Trading Standards Alert: Phone scam targets benefits claimants

Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards Service has recently received a complaint regarding a scam and would like to issue a warning to all Leicestershire residents to be vigilant when receiving telephone calls asking for personal information.

The complaint received by Adults and Communities, and passed to Trading Standards involved a vulnerable adult receiving a telephone call claiming that the resident’s welfare benefits were going to stop and that the resident actually owed money. The caller wanted the resident’s bank details. This telephone call was traced and found to be made from aboard.

Trading Standards would like to remind residents that bank details, passwords, pin number etc are personal information and that no reputable company or organisation would cold call and ask for these details.