Officers attend event to tackle rogue traders in Medway

Anti-fraud officers have attended a community event as part of ongoing efforts to tackle rogue traders in Medway.

On Friday 2 June 2023, Kent Police’s Fraud Prevention Team attended the ‘55’s Advice and Information Fair’ at the Victory School, Chatham.

Prevent and Protect Fraud Officers Stephen Kelly and Robert Slade spent the morning promoting the force’s fraud protect message, with a focus on doorstep criminals or ‘rogue traders’.

Stephen Kelly explained:

‘Forewarned is fore-armed, so we used the fair as an opportunity to offer members of the community valuable, practical advice to help them recognise scammers and protect themselves from being defrauded.‘Unfortunately, perpetrators of doorstep crime are becoming slicker and appear more credible than before, so we also shared guidance on what to do should anyone find themselves the victims of fraud.’

The event was hosted by Member of Parliament Tracey Crouch, with the aim of ensuring that older members of the community are aware of the services available to them, including support to protect themselves from fraud.

Advice

To report a fraud you can contact Kent Police online or by calling 999 in an emergency. You can also contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111. You can also visit their websites Action Fraud and Giving information | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org).

To read more about fraud and how to protect yourself visit www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud or www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk