A number of concerned Wrexham residents have reported that they’ve received unusual telephone calls from a business claiming to be from ‘Central Government’ or ‘the Council’. The caller told the residents that the loft insulation at their property might be damaged due to condensation, and they want to book a surveyor visit to inspect it.
Wrexham Trading Standards believe this is just an attempt to gain access to the property to replace insulation that probably doesn’t need replacing. If loft insulation wasn’t fitted correctly this could create condensation, but it’s not something that happens with all installations.
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Our advice
It is poor business practice to cold call. Trading Standards would advise anyone receiving such calls to exercise caution, think and ‘take five’ before responding or agreeing anything.
We also advise you to not take cold calls on face value and never agree to a visit from anyone who cold calls you in this way. Don’t give out any personal details and if in doubt hang up and check the information that was being given.
If you believe you have an issue with your loft insulation, ask family and friends for trader recommendations. A legitimate trader will rarely cold call, and will never put pressure on you to have work done.
More scams in the area
We’ve also had an increase in reports on these other scams recently:
• Text messages or phone calls from scammers offering refunds of Council Tax
• HMRC scam calls demanding tax payment, threatening that “you will be taken to court”
• Calls from scammers claiming to be from Amazon Prime
• Scammers attempting to gain access to your computer
Remember, never disclose your personal details and never give bank or payment card details to anyone who cold calls you.
If you’d like advice about scams or if you need to report a scam, please contact the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133.
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