Fake website: A website for a fake university aiming to scam money from overseas students has been shut down by Suffolk Trading Standards. Calling itself the College of Suffolk, the website claimed the university had been founded in 1990 and was located on Queen Street in Ipswich. Quoting yearly fees ranging from £3,500 to £8,900, it claimed to offer courses in acting, musical theatre, dance and performance. The site used images of the real University of Suffolk and even had a page promoting the county, saying how it was home to its own breed of horses, breweries and famous celebrities such as singer Ed Sheeran. A foreword by college ‘President’ Dr Stephen Spinks talked of how it provides “exciting learning opportunities in business, human resources, accountancy, finance, musician (sic) and art – all critical areas for the world of work.” It is the second time such a fake college has been foiled by Trading Standards – an identical scam using the same name and information was closed down in 2019. The website was being run from Hong Kong and while Suffolk Trading Standards have had no reports of victims in the UK there may be some overseas. Graham Crisp, Head of Suffolk Trading Standards, said: “Websites like this can be used to attract students, collect personal information and course fees. They can also be used to sell fake degree certificates. It is trying to exploit overseas students unfamiliar with academic establishments and the enrolment process in the UK, something our officers have now thwarted.” Councillor Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, Public Protection, & Communities, said: “A degree from a British college or university is an enticing prospect for an overseas student and those behind this scam were trying to exploit that. Thankfully the vigilance of Suffolk Trading Standards has prevented this website from trying to pick up where it would appear to have previously left off and will not be conning people into paying for non-existent courses.”
Trading Standards says anyone considering applying for a college course can beat degree fraud through the Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD) website https://hedd.ac.uk/ where people can:
Check whether a university or college is an official degree awarding body by using the look-up service
Download free toolkits allowing employers, universities and colleges to tackle degree fraud
Check original degree certificates with the issuing university
Degree fraud can be reported to the HEDD fraud team on 020 8148 2400.
If you have concerns about a website, please report it to Trading Standards via 0808 223 1133.
Bogus Doorstep Caller: On Tuesday (23rd January) a Barham resident was approached at the door by an individual claiming to be subcontracted by "the council" and that they were there to carry out a survey on the property. The resident refused access, knowing that no survey had been arranged, and contacted Mid Suffolk District Council who were able to confirm it was not one of their employees, or a company subcontracted by them. The individual was very pushy, making claims that a letter had been sent, and continued to try and persuade the resident to let them in. Were you approached? Did you see any vehicle they were travelling in? If you have any information, please contact us via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Ensure your back door is locked if you are answering the front door to someone you don’t know.
Watch out for anyone who says they’re in a hurry or it’s an emergency. Don’t let them pressure you. If in doubt, call a neighbour or friend or the police.
If you think a bogus caller has been to your home, call the police immediately on 999
Never let someone into your house because you don't want to seem rude or unsympathetic
Consider fitting a door chain and spy-hole to your front door; outside lighting can also help you identify callers. Never let anyone into your home unless you are satisfied about who they are and what they want.
Public service employees are required to show identity cards when they come to your home. Examine the card carefully as fake cards have been used. The card should have a photograph and the name of the organisation. If you are at all worried, ring the organisation to check the caller is genuine. Use the telephone number given in the phone book or on your utility bill, rather than the one printed on the identity card. A genuine worker won't mind waiting.
Unsafe heaters: 299 unsafe desktop electric heaters have been detained at the Port of Felixstowe by Suffolk Trading Standards Import Surveillance team.
