Trading Standards Service Performance Report 2022 to 2023

Protecting the Vulnerable

the service has signed a partnership agreement with the National Scams Team (NST) to help in identifying, advising and educating those vulnerable local consumers who are being targeted by scam mail and other mass marketing scams. As a result, officers have contacted 47 individual victims following priority referrals from the NST
no Cold Calling Zones have been introduced around the Borough to reduce the number of bogus callers and rogue traders operating in particular areas and to help educate and empower residents in dealing effectively with cold callers. During the year, 19 new zones were established, bringing the total number within the Borough to almost 150
work around scams awareness and fraud prevention has continued. As part of this, almost 90 notifications on current and trending scams were sent to the Media Team for public circulation via social media and press releases. Articles on scams awareness have also been published in Stockton News and officers have attended awareness raising events at both Stockton and Billingham markets
the boss of a local window company was prosecuted after he swindled a vulnerable elderly couple out of £4,500 as payment for swing and slide patio doors, which he then subsequently failed to deliver. The trader was handed a 12-month community order after pleading guilty to unfair trading and fraud offences. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 in compensation to the victims and £1,700 in legal costs