

Where the safeguarding duty does not apply, the scam should be reported to Action Fraud, so that appropriate action can be taken to reduce the risk to the adult and wider public.

Online reporting: www.actionfraud.police.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 2040

3. Identifying Scam Victims

Identifying scam victims can be difficult as they:

  1. May be unaware of their victim status;
  2. May have been instructed to remain quiet by the criminals;
  3. May feel guilt, shame or are in denial;
  4. May fear that they will lose their social or financial independence if they tell friends or family;
  5. Don't want to lose their 'friendship' with the criminals.

There are some key signs to look out for by observing an adult's behaviour or when visiting their home:

  1. A high volume of scam mail;
  2. Hoarding of large quantities of 'worthless' goods;
  3. Signs of self-neglect;
  4. High usage of chequebooks;
  5. Frequent visits to the Post Office or bank;
  6. Not paying bills or buying food;
  7. Increasing isolation from friends / family;
  8. No support from family / friends or anyone to confide in;
  9. Receives a high volume of phone calls;
  10. Becoming extremely distressed, angry or aggressive when talking about scams;
  11. In denial, ashamed or embarrassed when talking about scams;
  12. After a period of grooming, have strong emotional ties with the scammer.

4. Trading Standards and the Scam Team

If it appears that an adult is being targeted by scams, advice should always be sought from Trading Standards and the Scam Team.

They have well established mechanisms for providing adequate support to break the cycle of victimisation. This will either be through themselves or via established partnerships with other organisations.

5. Building Resilience against future Risk of Scams

The following are all steps that the adult should be supported to understand and take in order to build resilience and reduce the risk of future scams:

  1. Avoid unexpected contact. This includes ignoring phone calls, letters, emails or people knocking on the door;
  2. Never give out personal information;
  3. Keep operating system and virus protection software up-to-date. This includes mobile devices as well;
  4. Make sure all online accounts have a strong password. Don't use the same password for multiple accounts and change them regularly;
  5. Don't make any advanced payments until you are sure the company is legitimate;
  6. Use safe and secure WiFi connections and avoid public WiFi;
  7. Make sure any websites are secure. Check to see if the web address starts with HTTPS, not just HTTP;
  8. Sign-up for a call blocking service like the Telephone Preference Service. This might not stop all scam calls as they operate outside the legal guidelines, but it will stop cold-callers.