The Mayor of Bishop Auckland, Councillor Joy Allen, is calling on residents to be vigilant as there has been a surge in phishing scams both online and by phone.
Durham County Council and Trading Standards have asked us to remind residents not to give out their personal information over the phone to prevent scam callers taking advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Its okay to reject, refuse or ignore requests for personal information. Take the time to check out the person or organisation making the request to confirm that they are in fact genuine.
Anyone who has any concerns to report fraud and scams to Durham County Council. Durham County Council and Trading Standards do not make calls out of the blue or seek payment to be made or ask for personal details or credit card information.
Details on how to report fraud and help from Durham County Council can be found at www.durham.gov.uk/fraud or by phoning 03000 266 745. Your information will be taken seriously and will be investigated. If you wish you can remain anonymous.
Details of how to protect yourself and family from frauds and scams, including current coronavirus scams, can be found at www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk
You can also help protect the UK and vulnerable people from email scams by reporting all suspicious email you receive to report@phishing.gov.uk
If you think you have fallen for a scam, contact your bank immediately and report it and ring Action Fraud 03000 123 2040 or via www.actionfraud.police.uk
You can also report suspicious text by forwarding the original message to 7726
