Citizen’s Advice Bureau impostors scamming Glasgow families

What appears to be a coordinated came is taking place in Glasgow and has been occurring for several weeks. There are a number of reports of callers impersonating staff from their local Citizen’s Advice Bureau office, and they are stating they can help address any debt arears that people have. The caller is saying if they have some personal or bank information, then they can help the consumer.

Not only is it occurring in Glasgow, but an increasing number of residents are reporting receiving these unsolicited phone calls in other towns and cities. The con is stretching to nearby areas of Fife, Angus and Berwickshire and has been impacting hundreds of people from these communities.

If you receive this call, be aware that CAB would never ask for bank details, and their advice is always free and impartial. In general, if anyone calls you and claims to be from the agency and asks if the household needs advice on debt or money worries, then chances are this is not an honest call and is a scam. No reputable organisation would ever call someone and ask for this information over the phone.

Steps to take on unsolicited calls

Never give bank or personal details over the phone, especially if someone promises they can clear your debts if you give this information. Instead, if you really need help with any financial hardship or challenge, then the individual should call their local Glasgow Citizen Advice Bureau on their own to set up an appointment, as the advice is provided to them at no cost.

Another step to take to help screen out any con is to ask anyone who promises debt relief for their name and phone number, company and website. This is strongly recommend by Margaret Lynch, who is the chief executive of CAB. Also, ask the person for the name of someone at the local Glasgow Citizen Advice Bureau office who can verify their services and identity. In most cases, if someone asks a caller or anyone else that makes promises for this information, the potential scammer will back off.

Consumers should be aware that in all cases, any assistance from a Citizen’s Advice Bureau centre in all counties and areas, whether Glasgow or somewhere else, is free, confidential, impartial and independent. They won’t make unsolicited calls, and staff will never pressure people for information.

To learn more, call a Citizen’s Advice Bureau office in Glasgow or Angus. Or call one in your local district. Staff are on hand to give free advice to resolve issues that individuals have. There will not be any question on their services and the costs, as there is none.