Tesco join forces in fight to highlight scamming threat

Both will be held on Friday, December 8 - the first at the town’s Tesco supermarket (9.30-11.30) and the second at the Uno Coffee House on West Street from 12-2pm.

PSCO Nigel Wass says the events are designed to highlight the growing menace of scamming.

Apart from police, staff from Lincolnshire Trading Standards will be on duty, along with the county’s Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Stuart Tweedale.

It follows the success of similar events in the town earlier this year.

PSCO Wass said it was a chance for people to report any issues with scamming and to receive re-assurance in the build-up to Christmas.

He thanked Tesco and owners of Uno for hosting the events.

The awareness events came as latest figures show over 2,000 names have been passed to Lincolnshire Trading Standards, of people who are known or suspected of being targeted by scam mail.

Over the last 18 months Trading Standards have been working to protect people against the crime.

During that time, they have visited 350 people and out of those people, Trading Standards believe the total financial detriment to be an estimated £2 million. Most of this money has been sent to catalogue, clairvoyant, lottery and sweepstake scams.

PCSO Wass said: “Christmas is the busiest time of the year and when you consider those figures, we want to make as many people as possible aware of the problem.”