News Room

Beware pandemic profiteers and coronavirus crooks

Posted: 26/05/2020

London Trading Standards is warning Londoners to beware of unscrupulous traders seeking to profiteer from the coronavirus pandemic and criminal scammers exploiting the fears of the vulnerable.

Hundreds of consumer protection professionals trained to detect fake PPE

Posted: 22/05/2020

The Office for Product Safety & Standards (OPSS) and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) are delivering a series of webinars focussing on the identification and classification of PPE alongside identifying active ingredients and checking labelling and effectiveness claims.

Reluctance to seek medical care drives counterfeit medicine

Posted: 21/05/2020

People are buying prescription-based medicines over the internet rather than seek medical advice says Phil Lewis, Director General of the Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG).

98% of London businesses respecting lockdown

Posted: 18/05/2020

Most London businesses have so far respected the law on business closure, according to data from London borough enforcement teams.  Just 2% of the businesses visited over the past two months have had to be instructed to close by local authority officers.

Fake council tax COVID-19 scam emails target public in lockdown

Posted: 15/05/2020

An email scam, claiming to offer a council tax reduction is hitting inboxes during the lockdown. The phoney email, clad in UK Government branding, and signed off from 'The Government Digital Service Team', offers a supposed council tax reduction. The email quotes the annual reduction amount and asks the recipient to click a link to "claim your council tax reduction now".

New COVID-19 food businesses guide launches

Posted: 14/05/2020

The COVID-19 coronavirus and the resulting lockdown has changed our lives drastically in a short time. Everyone has had to change the way they live, work and conduct their business. The closures of all pubs and restaurants have hit a UK industry worth over £40bn, and many fear long-term damage to the industry. 

Many businesses are exploring, and others have already begun diversifying their business model to adapt to "the new normal". To aid this, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) have launched a free expert guide on business diversification during the pandemic.

Businesses join forces to combat COVID-19 scams

Posted: 14/05/2020

Remote working increasing business exposure to fraud
More than 100 organisations are spearheading a new initiative to combat fraud against businesses as more companies and employees adjust to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing their exposure to sophisticated business scams.

Correction to coronavirus travel industry guide

Posted: 13/05/2020

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) issues a correction to its coronavirus travel industry guide on the Business Companion website.

New Covid-19 app exploited by fraudsters to scam public

Posted: 12/05/2020

The UK Government is currently trialling a new COVID-19 coronavirus contact tracing app on the Isle of Wight. Many expect that the app will roll out to the rest of the country later this year.

UK ECC celebrates Europe Day

Posted: 11/05/2020

The UK European Consumer Centre (UK ECC) celebrated Europe Day on Saturday, May 9, commemorating the Schuman Declaration. The statement is considered to be the first step towards the creation of the European Community (EC) and latterly the European Union (EU). 

Fake pet ads plague public during coronavirus lockdown

Posted: 06/05/2020

The lockdown response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has led to many people feeling socially isolated. The 'new normal' has led to a rise in people looking for a furry companion to keep them company, with adverts for dogs, cats and other animals filling social media and pet sale platforms. 

Coronavirus nuisance call wave hits public

Posted: 01/05/2020

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has received intelligence on a series of nuisance and scam calls hitting households throughout the UK.