Farmers and the wider public are being urged to remain vigilant as credit card scams have been circulating in the county.
The warning comes as the Farmers’ Union of Wales (FUW) county office has received numerous phone calls from members raising the alarm.
According to Citizens Advice, scammers have been exploiting the pressures that the Covid-19 pandemic is putting people under and have noticed a significant increase in the number of scams relating to financial services in the last 12 months.
These can include fake “Get Rich Quick” investment schemes or someone pretending to be from the individual’s bank, asking them to transfer money or personal details.
FUW Pembrokeshire county chairman Mike Kurtz said:
Our county office has received numerous phone calls about members having potentially fallen foul of a credit card scam in recent months.
“People of all ages and backgrounds get scammed and it’s important to be on your guard.”
4.4 million fraud offences
Estimates from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW) showed that there were 4.4 million fraud offences in the last 12 months.
Citizens Advice further found in June 2020 that in the first three months of the first lockdown over a third of British adults (36%) had been the target of a scam.
“It is important to remember that everyone can be vulnerable to scams, added Kutz.
“The people who carry them out are convincing, it is what they do for a day job. But there is assistance out there from Citizens Advice, Trading Standards and the police.
“If you think someone might be trying to scam you, it’s important to act straight away. Please remember that it is important to report scams, no matter how small, so that they can be fully investigated and to ensure that support is given to the individuals concerned,” he said.
