A new campaign has launched across North Wales to inform older people of the risk of doorstep fraud and to encourage them to think about who might be calling on them at home. The initiative is a collaboration between Age Cymru, North Wales Police, and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, who came together as part of the Wales Against Scams Partnership (WASP).
The campaign will see 2,500 stickers and information leaflets produced for distribution across North Wales, with funding from North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin. The project followed feedback from WASP partners who were concerned about the number of doorstep-based scams reported in their communities, ranging from courier scams to rogue traders. These kinds of scams thrive in winter, when people may be expecting more knocks on door from people such as delivery drivers or traders offering home repairs and adaptations during cold or wet weather.
The stickers are designed to be stuck on the inside of a person’s front door. Their aim is to remind those living in the house – especially those who are considered vulnerable – that they should never hand over money to someone on the doorstep. The message is deliberately simple, designed to stick in the mind of the resident as they go to answer the door. It is hoped that this will empower them to say ‘no’ to attempts by a doorstep caller to extract money or other valuables from them.
These days, there are very few legitimate reasons for a doorstep caller to ask for money. In addition, any legitimate caller, such as charity collectors, should know to recognise when a person may be vulnerable, and to leave them alone. As such, the campaign has opted for a clear, unambiguous message: Stop – don’t hand over money!
The stickers also contain the police non-emergency number 101, which the organisers encourage people to call to report a doorstep scam or suspected scam.
Andy Dunbobbin, the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, commented: “I am pleased to see this sticker campaign launched across North Wales to help protect older and vulnerable people.
“Protecting victims and communities is a key priority within my plan to fight crime in North Wales and it is great to see different organisations, such as my office, Age Cymru and the Police, coming together to work collaboratively to help keep society safe. Fraudsters are adept at taking advantage of vulnerable people, so it’s important we remind residents to stop, think, be alert to the signs of fraud, and not to hand over money to shady individuals who might be on their doorstep.”
Age Cymru’s chief executive Victoria Lloyd said: “Older and vulnerable people are the most targeted group of people for scams, especially those carried out over the doorstep.
“Hopefully, this campaign will give people the confidence to say no to scammers. Many scammers develop a convincing manner of authority so it can be difficult for some older people to refuse doorstep requests.
“Scammers evolve their tactics and approaches to take advantage of developing situations such as a bout of bad weather, so it’s important that we help older people become resilient to scams in all their forms.
“Hopefully, other areas of Wales will follow in the footsteps of our North Wales partners so we can help everyone in the country to develop their resistance to scams.”
Officers from North Wales Police’s Prevention Hub and Neighbourhood Policing teams will be giving the stickers out to members of the public over the coming weeks starting with those considered most vulnerable. People can also request a sticker by contacting: lpscommsafety@northwales.police.uk
