Energy Bills scams: Scammers continue to exploit the Energy Bills Support Scheme by sending texts claiming to offer help with discounted bills. The link in the text sends you to a fake website that will harvest your personal information, including your bank details. Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to 7726 (it's free of charge).
iPhone or iPad: How to forward a text message:
1 - Take a note of the number that sent you the message.
2 - Press and hold on the message bubble.
3 - Tap More.
4 - Select the message or messages you want to forward.
5 - Tap the arrow on the bottom right of your screen.
6 - Input 7726 and send.
Android: How to forward a text message:
1 - Take a note of the number that sent you the message.
2 - Enter the conversation then press and hold on the message bubble.
3 - Tap on the three vertical dots on the top right of your screen.
4 - Tap Forward.
5 - Input 7726 and send.
If 7726 doesn’t work, you can find out how to report a text message by contacting your phone provider. You can also take a screenshot or screen recording of the text message and send it to the National Cyber Security Centre at report@phishing.gov.uk. Reporting a suspicious text is free and only takes a minute. By reporting, you can reduce the amount of scam texts you receive, make yourself a harder target for scammers and protect others from cyber-crime online.
Firework safety: If you are planning a firework party this weekend, please make sure everyone is safe! With firework rockets able to reach speeds of 150 miles per hour and heights of 200 metres, they must be treated with the utmost respect! ONLY buy fireworks from reputable retailers, and ensure they have the CE or UKCA mark. Read all the safety warnings on the firework box so you know important information like how far away people should stand from the firework. Many fireworks require spectators to be 25 metres away, so make sure your garden is big enough! Let neighbours know in advance when you are planning to let off fireworks. Adhere to the fireworks curfew (the curfew is midnight on Fireworks Night, 1am on Diwali, New Year’s Eve and Chinese New Year, and 11pm the rest of the year). If you're having a bonfire keep the area around it clear, tell your neighbours and have water or a hose ready. Remember, fireworks are not for everyone. If you are planning on using fireworks at home, please think of pets and livestock that find them extremely distressing. Let your neighbours know when you plan to let the fireworks off so that they can safeguard their animals. If you live close to livestock or horses, make sure you site your fireworks well away from them and aim them in the opposite direction. Remove all the remnants and debris of fireworks to ensure they don’t pose a risk to pets, livestock and wildlife. If you own a pet or another animal, here are some tips that might help:
- Walk dogs before it gets dark.
- Keep dogs and cats inside when fireworks are likely to be set off, and provide them somewhere safe to hide.
- Close windows and curtains.
- Give small pets who live outdoors lots of extra bedding and nesting material to burrow in.
- Keep livestock housed at times when fireworks are likely to be set off locally and remove any firework debris from grazing pasture before letting them out.
- Horses may be better turned out in a field than stabled, as in a stable they may feel enclosed and unable to move. Owners should consult a qualified equine behaviourist if they have significant concerns about their horse’s response to fireworks.
Black Friday: Black Friday is coming and some retailers have already started releasing their deals early. Everyone wants the deal of a lifetime on Black Friday, including potential scammers - to them, an unwitting shopper is the perfect present. To help you navigate the online Black Friday sales and avoid becoming easy prey, we’ve got some tips to bear in mind. Buy from traders you know and trust - When it comes to shopping online, it's always safest to stick to familiar shops and brands that you know you can trust.
Don't trust blindly - Of course, even though these are trusted retailers, we're not advising you to trust blindly that they're giving you the best deal. According to an investigation by Which? almost half of the products in 2015's Black Friday sales had actually been cheaper in months before or after Black Friday. Do some digging - There are some stores online that aren’t mainstream brands but are still trustworthy places to shop. If you feel you must shop with an unknown trader, make sure you research them first. Usually, the best thing to do is look for reviews of the website and a reliable way to contact the site owner that isn’t just email in the event your delivery goes wrong. The most obvious things to look out for that signal a scam website are, firstly, website quality and copy/editorial quality.
Pay securely - No matter where you’re shopping, always use a secure form of payment. This means opt for a credit card, a debit card, or even PayPal over any direct money transfers. Credit card is probably the most secure option in terms of shopper rights as you can dispute charges made if your item never arrives or dispute any suspicious charges generally.
Don't click on strange links - It doesn’t matter whether you’re on your laptop or on your phone or whether the link appears in your email inbox or pops up on your Facebook News Feed, don’t click any strange or unfamiliar ad links.
