The following article first appeared on the West Yorkshire Trading Standards blog here.
Debt Awareness Week 2014 (20-26 January), is a new national campaign to get people talking about the money worries that keep them awake at night. The campaign, involving organisations across the UK, sees organisations and support agencies coming together to let people know they’re not alone and that free expert debt help is available.
As part of Debt Awareness Week West Yorkshire Trading Standards is working in South and East Leeds delivering a series of workshops that aim to increase money management and budgeting skills for local residents. The workshops also inform residents of welfare reform changes that are likely to affect them now and in the future, as well as increasing their awareness of their rights when shopping. In addition the workshops provide residents with information about where to go to get the best deal on household goods and services.
Local residents will have the opportunity to participate in a creative and engaging workshop that is being held at Middleton Library in Leeds on Monday 20 January 2-3pm. The session will explore common scams and frauds which have the potential to part us from large sums of cash. By the end of the session residents will feel better equipped to identify scams and as a result, be less likely to fall victim to such schemes.
Scam letters and phishing emails are now all too common, and with the ever increasing number of residents gaining access to the internet, it is more important than ever to be on guard against scamsters. Emails may purport to come from your bank or email account provider and seek personal details. Letters commonly make false claims relating to lotteries, prize draws or other big wins and may also seek personal details or an advance fee before a prize can be paid out.
Middleton Park Councillor Kim Groves who will be attending the session said:
“Raising awareness of common scams and frauds is invaluable in a society where scams are constantly evolving. Having the knowledge to identify potential scams also enables us to give helpful advice and tips to friends and family members. Scammers often prey on the most vulnerable members of the community and it is everyone’s responsibility to look out for each other”.
If you would like to book a place on the workshop at Middleton Library please contact Dawn Mason on (0113) 393 9819 or send an e-mail to dmason@wyjs.org.uk.
