Barclays and Age Cymru tackle scams

Age Cymru and Barclays are joining forces to combat scams against older people this May - Scams Awareness Month.

We will be visiting branches of Barclays across Wales during May to speak to customers about how to avoid being conned.

Barclays will also be giving its customers information sheets from Age Cymru about scams during Scams Awareness Month.

Mervyn Owen, Community Leader for Barclays Bank South Wales says:

"I am absolutely delighted to be supporting this great initiative through all of our Branches in Wales as helping to educate and support our older generation against these scams is very important to us as part of our Citizenship responsibilities. "

Age Cymru's research reveals more than 2,500 scams were reported to Trading Standards between February 2012 and February 2013.

But the Office of Fair Trading believes that only 5% of scams are ever reported.

This means as many as 50,000 scams could have been committed during February 2012 and February 2013.

Louise Hughes, Safeguarding Manager at Age Cymru comments:

"A scam is a way of conning people out of money, but the vast majority of scams are not reported.

"Older people, who are scammed - either by dodgy doorstep traders, scam mail, telephone or internet scams, lose an average of £1,200 each.

"They can also lose their life savings, their self-esteem, their dignity and even the will to live, so this is obviously a very serious problem.

"Age Cymru is thrilled to be working with Barclays Bank and its network of branches across Wales to help educate the public about the dangers of scams."