Phone scams

THE UK government recently announced that companies who cold call new and existing customers will no longer be able to disguise their telephone numbers.
Age Cymru welcomes this news because it will allow us all to see who’s calling and help us to report persistent and nuisance callers. Telephone cold calling can be annoying and it can cause anxiety and distress, especially to those who live alone. 
Telephone cold calling is also a tactic that is widely used by scammers to try to steal our money or bank details. They will often pretend to be from our bank and may ask for our Pin numbers or say they’re sending a courier to collect our bank cards. Remember – your bank will never ask you for your Pin number or send a courier to collect your bank card!  
Age Cymru’s “Scams and swindles” campaign is calling for more protection for older people from scams, including telephone scams. We believe call blocking devices – which can prevent up to 98 per cent of unwanted calls, should be made available as standard for older and vulnerable people as part of their home telephone package. Age Cymru works nationally and locally through its network of independent local Age Cymru partners. Age Cymru is committed to achieving an age friendly Wales where older people have equal rights to respect, opportunities and the same access to services as the rest of the population.