Scam Awareness

With continued increases in the cost of living, it’s easy to be persuaded and pressurised by fraudsters and scammers into thinking you can get more money.

Please try and make sure you do not do this by being tricked into a scam about:

• Reclaiming your direct debits for rent or council tax.
• Claiming a disrepair.

This page has some useful information about both these types of scams, how you can try to protect yourself, and where to get more help and information.

Direct Debit scams

We’ve been contacted by several worried tenants who have been offered refunds of direct debit payments they have made to pay rent and other bills.

Please be aware that this is a scam. It could leave you out of pocket and with more debt to repay.

You might see an advert or be contacted on social media or in person about making quick, easy money by claiming back refunds on your direct debits via your bank. This includes rent payments.

They will ask for your personal and bank account details, which they’ll use to make a direct debit refund request with the bank.

If the refund is made, they will take 50% or more of your money as payment for letting you use the service. You will then be debt with the companies who you made these payments to. This debt must be repaid.

This could mean you are at risk of losing your home, having goods repossessed or being taken to court.

Sharing your bank details means you could also have money taken from your bank account in future without your permission.

If you are struggling financially, please contact us on 01824 706000. We can offer you support and signpost you to experts who can help you manage your finances.

Here are some tips to help keep yourself safe from fraudsters/scammers: 

• Watch out for phone calls, letters or adverts on social media offering schemes to make quick, easy money – they are a scam.
• Scammers will ask you to lie to the bank regarding any payment requests. If you’re being told to lie to the bank, it’s a scam.
• Never reveal your bank account information, including login details, passwords, or one-time passcodes, to anyone.
• Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• If you’re worried about a fraud or a scam, you can contact Action Fraud via their website by clicking this link or tel: 0300 123 2040 to report fraud.

Housing Disrepair Claims – Beware of scammers

We know people are knocking on doors offering to help tenants suggesting compensation may be due on a “no win no fee basis” for disrepair claims. We don’t want to frighten people and certainly do not want to stop tenants from challenging us, but please be cautious. You may be liable for costs if you change your mind and if you are unsuccessful in court.

If you do have an outstanding repair, please:

1. Let us know by calling us on 01824 706000 or email housing@denbighshire.gov.uk 
2. If you are unhappy with how we are dealing with it, please use our complaints procedure and we will look into it.
3. If you are still not happy, please contact the Ombudsman for Wales, who can award compensation and there will be no cost for any of this.

Here are some tips to help keep yourself safe from fraudsters/scammers: 

• Watch out for phone calls, letters or adverts on social media offering schemes to make quick, easy money – they are a scam.
• Scammers will ask you to lie to the bank regarding any payment requests. If you’re being told to lie to the bank, it’s a scam.
• Never reveal your bank account information, including login details, passwords, or one-time passcodes, to anyone.
• Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is.
• If you’re worried about a fraud or a scam,you can contact Action Fraud via their website by clicking this link or tel: 0300 123 2040 to report fraud.

There are also some useful websites you can visit:

• If you have received a scam email, text etc, but you haven’t done anything, or been a victim of an actual crime:
  • You can report these at https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams

• If you have been a victim of a scam:
  • Call Action Fraud (National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre) on 0300 123 2040 or visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime
  • Contact your bank, explain the scam and any payment you’ve made.

• How to avoid scam calls and letters. There are two organisations you can register with to try and avoid scam calls and letters, They don’t stop all calls and letters, but they can help:
  • https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/
  • https://www.mpsonline.org.uk/