Scams Circulating On Isle Of Wight Involve Email Hacking And Doorstep Traders

Sunday, 20 June 2021 06:00

By Iona Stewart-Richardson @IslandIona

Email hacking and doorstep traders are among the scams circulating on the Isle of Wight.

Trading Standards says the most recent warnings also include a loft insulation and solar panel scam.

Islanders have also reported their emails have been hacked and they are being approached by doorstep traders.

Loft Insulation

The caller identifies himself as Tom and had been using a Bournemouth number but has now started using 01983 numbers. This is more likely to seem legitimate as it is a local number – the caller will offer you a FREE survey to find out if your loft insulation is causing damp issues.
If you agree to the survey they will book somebody in to come and have a look and they will find problems and then proceed to do the work for you at an inflated price.
The Footprint Trust has advised that in most cases fibre glass loft insulation does not cause damp issues and if it does it can easily be remedied by pulling it back from where it touches the roof which increases airflow.

Solar Panels

Islanders have also reported receiving letters from companies regarding problems with solar panels. Whilst these may not be scam companies it is highly likely that they will find a problem and may cause further problems when working on your system.
If you receive one of these letters and you are unsure if you have a problem or not, contact a local trusted trader who can advise you.

Doorstep Traders

Doorstep traders seem to be on the increase, be wary of anyone knocking your door offering to do work for you,– we’ve had reports of window cleaners coming from the mainland along with people offering to buy your gold. We would advise against any kind of doorstep trading.

Email Accounts

If you receive an email from a friend asking for help - be wary. Islanders say they have had their email accounts hacked - which results in scammers sending random emails to all of the contacts in their address book, invariably asking for money and help.
There may be links that they are asking you to click – DON’T!

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