Covid 19 has been accompanied by a surge in scams, with new attempts to dupe the public every day. Everyone is potentially vulnerable to these scams

36M UK adults have been targeted by a scammer since January 2021

33% surge in scams between April 2020 and April 2021

60% increase in scams via telephone calls

54% of scams related to bogus delivery notifications

41% of scams involved fake government communications

667% rise in scams via unsolicited emails

Ring 159 for Britain's new emergency fraud helpline

From 28 September the public are being urged to ring a new hotline if they are concerned about a payment

Members of the public targeted by fraudsters have been urged to contact a new emergency hotline designed to fast-track a customer to their bank.

Stop Scams UK, an industry body founded by telecoms and banking firms last year, has advised potential scam victims to "stop, hang up and call 159 to speak directly to your bank."

The hotline is intended as a "memorable and secure" number that works in a similar way as the 101 hotline for the police or 111 number for the NHS.

"It’s the number you can trust to get you through to your bank, every time," said Stop Scams UK.

The hotline will run as a 12-month pilot. Customers of Barclays, Halifax, Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, Santander and Starling Bank can call the number to be connected to their bank.

Stop Scams UK estimates 70pc of primary account holders in the UK will be able to use the hotline

Last year the public lost £470m to fraudsters pretending to be a bank or other service provider, with a particular focus on authorised "push payment" fraud which relies on convincing high-pressure tactics.

 When should you call 159?

The 159 number will never call customers, but the public has been told they can rely on the hotline to be connected to their bank.

Stop Scams UK has urged customers to use the hotline if they are contacted by someone claiming to be from their bank, even if the call does not appear suspicious.

Customers should also call 159 if they have received a call requesting a money transfer or payment, or they have been contacted about a suspicious financial matter.

Ruth Evans, of Stop Scams UK, said: "If you ever feel pressured into transferring money or giving out personal details, you should hang up and call 159 to check it’s for real.

"Criminals rely on forcing people into the heat of the moment decisions, and calling 159 is a simple, practical tool to break their spell."

A recent report by UK Finance found impersonation scams had more than doubled in a year, with fraudsters targeting people who were “too polite” to hang up.

Criminal gangs have tricked “even the savviest of people” into transferring thousands of pounds by posing as representatives of the NHS, police, their bank or a delivery company.

 How much will the call cost?

A call to the 159 hotline is expected to charge the national rate, included for free in most phone tariffs.

According to Stop Scams UK, almost all major telephone companies have backed the scheme and more than 80pc of UK mobiles and landlines can now access the 159 number.

The telephone providers participating in the pilot are BT, EE, Plusnet, Gamma, O2, giffgaff, TalkTalk, Three, Virgin Media and Sky.

Andy Bates, of Global Cyber Alliance, an internet safety non-profit that helped launch the hotline, said the hotline was a "powerful new tool" in the fight against scams.

 When potential fraud victims call 159 they will be greeted by an automated message and instructions to press a certain number to be transferred to their chosen bank.

Domestic abuse can affect both females and males. It’s non-discriminatory, and depending on the situation, there are different options for help. It isn’t always easy to recognise domestic abuse, and asking for help can be a scary step. Transform is a partnership bringing together local organisations, each with unique skills and experience in domestic abuse, allowing us to deliver the best support possible for the Sutton community.

Transform Services offered include:

· Assessment and support for victims and children with access to an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor service (IDVA).

· Assessment and support for perpetrators.

· Women’s refuge and floating support.

· Support to children in schools.

· Working with health providers to establish referral pathways.

· Domestic abuse awareness including PSHE support and professional training.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, please call our Transform Information Line on 020 8092 7569 Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm for help and advice.

The One Stop Shop remains open as a drop in domestic abuse service every Wednesday, 9.30-11.30am at Sutton Baptist Church, 21 Cheam Road, Sutton, SM1 1SN. Here you can speak to an Independent Domestic Abuse Adviser face-to-face and many other key services needed. Appointments are not needed, however our sessions can get very busy and we operate on a first come first serve basis. For further advice and information, please visit www.notaloneinsutton.org.uk

Are you in touch with a family where someone has an illness or disability, be it a physical, mental health or perhaps a substance mis-use issue? If so, then someone in that household is likely to have a caring role – and is therefore an (unpaid) Carer. That Carer could be an adult or a child (‘Young Carer’).

Carers also can be ‘significant others’ like friends or neighbours, as family can mean different things to different people. Also, most people don’t call themselves Carers, so it can be tricky to identify people who could benefit from support. 

Please help these families connect with us. The information, advice, practical and emotional support that we provide helps Carers stay safe and well whilst they are caring for others – and also acts as a factor in ensuring that the people they care for stay safe, too. 

For more information, please visit our website: www.suttoncarerscentre.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and our Sutton Young Carers Instagram. 

Please call us on 020 8296 5611, 10am - 5pm Monday to Friday, until 8pm on Tuesdays or 2nd Saturday of the month 11am - 1pm, or email us on enquiries@suttoncarerscentre.org or youngcarers@suttoncarerscentre.org. 

We are located at Benhill House, 1st Floor, 12-14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DA. 

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious then you are not on your own. Sutton Uplift offers a service that may help you feel positive again.

Sutton Uplift is a free service for anyone aged 18+ (with a postcode or GP registered in Sutton) experiencing difficulties and symptoms related to stress, anxiety and depression. We are a partnership between the NHS and local voluntary sector organisations.

With values based on empowerment and building resilience within the community we tailor support to the individual. The service has four key elements: The Referral Centre, Recovery Team, IAPT (Improving access to Psychological therapies) and Wellbeing.

We can support your mental health and wellbeing needs through a number of ways including:

· - Self-management courses

· - Psychological therapies

· - Psychiatric assessments

· - Recovery and Wellbeing support

If you think we can be of help and are interested in finding out more about our service please complete the referral form on our website: www.suttonuplift.co.uk or call us Mon-Fri 9-6pm on 0800 032 1411 (Freephone) or 020 3513 4044 (charged at your network rate) and select Option 1. You do not need to be referred by your GP or any other professional. Just get in touch with us and we can talk through whether our service is for you. We aim to support people with Wellbeing in many ways so no problem is considered to be too small.