Scams and swindles campaign

Communications companies whose networks are used by scammers should take more responsibility for protecting vulnerable older people.

That's the call of our new campaign - Scams and swindles, which claims these companies are inadvertently making money out of the activities of scammers.

Age Cymru is also calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to widen the scale and scope of No Cold Call Zones to keep unwelcome visitors away from doorsteps and to introduce a new law giving the zones legal backing.

We're launching a booklet today - also called Scams and swindles, in which we say there is a moral responsibility on postal services such as Royal Mail and telephone and internet service providers to prevent scammers reaching vulnerable people.

Age Cymru wants all such companies to introduce new protocols to allow intervention and better technology to protect older people and other vulnerable customers.

A range of Welsh MPs and AMs across different parties have already declared their support for the Scams and swindles campaign.

Age Cymru is also working with the Older People's Commissioner and trading standards to attack scams.

Our Campaigns Co-ordinator Gerry Keighley says:

"There are lots of valuable awareness-raising campaigns warning older people about the dangers of scams but many are still being trapped by the criminals.

"We are especially concerned about isolated older people, perhaps suffering from dementia, who have money and who are targeted by scammers.

"It's time the companies which make money from the use of their networks took their share of the responsibility for the problem."