|
Dear Residents Please see the below message from trading Standards and how to stay safe from scammers. ALERTS
TRADING STANDARDS 28/01/2026 Trading Standards have been notified of residents receiving telephone calls purporting to be from
the “Housing Department" regarding repairs needed to their home.
How can I protect myself from scam calls?
There are things you can do to protect yourself from scams:
• Say no: Ignore a caller that asks you for personal information, such as your PIN, or tells you
that your computer has a virus. A genuine organisation will never ask you for these details over
the phone, in an email or in writing. • Report any scams: Forward unwanted texts to 7726 for free so your mobile phone provider can flag
potential scams.
• Check the line: Be aware that scammers can keep your phone line open even after you’ve hung up.
Use a different phone, call someone you know first to check the line is free, or wait at least 10
to 15 minutes between calls to make sure that any scammers have hung up.
• Use an answerphone: You can use an answerphone on your landline or voicemail on your mobile to
screen your calls.
• Check your calls: Get a caller ID device to see who’s calling. But be aware that some
scammers appear as a legitimate number, for example, your bank or utility company.
• Try call blocking: Some phones have call-blocking features to stop unwanted calls. If yours
doesn’t, you can use a separate call blocker. Some blockers come pre-programmed with known nuisance
numbers and some allow you to add numbers to that list when you get a nuisance or scam call. You can buy call blockers from various retailers, and some local
authorities provide them.
• Cut the cold calls: Join the free Telephone Preference Service (Telephone Preference Service
(tpsonline.org.uk). This should cut some of the number of cold calls you receive, though it won’t
necessarily block all scammers.
• Call the company: If you get a phone call from an organisation asking you for personal
information, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number to check the call is
legitimate.
• Avoid links: If you’ve received a text asking you to follow a link, don’t click on it. If you’d
like to check if the text is genuine, contact the company directly either using their official
website or phone number and enquire about your account that way.
WHERE TO REPORT
Protect others by reporting incidents like this.
Report suspicious texts you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message to
7726, which spells SPAM on your keypad.
Report suspicious emails you have received but not acted upon, by forwarding the original message
to report@phishing.gov.uk
If you, or anyone you know, have been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it to Report
Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.reportfraud.police.uk
tradingstandards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
| 
