Cardiff Council’s Trading Standards is warning residents that a deluge of scam letters is currently in circulation purporting to be from ‘Nanto Bank Ltd’ in Japan. The letters claim that the recipient is entitled to a large inheritance but are asking for personal and private information which is causing grave concern.
Councillor Judith Woodman, Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council urges residents to ignore these letters and not divulge sensitive and private information or send any payment. She said, “It is vital that anyone who receives these letters does not respond in any way. The letters can appear very plausible and promise wonderful things. The maxim, ‘if it seems too good to be true, then it probably is’ definitely applies in these instances. Cardiff Council works hard to ensure its citizens are informed of these scams as soon as we’re aware of them.”
Scams can come in many different guises, from unsolicited telephone calls, mail shots, text messages to e-mails and the internet. Typical scams reported to the council regularly include: Cold calling; lottery scams; prize draws and scratch cards; bogus holidays; free memberships; bogus charity clothing collections; insider racing and betting syndicates; home working schemes; clairvoyant and “miracle” health cures; mock auctions.
Also, while there are many obvious ways in which they operate, scamsters are always looking for new ways to cash in on unsuspecting victims.
Top tips to avoid being scammed
- Never deal with “cold callers” who visit or phone. Always get several quotes and recommendations to compare and check out details and addresses first
- Never reply straight away to an offer. Speak to a relative, friend, neighbour or your carer before you do anything
- Never send money to anyone who says you’ve won a lottery or a big prize
- Never give out your bank account details or other personal information to people you don’t know
- Never ring an 090 number unless you’re certain how much the call will cost and know what you are likely to receive
- Always get a quote and appropriate independent advice before you sign a credit agreement especially on trade premises
- Never send money off in response to bogus psychic mailings or for so called “miracle” health cures
For more information on scams and how to protect yourself contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06 (English) 08454 04 05 05 (Welsh) or email Trading Standards Consumer Advice Centre: [email protected]
