Newry, Mourne and Down PCSP Launches Second ‘Scambassador’ Training Session

Communities across Newry, Mourne and Down are being targeted by an increasing number of scams, which are becoming extremely sophisticated and varied, and much harder to detect. Scammers are targeting people of all ages, backgrounds, and income levels, with older and vulnerable people being particularly susceptible.

To combat this, Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) has launched their second set of free ‘Scambassador’ online awareness sessions. They will take place on Monday 18 October, Tuesday 19 October and Wednesday 20 October.

Newry, Mourne and Down PCSP Chairperson, Councillor Alan Lewis, said, “In March 2021, over 75 people attended the PCSP online ‘Scambassador’ training, with feedback from those who attended the training being overwhelmingly positive. For this reason, PCSP have decided to repeat these sessions again, and I would like to encourage anyone who may have missed out, to sign up for the ‘Scambassador’ training.

Cllr Lewis continued, “The information provided at these sessions will give people the skills and knowledge they need to identify the latest techniques that scammers are using. This will hopefully mean that we can continue to decrease the amount of people in the Newry, Mourne and Down area falling victim to scams.”

The sessions will be delivered by a representative from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and will include guest speakers from the banking industry. Participants will gain the knowledge and tools to protect themselves from scams, in addition to becoming a ‘Scambassador’, meaning they can pass on scam prevention information to vulnerable members of the community.”

Police Service of Northern Ireland District Commander, Superintendent Norman Haslett, said,

“One of the best ways to tackle scams is to understand how scammers commit their crimes and to know the signs to look for, which may indicate a scam is taking place. Whilst arrests and convictions are continuing to be made for scam offences, offenders are still targeting particularly vulnerable and older people. It is therefore vital that these people are aware of current scams and what to look out for, which this ‘Scambassador’ training will provide. It is important to remember anyone can find themselves the victim of a scam. If you suspect you may have been scammed or involved in fraudulent activity, please report this via 101 or contact Action Fraud UK.”

To attend the October ‘Scambassador’ training, register via the Eventbrite link: scambassadortraining.eventbrite.co.uk

As places are limited for each of the four sessions and demand is expected to be high, early sign up is advised. For further information, please contact the PCSP at pcsp@nmandd.org.