Update your antivirus software - Make sure your antivirus and phone software is up to date so that you don’t fall victim to any kind of malware is lying in wait.
Know your consumer rights - Check the retailers return policy, but also ensure you are fully aware of what your consumer rights are should anything go wrong - www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/consumer-rights-act-aKJYx8n5KiSl
If you need advice, to report a scam or an unsafe product, contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Fraud: Fraud is now the most likely type of crime to affect all of us, after overtaking theft. Young people are increasingly the major victims of fraud. Fraudsters’ tactics can be highly sophisticated and even the financially aware can easily be duped. Victims don’t only lose their money. They can lose their family’s savings, their businesses, their trust in other people, and can impact on their mental health. One of the most important enablers of fraud are money mules. This is where you let someone else use your bank account to send criminal money. Fraudsters and other criminals will use lots of mule accounts to make it harder for banks and police to track them down. Most mules enabling these crimes are young. Around 6 in 10 mules are under the age of 30. They can be recruited online and in person. By using mules, criminals try to ensure that the consequences hit the mule, instead of them. This is financial exploitation – both of the mule and of the original victim. But mules usually get recruited because they get a cut of the stolen money. This means they are involved in money laundering. This is a serious criminal offence, with a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison for the worst offenders.
What should you do?
1. Ask a friend or an adult you trust first - If someone wants to “borrow” your bank account or transfer money, saying its easy money, ask someone you trust to have your best interests at heart before you get involved. This could be a friend or it could be an adult like a teacher or a trusted member of a community you’re in.
2. Report mule recruiters - If you think you know someone is recruiting mules, you can protect victims by reporting them. Call local police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. If you prefer not to give your details to the police, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously online or by calling 0800 555 111. If it’s online content, click the button to report it to the social media companies to get it taken down. Social media companies also want to get bad actors off of their platforms.
3. Report it if you’re a victim of fraud - Report all incidents of fraud to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, via their website or contact 0300 123 2040. In an emergency call 999.
4. If you think someone is already involved, go to the NCA website for advice - If you want to help someone you think is already involved in this type of crime, go to the NCA website. We want to help protect young people from getting drawn into this type of criminal activity and get out of it safely.
5. Boost your online security - Make it harder for criminals to steal your identity and open bank accounts in your name by doing a few simple things recommended by the National Cyber Security Centre.
Allergies: It is just over a year since Natasha's Law came into force in October 2021 requiring full labelling of ingredients on all prepacked food. All food presented to consumers face to face, in packaging, before they select or order it, and which is packed on the same premises from which it is offered (including a mobile site if packed by the same business) is caught by the new allergen labelling law relating to pre-packed for direct sale food. For example, bakery products which are packed at the food businesses’ premises and then sold from the premises, on a mobile sandwich van or at a food fayre. The food must be labelled with the name of the food and a list of ingredients, with any of the 14 main allergens emphasised if these are present in the food. The Food Standards Agency has produced a useful toolkit in relation to Natasha's law: www.food.gov.uk/allergen-labelling-changes-for-prepacked-for-direct-sale-ppds-food Within the toolkit are links to specialist guides, for example for bakers, butchers and farm shops etc. The Food Standards Agency also provides free allergens training and resources, which can be found here: www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/allergy-training-for-food-businesses Business companion has also produced the following helpful guidance: www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/food-and-drink/labelling-of-prepacked-for-direct-sale-foods The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has also produced a multilingual food allergen resource, including information on the new allergen labelling law for pre-packed for direct sale food: www.tradingstandards.uk/practitioners/food-allergen-resource The resources are available in English, Welsh, Bengali, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Hungarian, Kurdish, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Turkish and Urdu. If you have any queries regarding Natasha's law or would like a visit to receive tailored advice and guidance relevant to your business and product range, please contact us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Recalls: Asda are recalling their Girls Leopard Print PJ set as the product does not meet flammability requirements.
Size range: ALL CHILDRENS SIZES
Barcode: 0505919051967, 0505919051969, 0505919052071, 0505919052073, 0505919052075, 0505919052077, 0505919052079, 0505919052081, 0505919052083, 0505919052085, 0505919052087
If you have purchased the set, you should stop using it immediately and return it to your nearest store where you will be given a full refund. You do not need your receipt. If you would like any further information please contact: Asda Customer Relations – 0800 952 0101.