As the number of scams continues to increase, Kent County Council will be releasing a regular round-up of the latest scams reported by Kent residents.
Fraudsters often target those who are elderly or vulnerable, but we have seen a rise in scams affecting people in all groups. Please stay alert and be aware of the scams below.
Three men are cold calling residents in Whitfield, offering to power wash driveways. One resident agreed to the work as the cold callers refused to leave the property. They later took the victim to a cashpoint to withdraw money.
BEWARE! Do not respond to cold callers.
Bitcoin scams are targeting Kent residents, with scammers telling you that you have Bitcoin invested in an online account.
They give you a password to access and it shows money in an account in your name. They say you need to pay £600 to release the funds. Later they ask for more money to pay further fees.
A Kent resident was targeted by an Amazon scam, claiming their account has been hacked and used to purchase items including a mobile phone. The fraudsters ask to access your account and follow the instructions.
This is a SCAM
Do not give any personal or financial details. Never allow access to your computer.
A resident in Kent went online to pay for their Dartford Crossing charge, then later received a fine for non-payment. The website the resident used to pay for the crossing was a scam.
Watch out
To pay for Dartford Crossing, you must use the gov.uk website: www.gov.uk/pay-dartford-crossing-charge.
Kent residents are being targeted by Trading Standards letter scam, claiming they are owed capital reimbursement.
This is a SCAM
Your local Trading Standards would not contact you like this.Report scams to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040
Get free advice from Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.
Trading Standards Checked
Trading Standards Checked carries out checks on traders so customers can have peace of mind when choosing a tradesperson to do work in their home
Please help to keep your family and community safe. If you need work done in your home or garden, visit the website to find a safe local tradesperson.