At a recent ‘Financial Abuse’ event in Huddersfield, the SAFER Project (Scams And Frauds Education for Residents) informed attendees that UK consumers lose an estimated £10 billion a year to scams and frauds. In West Yorkshire alone a list of 5,200+ names and addresses are on a so-called ‘Sucker’s List” – a list that is passed from scammer to scammer with the sole intention of preying on who they deem as easy targets. The average age of a person on this list is 74years, with an average annual financial loss to scams of £4,500.
The SAFER Project and recently formed WYFEAT (West Yorkshire Financial Exploitation and Abuse Team), both of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, gave an impassioned call out to professional partners to assist with protecting our older generations and vulnerable adults from the preying tactics of scammers and doorstep criminals.
SAFER, a prevention and empowerment initiative, are offering free training for frontline workers such as the emergency services, social workers, housing officers, health professionals and banks in an attempt to mobilise a mass ‘spot it – report it’ approach; as well as offering free workshops for community groups (55years+ and vulnerable adults) aimed at raising awareness, building confidence and feeding the good old-fashioned community spirit of looking out for one-another. To book a workshop or Partner Training please email safer@wyjs.org.uk
WYFEAT is a specialist multi-agency task force funded by the West Yorkshire Police Crime Commissioner which investigates the financial exploitation and abuse of vulnerable and older residents in West Yorkshire in relation to scams, frauds and doorstep crime. The attendees heard how the WYFEAT team recently secured custodial sentences for two rogue traders that deliberately targeted our older community, Alzheimer’s sufferers and a blind 94 year old war veteran, using heavy handed and threatening sales techniques for substandard resin driveways.
Mike Houghton-Evans, Independent Chair of Kirklees Safeguarding Adults Board said, “The event brought into sharp focus that we can only really address this issue if we work in true partnership.”
Councillor Shabir Pandor, of the West Yorkshire Trading Standards Committee said, “It is vital that the elderly and vulnerable in our communities are protected from scammers. Partnership work should go a long way into achieving this objective.”
David Lodge, Head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards said, “The SAFER Project and WYFEAT have been delighted by the take-up response from partners attending the event, it is hardly surprising given we all have older relations we wish to keep safe – together we can turn the tide on scammers!”
For further details please email safer@wyjs.org.uk
