North Lanarkshire Council trading standards officer scammed

Feb 11 2010 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

A COUNCIL officer who works to protect people from scams has told how she herself was victim of bank fraud.

Lynne McInally, a consumer and trading officer with North Lanarkshire Council, was giving a talk to a group of Motherwell businessmen last month.

Ms McInally had been invited to the group to talk about consumer protection matters and how best to avoid being ripped off.

She told her stunned audience that she was furious at having just discovered that fraudsters had gained access to her bank account.

One member of the audience, a retired businessman from Motherwell, said: “She said she was seething as she had just had money taken from her account.

“You could see the anger in her eyes. She told the audience that £200 was missing, £190 was about to be taken from the account and she had been billed £65 for a bunch of flowers she knew nothing about.”

He added: “People in the audience were surprised, but I suppose it shows that no matter how many precautions you take or how knowledgeable you are, you or your bank account can still be targeted.”

Council advisory services manager Duncan Smith said people who thought they would never be caught up in a scam were deluding themselves.

“What happened to our officer wasn’t a scam but out-and-out banking fraud and it shows why everyone has to be vigilant,” he added.

“Through our series of talks with local groups we have been trying to explain how to avoid getting caught up in scams.

“But bank fraud is a serious problem which can cause a great deal of upset to victims.

“Our advice is to check bank statements for any suspicious transactions and report them immediately either to their bank, police or both.”

Consumers wanting to know more about the types of scam that are doing the rounds, be it by e-mail, post or telephone, should contact their local Trading Standards office and ask for a copy of the OFT’s leaflet on scams.

As part of the Scamnesty initiative, trading standards are working with the OFT to identify the current scams that are targeting consumers and businesses alike.

People who receive letters or emails informing them that they’ve won the lottery or have been identified as being able to assist in the transfer of vast sums of money from abroad, can pass the details on to trading standards who are collating the information.