Bromley trading standards is alerting residents to reports about cold calls from firms offering insurance for household appliances including televisions, washing machines, and fridge/freezers.
Cold callers claim to be renewing a policy when no previous policy has been in place. They falsely claim to be from well-known firms or use apparently plausible trading names; they insure old or non-existent appliances; and they can be pushy and persistent to obtain bank details.
Bromley residents have found that numerous direct debits have been set up on their bank accounts totalling thousands of pounds.
Protect yourself:
- If you receive a cold call – hang up
- If you have been coerced into taking out fake appliance insurance following a cold call, report to your bank immediately
- Check your own and others' bank account statements carefully and query unknown or suspicious transactions with your bank
- Reduce unwanted calls – see below for the links about the free Telephone Preference Service and the Friends Against Scams call blocker
More information from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Report and assistance
Contact Citizens Advice for help and advice on 0808 223 1133 or on the Citizens Advice website.
Contact the Financial Conduct Authority via their website or on 0800 111 6768.
If you have lost money to a scam, report to Action Fraud or on 0300 123 2040.
Friends Against Scams – Call blocker
- Please note that there is limited stock and an eligibility questionnaire. We advise you to read this web page in full first.
There is no charge associated with obtaining a call blocker. However, on the day you set up the unit and every Sunday after, the unit will perform a link through the phone line to TrueCall's head office (0208 area code in London). This may incur a cost charged at standard call rates if the user's call tariff does not include free evening and weekend calls.
Bromley trading standards
To keep up with the latest scam alerts and warnings from Bromley Trading Standards sign up on www.bromley.gov.uk/TradingStandardsAlertSignUpForm.
Bromley Trading Standards also runs a fair-trader directory to help you find a safe, reliable trader that you can trust, visit www.bromley.gov.uk/tradingstandardschecked to learn more.