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BEWARE OF DOORSTEP FRAUD
As brazen as it may seem, some fraudsters will walk right up to you and attempt to scam you — on your doorstep or in the street. They may pretend to be from a charity or a tradesperson, or claim “urgent” work is needed on your property. Their aim is usually to convince you to hand over money for something that does not exist. DOORSTEP FRAUD CHECKLIST: WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Fraudsters can be very believable, using urgency, emotion and charm to persuade you. Be wary if: They ask for money or bank details upfront before providing goods or completing workThey say they are doing work for your neighbours to gain your trustYou feel pressured to decide immediatelyThey cannot show a valid ID badge or proof of who they are / who they work forThey become defensive or change tone when you ask questions or request time to thinkIF YOU SUSPECT FRAUD: STOP! Break contact — say “No thank you” and close the doorDo not hand over money or personal informationNever allow a cold caller to rush you — a legitimate trader will return laterCheck if it is genuine — ask trusted friends/neighbours, or verify via Trading StandardsIF YOU’VE ALREADY RESPONDED
Do not panic. What you do next depends on whether you shared information or made a payment: Contact your bank immediately using a trusted number (or 159 for many UK banks)Report the incident so it can be assessed and helps protect othersREPORT IT (UK) Report Fraud: reportfraud.police.uk [reportfrau....police.uk]Telephone: 0300 123 2040 [reportfrau....police.uk], [gov.uk]Immediate danger: 999 [stopthinkf...ign.gov.uk]Trading Standards (via Citizens Advice Consumer Service): 0808 223 1133 | 
