Scammers targeted in UK campaign

Trading Standards in Swansea is throwing its weight behind a nationwide scam awareness campaign to prevent people getting conned out of their hard-earned cash.

Along with the Trading Standards Institute, Swansea Council's team of consumer experts is backing the Think Jessica campaign.

The aim of the campaign is to stop billions of pounds ending up in the hands of criminals each year. According to the Office of Fair Trading, £350 million is lost by UK consumers every year to prize draw, foreign lottery and clairvoyant scams alone.

The Think Jessica campaign is led by Marilyn Baldwin whose mother Jessica ended up sending most of her pension out to criminals every week via postal scams. Anxiety and stress over the financial eventually led to Jessica's death in October 2007.

Scams can take a number of forms but the most typical involve clairvoyants asking for cash, promises of a lottery win or cash prizes for a small fee. Responding to these requests ends up with an innocent victim being placed on a list and in turn sees the number of scam letters to that address multiply fast.

David Picken, Swansea Council's Divisional Officer for Trading Standards, said: "Unfortunately, people throughout the UK are still parting with huge amounts of money under false pretences.

"All it takes is for an innocent member of the public to respond to a single mail request for cash and they can quickly become a target for many more scams.

"This campaign is helping to educate consumers and stop them sending money out to criminals."

Marilyn Baldwin said: "I set up the campaign to raise awareness about this awful fraud whose victims are suffering in silence."

The Think Jessica campaign includes a free advice line available on 0800 848 8855. For more information visit www.thinkjessica.com