Nick Smith MP is continuing the fight to tackle scammers, cold callers and rogue traders by joining a national campaign to protect vulnerable people.

Mr Smith has joined the Friends Against Scams campaign, an initiative that aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities.

It comes after Trading Standards revealed 38 Blaenau Gwent victims have lost £10,687 since 2013, with a further 197 potential victims that have been identified by the team in the area. 

The Blaenau Gwent MP has previously campaigned against doorstep scams in the community while signing up constituents to schemes that will cut down on junk emails and cold calls.

Now as a SCAMbassador, the Blaenau Gwent MP has joined a cross-party network to protect everyone from scams and the damage they cause.

Each year scams cause between £5bn and £10bn worth of detriment to UK consumers. In addition to the financial impact, scams can have a severe emotional and psychological impact on victims.

Mr Smith said: “Scams often target the most vulnerable people in society but the reality is that anyone can become a victim of scams.

“Scams damage lives and can affect people financially and emotionally so I am glad to have joined the work of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute and others who are working together to prevent people from being victims of scams.”

Louise Baxter, Team Manager, National Trading Standards Scams Team said: “The tactics used by scammers leave victims socially isolated and ashamed of telling their friends and families what’s really going on behind closed doors.

“It is fantastic to have such an influential figure in the community to help us tackle this problem on a local, regional and national level and I would encourage all those that are interested in showing their support to join the campaign and be part of our growing SCAMbassador network.”

For more information about becoming a Friend Against Scams including the full campaign pack, please visit http://www.tradingstandards.uk/standagainstscams  or contact the TSI policy team policy@tsi.org.uk