This year’s Scottish ScamWatch Week (30 August – 5 September), which shines a light on the scams impacting consumers and how they can avoid being caught out, has been welcomed by Martin Whitfield MSP.

Scams have an impact on Scottish consumers every day, often costing thousands of pounds. Anyone can be the target of a scam, and very often scammers are very convincing in their attempts to defraud us of our personal information or money, while most of us will be the target of a scammer at some point or another.

With information being more readily available, and methods of contact being more accessible, scammers are in a better position than ever to engage with us.

Speaking about the week, Martin Whitfield MSP said:

“Sadly, scam activity has mushroomed during the pandemic, with more scams targeting more consumers than ever before.  

“Unscrupulous fraudsters have sought to use the unique circumstances we have faced collectively to prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, even using Covid testing and vaccines to try and scam people.

“This campaign week seeks to highlight to the public that scammers will try to exploit any aspect of the lives of the people they target, meaning that there are a wide range of different kinds of scams, with different approaches to defraud consumers.

“Throughout the course of Scottish ScamWatch Week, Consumer Advice Scotland will be shining a light on the scams impacting Scottish consumers and the ways in which consumers can reduce exposure to scammers and avoid being caught out.

“I’m urging people across South Scotland to take advantage of this expert advice and information to avoid falling victim to scammers.”

Find out more about ScamWatch Week, including materials to help promote it, at www.consumeradvice.scot/scamwatch21.