Residents warned against scammers taking advantage of Coronavirus pandemic

Newham Council’s Trading Standards have received information that fraudsters are using the situation to extort money or try to gain access to people’s homes.

Scams include:

• door-to-door fraudsters calling at homes and selling people bogus tests to see if they're infected with the disease, or saying they are there to conduct tests
• a text message claiming to be from Gov.UK telling people to visit a website to obtain a Council Tax refund.

Residents are urged not to click on any links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or financial details.

If someone calls at your home, always ask to see identification and ask for a landline telephone number to check who they are. If they are genuine, they will understand. 

Do not let strangers into your home, particularly at this time of self-isolation and social distancing.

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz said: “It’s disgraceful that opportunists are trying to take advantage of the Coronavirus pandemic. Everyone should be vigilant against scams including fraudsters claiming to be from government, health authorities, or Newham Council. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”

The Mayor has already written to the Government about the unscrupulous way that some businesses are hiking the price of food and some key essentials. She has asked Alok Sharma MP, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for emergency powers to be given to local authorities to address this.

In her letter the Mayor said: “In Newham many people are already facing severe economic hardship, experiencing some of the highest levels of deprivation in England. Such practice places an even greater burden on those already struggling to make ends meet.”

For further advice on how to protect yourself from fraud, please go to:

https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/personal-fraud/​