'Get Wise To Scams' Awareness Campaign Launched

A major new awareness campaign has been launched to help people "get wise to scams".

The campaign – If you can spot it, you can stop it – is a joint initiative by the Policing Board, PSNI and the Department of Justice, and is in response to the rising number of scams being reported.

According to official figures, 17% of people across Northern Ireland have been the victims of scams in the last three years, a percentage which equates to 314,840 of the population.

To support the campaign, a short film has been produced detailing the experience of 'Erika' who has been a victim of scammers.

The 'Little Book of Big Scams', which lists some of the key scams around at the minute and what to do if you think you are being targeted or may be a victim, has also been republished.

Speaking about the campaign, Justice Minister Claire Sugden said: "Scams are cruel and can have a devastating effect on victims. They cause financial loss and can undermine the sense of safety and wellbeing of victims. The attackers often target the elderly, but the reality is that no one is safe from the threat of their, often sophisticated, scams.

"I welcome the work the ScamwiseNI Partnership is doing to tackle the issue and look forward to seeing the impact it has. This initiative gives us the tools we need to protect ourselves and our families from this threat – making us all more scam-wise."

Policing Board Chair, Anne Connolly, added: "All forms of scamming are crimes but because they can often be online and faceless, many people feel more embarrassed about being duped than angry at being robbed.

"Figures show that 17% of our population have been the victims of scams but this does not include the thousands of others who have recognised the scam and ignored or prevented it, or those which have gone unreported.

"Many people who are scammed feel they are to blame for falling for it, but it's not their fault. If you have – or know someone who has – been a victim of fraud, no matter how small, you should report it to the PSNI or Action Fraud. In the meantime, it's time to get scamwise. Get the information to help you stop becoming a victim of scammers."

(MH/JP)