‘Don’t be Rushed, Don’t be Hushed’ is the message that East Renfrewshire Council’s Prevention Service is urging residents to take heed of as part of Scams Awareness Month, which has been running throughout July.

Scams Awareness Month is a national campaign, and the aim this year is to highlight how scams can flourish when they go unreported.

The campaign aims to stop people being rushed into hasty decisions by scammers and speak out about their experiences.

Mass marketing scams can range from postal contact, phone calls and doorstep calling to emails, online banking and romance scams.

Postal scams are often targeted at elderly people with exciting new that they have won a cash prize - all they need to do is send a small amount of money before their prize can be released to them.

Through the campaign, residents are being asked to keep two things in mind when they receive an unsolicited approach or when looking for goods or services - don’t be rushed and don’t be hushed.

East Renfrewshire Council’s consumer adviser Eleanor Griffiths said: “Scams can happen to anyone at anytime in their life.

“Most are not reported simply because the victim may feel embarrassed by the situation.

“East Renfrewshire’s Prevention Services is aiming to stamp out scammers in our area. Everyone has to be more vigilant, even if you are not directly affected.” Research has found that eight per cent of people will fall victim to at least one scam in their lifetime.

In extreme cases, people can lose hundreds of thousands of pounds to scams. This costs the UK economy £3.5bn each year.

Many scams today are very sophisticated, and there is no shame in falling for them.

Steve Fox, East Renfrewshire Council’s principal trading standards officer said: “We are determined to employ our resources to ensure our residents are informed and protected from cowardly fraudsters.” People should take their time to make a decision and get their facts together before parting with their money or personal information, and speak out when they think they’ve spotted a scam.

To mark Scams Awareness Month and highlight the risks of scams, the prevention team are holding various events throughout the area which will offer residents the chance to learn more about scams.

If you think you have been scammed, contact Prevention Services on 0141 577 3782 for help and advice.