Nick Smith MP is hoping to put the scammers on notice this May as part of Scams Awareness Month.

The Blaenau Gwent MP has already been visiting areas in the borough to help raise awareness of doorstep scams and protect some of our most vulnerable residents.

Mr Smith’s visit to Rassau Luncheon Club encouraged people to sign up to a scheme that would put a stop to both nuisance telephone calls and junk mail.

Afterwards, he visited residents of Gwent Way in Tredegar to warn them about doorstep scammers.

This included handing out stickers that can be put in your window to point out cold callers will not be welcome.

Mr Smith’s campaigning is part of Age Cymru’s campaign against the rip-off merchants who wreck lives and prey on the vulnerable.

With the average elderly victim losing £1,200 to a scam, Mr Smith said we need to protect ourselves against the predatory actions of the con artists.

“Cold callers, junk mailers and cowboy traders could take advantage of any of us, regardless of age, but it is the elderly who are most at risk”, he said.

“However much we want to believe otherwise, you will never get something for nothing.

“However savvy someone is, it only takes one scam to work and livelihoods or savings can be decimated.

“This is why I’m campaigning in Blaenau Gwent over the coming weeks to help people defend themselves and their loved ones from scammers.

“I don’t want to hear of heartbreaking stories of deceit in the borough -; and I want everyone to join in and make that a reality.”

For more information on Scams Awareness Month, visit www.agecymru.org.uk/scamsandswindles

 Age Cymru are calling for the following:

• Royal Mail protocols to be changed to allow its staff to offer advice and report suspicious mail when they suspect someone is being scammed. Legislation to be amended by the UK Government to allow this. 

• Telephony companies to offer more protection against scam phonecalls, especially from abroad, and to close down lines from offenders.

• Internet service providers to increase protection against spam/scam e-mails with higher security levels, plus blocking access to known offenders.

• The Welsh Government and Welsh local authorities to consider dramatically increasing the number of No Cold Calling Zones to protect older people from unscrupulous rogue traders and doorstep scams and make them legally enforceable.