ScamwiseNI & Post Office Collaborate On Scam Protection Initiative

A collaboration between ScamwiseNI and the Post Office has launched today, Monday 04 March, to give consumers an opportunity to discuss any concerns they have about falling victim to a scam.

'Scam? Ask Us' is now in full operation at Post Offices across Northern Ireland, with counter staff advising customers on whether they think specific requests are unusual or suspicious.

It comes as the Consumer Council released figures from its 'Consumer Insight Survey' which revealed that 32% of people in the region have been targeted by a scam in the last three years.

It also found that 69% of people are likely to use and benefit from the Post Office service, with emails being the most common form of fraudulent attempt, accounting for 74%.

Discussing the initiative, Chief Superintendent Simon Walls said: "Unfortunately over the past number of years we have seen an increase in the number of scams that are being reported to police. Scams are not simply an issue for older or vulnerable within our society, they can happen to anyone regardless of age and unfortunately there is a scam out there with each of our names on it. The ScamwiseNI Partnership are doing all we can to highlight these so that the general public become scam aware.

"I am delighted that today we our launching 'Scam? Ask Us' with the Post Office. They have joined the Partnership and have chosen Northern Ireland to launch this initiative that will provide a service to customers and help prevent people becoming a victim of scams. They have recognised the strength of the ScamwiseNI Partnership and its local voice.

"We know that the scammers' sophistication and ability to exploit complex technology has developed over the years and they continue to groom vulnerable victims through sometimes the threat of arrest or prosecution. Anything that we can do to help prevent people from becoming a victim of crime.

"I would encourage any victims of a scam to report it. Remember, if you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is!"

A Post Office spokesperson said: "Millions of customers visit Post Offices across the UK every day, and our branches are often right at the heart of the communities they serve. That means they often know their local customers well, and can spot anything out of the ordinary, as well as picking up on patterns that might suggest a scam. Working with the ScamwiseNI Partnership makes absolute sense, and means we can help to play an important part in protecting our customers and communities."

The Post Office has released four short informative videos on the issue which can be accessed here.

The ScamwiseNI Partnership, which exists to help make the community scam wise, includes the PSNI, NI Policing Board, Department of Justice and a number of other bodies.



(JG/CM)