Bogus mail and email insurance scam impersonating CTSI continues to target the public

Posted 29/09/22

A bogus mail and email insurance scam impersonating the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) continues to target the public after almost two years in circulation.

CTSI warns consumers to be vigilant and to report it if they are targeted.

The letter in question, which uses CTSI branding, informs the recipient that Trading Standards has caught insurance scammers and that they should fill in a "creditors debt form," which is is supposedly a compensation scheme but in actual fact serves as a means for fraudsters to gain access to personal details which puts respondents at risk of financial loss.

CEO at CTSI, John Herriman, said: “I am appalled to see scammers impersonating Trading Standards and CTSI to defraud consumers out of their hard-earned cash. We often see fraudsters impersonating trusted brands to deceive the public but impersonating the very essence of those that protect consumers by pretending to be Trading Standards is disgusting and shows that these criminals have no limitations to how far they are willing to go to defraud people of their savings.“

This scam, which initially was reported in England only, has now spread throughout the United Kingdom, with the email and letter recently materialising in Scotland.

CTSI has informed trading standards services across the country of these emails and letters, and there is an open investigation with consumer protection professionals working hard to protect the public from these scams.

Anyone who receives this letter should contact the Financial Conduct Authority 

For consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133

In addition, to report scams, contact Action Fraud, in Scotland, or contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or if in Northern Ireland, call Consumerline on 0300 123 6262.

The public is encouraged to join Friends Against Scams. This is an initiative to protect and prevent people from becoming scam victims by empowering them to take a stand against scams.

Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)

CTSI is a training and membership organisation that has represented the interests of the Trading Standards profession since 1881 nationally and internationally. We aim to raise the profile of the profession while working towards fairer, better informed and safer consumer and business communities. CTSI's members are engaged in delivering frontline trading standards services in local authorities and in businesses. www.tradingstandards.uk

Please contact CTSI Press Office: [email protected] for any queries.

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