During testing the internal wiring melted and caused a short circuit in the product, posing a fire risk. In addition, the product had inadequate marking, labelling and instructions. The product does not comply with the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. The consignment was due to be delivered to a warehouse in Thurrock. The products have been removed from Amazon listings and the goods have been destroyed. If you have purchased a product that you think may be unsafe, stop using it immediately and report it to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
Cyber Training: Calling all Suffolk High schools and parents of year 8 and 9 students. There are just a few spaces left on the FREE Cyber First Investigator training course on 23rd March in Ipswich. The course is being run by the National Cyber Security Centre to help students explore their passion for computers and technology and introducing them to the fascinating world of cyber security. On the day, you will be role-playing as cyber security experts working for a fictitious app company, Sirius Cyberworks. Unfortunately, disaster has struck and there has been a serious breach of the company network – a new flagship app has been leaked. Your role is to uncover how the leak happened whilst learning new cyber skills along the way. The course content is designed around four modules:
Digital Forensics - Detect misconduct or trace suspicious activity. Channel your inner investigator to find evidence on computers, mobile phones and other digital devices.
Cryptography - Crack the codes. In this exciting module, teams will be challenged to use creative ideas to solve problems and design new systems.
Penetration Testing - Stop malicious hackers in their tracks. Discover how to identify different groups that conduct cyber attacks, their motivations and penetration methodologies.
Open Source Intelligence - Find intelligence sources. Everything you do online leaves a digital footprint; how will you protect it?
The course will be on Saturday 23rd March from 9am to 4pm. For safeguarding purposes, venue details are released only to registered attendees closer to the time. Reserve you place here: www.qa.com/training/courses/cyber-security/cyberfirst/cyberfirst-investigators/
Register Appliances: More than 40 million large appliances in use in UK homes are unlikely to be registered with the manufacturers, rendering them extremely hard to trace if a safety repair is ever needed. Trading Standards is supporting Register My Appliance Week and urging all households to take the simplest and most important act of care: registering their home appliances to ensure their brands know where to find them. Whether machines are newly-purchased, long-installed, have been acquired ‘nearly-new’ or second-hand, registration is vital to help ensure the longest possible safe lifespan. www.registermyappliance.org.uk/registration/
Safety Warning: The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is taking enforcement action and warning consumers about a brand of e-bike battery – UPP – that has been linked to a number of fires across England. Amazon, AliBaba, eBay and Made in China have been issued with Withdrawal Notices which require them, in their roles as distributors of the product, to stop supplying the UPP battery. OPSS has also issued a Withdrawal Notice to 20 sellers directly and has also issued a Withdrawal Notice to the China-based manufacturer. The product presents a serious risk of fire as it is poorly built with poor welding to connect the components. The product also did not have a heat sensor to prevent overheating, with the battery management system not sufficient to prevent the battery from entering thermal runaway. Consumers are being advised not to use the battery and contact the seller for further redress. Batteries can also be disposed of in local household recycling centres, however consumers should check first with their local centre if they accept this type of battery. E-bikes and e-scooters use large lithium-ion batteries which can present a risk of serious fire or explosion in certain circumstances. While these can be used safely, there have been a number of fire incidents involving lithium-ion batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters, including in conversion kits. You should follow these five steps when purchasing, using or charging your e-bike or e-scooter to reduce fire risks:
Step 1: RESEARCH – only BUY an e-bike, e-scooter, charger or battery from a known seller and check any product reviews
Step 2: READ – always READ and FOLLOW the manufacturer’s instructions for charging and using e-bikes or e-scooters
Step 3: CHECK – not all e-bike or e-scooter batteries and chargers are compatible or safe when used together. Check and only USE the manufacturer’s recommended battery or charger
Step 4: CHARGE – always charge in a safe place without blocking exits and always UNPLUG your charger when you have finished charging
Step 5: NEVER – attempt to modify or tamper with your battery
Recall: Aldi is recalling Lacura His & Her Cozmo Eau de Parfum. The product presents a risk of cuts due to a production fault which can cause the bottle to break. Product Name: Lacura Cozmo for Him Eau de Parfum and Lacura Cozmo for Her Eau de Parfum
Brand: Lacura
Product Size: 100ml
Barcode: 4061459901849 (for him) / 4061459901863 (for her)
Customers are asked to return this product to their nearest store, where a full refund will be given.