Advice on what people can do to prevent becoming a victim of fraud was issued to the over 55s at an event held in Chatham.
Officers were invited to attend the event, which was organised by local MP Tracey Crouch, and held at the Victory School, Chatham on Friday 8 April 2022.
Fraud prevention officer Stephen Kelly was joined by colleagues Sophie Carroll and Robert Slade to speak to those present about how they can detect scams and prevent becoming a victim of fraud. They also handed out leaflets and discussed the current scam trends being experienced in the area.
Stephen Kelly, Fraud Prevention Officer, said: ‘This was a really good opportunity to raise awareness of fraud prevention and discuss what people can do to beat these criminals. Whilst anyone of any age can be a victim of fraud we are keen to use every opportunity available to us to get the message out.
‘In speaking with people it seems that on some occasions victims are reluctant to report incidents to us as they feel embarrassed. I would like to reassure any victim of crime that there is no judgement made, in fact we know how calculating these fraudsters are and understand why people fall foul of their schemes. So please report incidents to us, by building us a picture of crime trends we can prevent it happening to someone else.’
‘It can be a difficult crime to combat as the criminals involved adapt and change their behaviour as the world changes around us, such as those who exploited Covid-19 to steal people’s money. It is criminality on an organised scale.
Stephen Kelly, Fraud Prevention Officer