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Northants Trading Standards welcome new support in tackling social media scams
| Author: Kathryn Hall | Published: 19th July 2019 08:42 |
The social media giant has also pledged an additional £3m in funds for the Citizens Advice Bureau to help set up new ways to report such activity. Trading Standards chiefs have welcomed this news.A clamp down on social media scams and greater support for victims has been warmly welcomed by Northamptonshire County Council’s Trading Standards.
Following a number of incidents of fake adverts misusing celebrity endorsements, Facebook has launched a new scheme where people can flag suspicious adverts.
The social media giant has also pledged an additional £3m in funds for the Citizens Advice Bureau to help set up new ways to report such activity. Trading Standards chiefs have welcomed this news.
Cabinet Member for Highways and Place, Jason Smithers said;
“We welcome the news about increased support for anyone who has been impacted by online scams and would encourage any residents affected in Northamptonshire to access the additional support that has been put in place. Our Trading Standards Service can also support victims of all types of scams and can be contacted through their partners at the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06.”
After pledging to get tough with the fake ads – which often promote financial ventures or bitcoin investment schemes – Facebook will now let UK users flag ads they believe to be scams or misleading. This can be done by clicking the three dots in the top right corner of every ad on Facebook, pressing ‘report ad’, then choosing ‘misleading or scam ad’ and then ‘send a detailed scam report’.
When a user does this, it will trigger an alert that will then be sent to a new team who will handle these reports, review and take down violating ads.
Money has also been given to Citizens Advice Bureau and they have used these funds to set up the Citizens Advice Scams Action service (CASA), a specialist one-on-one service for those worried they’re being scammed and those who have already lost money.
CASA helps to support people who have been, or who might be impacted directly by online scams. The service helps people through telephone, chat, website content and face-to-face support for those who need it through referrals from the phone or chat service.
People can get help from CASA via:
- A new telephone number - 0300 330 3003
- Chat on the new Scams Action section of their website
- The website, which includes updated content on scams and a page for the new service
- https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/get-help-dealing-with-the-effects-of-scams/
- Face to face support for clients that need additional support from their nearest local
Citizens Advice in England, Wales and Scotland through referrals from the phone or chat service.
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