LETTER: Scam awareness

Scams affect millions of people every year in the UK and sadly West Sussex has its share of victims.

Unfortunately, as reporting levels are as low as five per cent, the true number of people affected by scams is likely to be much higher.

That is why I want to encourage residents in our county to become more scam

aware – and to trust their instinct when, for example, confronted with an offer that sounds too good to be true or an attempt to defraud them.

As a County Council we are trying to do our bit to help West Sussex become

more scam aware, and our Trading Standards team do an excellent job helping to prevent scams and fraud. One of the ways we are doing this is by installing callblockers in vulnerable residents’ homes to tackle telephone scams.

A range of events are taking place around the county during Scams Awareness Month and it would be great if people went along to find out how they can help themselves and their neighbours become more resilient against fraud.

You can find out more about these events at www.westsussex.gov.uk/scams.

By each of us finding out a bit more about scams awareness, we can help our communities become safer which will further highlight what a great county West Sussex is.

David Barling

West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services

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