Residents in Caerphilly county borough are being encouraged to follow some simple steps to help prevent falling prey to bogus callers this summer.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Trading Standards team have recently been made aware of a situation where a county borough resident was approached at her home by two men claiming to be from Caerphilly County Borough Council.
They claimed they were there to inspect for damp, and carried clipboards with Caerphilly County Borough Council’s logo on their paperwork.
The resident allowed them into her property, where they inspected the interior and exterior walls, before telling the resident they would get back to her.
Following the incident, the resident checked with Caerphilly County Borough Council – she was informed that they had no knowledge of anyone being ask to inspect her property on behalf of the council.
Fortunately nothing was taken from the property, and although incidents of this nature are infrequent, Caerphilly County Borough Council is keen to encourage residents to be aware of what they should do if they find themselves in a similar situation.
Cllr Rob Gough, Cabinet Member for Public Protection said, “Although reports of people being duped by bogus callers are relatively rare in our county borough, this does not alter the fact that when it does occur, it can be extremely worrying, particularly for our more vulnerable residents”.
He continued, “I would encourage people to take heed of the advice by Trading Standards, which will I hope, help to reduce the risk of falling prey to bogus callers”.
Partnership Inspector for Caerphilly, Alan Webber said, “Although crimes of this nature are rare, they have a real impact on the lives of victims, who are often among the most vulnerable members of our community. We would urge anyone who believes they have been the victim of a bogus caller to report it immediately”.
Trading Standards offer the following advice to help beat the bogus caller:
- Stop and think before you open the door
- Never invite tradesmen or salesmen into your home
- Ask officials for their identification and close the door. Check it using the telephone directory, not the number on the card. Do not worry about keeping the official waiting outside – a genuine official will not mind waiting
- Never purchase goods and services on your doorstep unless you have consulted a friend or relative
- Don’t keep large sums of cash in your home or let anyone know that you have cash on the premises
- If you are not interested, tell them so firmly and close the door.
For further information, or to report what you believe to be a bogus caller, please contact Trading Standards on 01495 235 291 or Gwent Police on 01633 838 111.
