For media enquiries, please contact the National Trading Standards Communications Team on 020 7101 5013 or email press@nationaltradingstandards.co.uk
Please note the Communications Team only deals with enquiries from the media and journalists. Members of the public can find information on how to make a complaint about goods or services or make a general enquiry on our contacts page.
A builder from Shropshire was today sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to 3 years and 9 months imprisonment for running a fraudulent home improvement company which left victims with unfinished work, turning their homes into building sites and costing thousands in repairs.
Read MoreFour men who exploited the Government’s ‘Green Deal’ initiative and cheated their way to more than £1 million have been sentenced today at Leeds Crown Court (13 December 2024).
Read MoreMore than a million illegal vapes were seized by Trading Standards in 2023/2024, new data released from National Trading Standards (NTS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) shows.
Read MoreA ‘professional conman’ who defrauded his vulnerable victims out of more than £500,000 has been sentenced to more than four years in prison today (Monday 29 July).
Read MoreA fraudster who bullied vulnerable victims into signing contracts for poor standard work has been sentenced.
Read MoreA group of money launderers who laundered the proceeds of bogus computer service companies that conned victims out of over £1 million have been sentenced.
Read MoreTicket touts who shamelessly exploited people longing to see their music idols in concert have been sentenced to a combined total of 6 years and 5 months imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court today (17 May).
Read MoreTwo people who scammed victims out of over £24,000 have been sentenced.
Read MoreTwo fraudulent builders who left properties in danger have paid back £220,000 that will be returned to their victims following a National Trading Standards Regional Investigations Team (North West) investigation.
Read MoreA man from Rotherham who used Facebook Marketplace to con customers out of £14,544 has been sentenced.
Read MoreThe final pair of a family of ‘ticket touts’ have been found guilty of fraudulently and dishonestly buying and reselling tickets – often at vastly inflated prices – for high profile music events such as Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga and Little Mix concerts.
Read MoreTwo directors from the north east whose company carried out fraudulent and dangerous home improvement works that cost victims thousands of pounds have been sentenced at Teesside Crown Court today (24 October 2023).
Read MoreA Swindon builder who defrauded 18 victims in his home town and along the M4 corridor has been jailed for 15 months.
Read MoreNine sales agents who tricked small businesses into buying overpriced energy contracts and convinced them not to sign up for better value alternatives have been sentenced today at Preston Crown Court court for their role in a complex fraud case. This is the latest milestone in the legal case that saw Andrew Pilley, the owner of Fleetwood Town Football Club and a range of other businesses, sentenced to 13 years in prison following a hearing in Preston Crown Court on Tuesday 4 July.
Read More#NoBlameNoShame campaign launched to encourage people to talk about scams
Read MoreA complex fraud investigation into the mis-selling of energy saving products to vulnerable victims has resulted in seven prosecutions.
Read MoreA builder from Mansfield who pressured householders across the East Midlands into paying for shoddy extensions that in many cases needed demolishing, has been sentenced today at Nottingham Crown Court.
Read MoreSix fraudsters who conned elderly residents out of £10.5 million for over-priced and often unnecessary home improvement work have been sentenced to a combined total of 22.5 years at Nottingham Crown Court today (7 September 2023). Many of the group's victims were elderly and vulnerable people in their 80s and 90s, with some of the most vulnerable repeatedly and cynically targeted.
Read MoreRevised guidance has been published by the National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team with regard to supplementary terms used when marketing properties.
Read MoreA fraudulent builder from Swindon who left work unfinished after pressuring victims to pay more than the agreed price has been sentenced at Reading Crown Court today (11 August 2023).
Read MoreTwo men from Ilford who sold £90,000 worth of dangerous counterfeit electrical goods that put consumers at risk of electrocution and posed a fire risk were sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court today (Friday 21 July).
Read MoreAndrew Pilley, the owner of Fleetwood Town Football Club and a range of other businesses, has been sentenced to 13 years in pirson following a hearing in Preston Crown Court today (Tuesday 4 July).
Read MoreHampshire County Council Trading Standards has welcomed a successful prosecution following their investigation into the fraudulent sale of second-hand cars
Read MoreA Birmingham man has been handed a 27 month custodial sentence at Birmingham Crown Court today after being found guilty of trademark offences.
Read MoreA family who made over £2 million using deliberately misleading websites to trick people into paying for European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs), which were freely available from the official NHS website, have been sentenced today at Leeds Crown Court following an investigation by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreTwo brothers from Minety and a third man from Aldermaston have today (13 April), been given prison sentences, following a successful prosecution by Wiltshire Council supported by the National Trading Standards South West Regional Investigation Team.
Read MoreTwo ‘ticket touts’ who fraudulently resold event tickets have been ordered to pay back £6,167,522.02 at a hearing at Leeds Crown Court today. The confiscation order was handed down at the latest hearing associated with the UK’s first successful prosecutions and convictions against a company fraudulently reselling tickets on a large scale.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards is encouraging members of the public to send in scam mail in a ‘Scamnesty’ running until 23 December.
Read MoreA Black Friday crackdown by enforcement bodies and Meta has been launched to remove listings of potential counterfeit products from Instagram in the run-up to Black Friday.
Read MoreTwo criminals who conned vulnerable people out of tens of thousands have today been sentenced.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards highlights threats to look out for as criminals exploit cost-of-living fears.
Read MoreA door-to-door fish seller who targeted elderly and vulnerable customers using dishonest and aggressive sales techniques has today been sentenced.
Read MoreA mobile fish seller who scammed vulnerable victims has today been sentenced to 5 years and 7 months.
Read MoreA fish seller who sold poor-quality fish to elderly people using aggressive business tactics handed an eight month custodial sentence.
Read MoreA Newmarket letting agent who defrauded his customers has today been jailed for 34 months.
Read MoreA roofer who left customers with large repair bills after carrying out shoddy work has today been jailed for 3 years and 3 months.
Read MoreCompensation roll-out begins following landmark investigation.
Read MoreThe National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) has published new guidance to help agents ensure they are meeting their requirements under Part A of the process to improve material information in property listings.
Read MoreA rogue Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) training provider who conned people across the country out of more than £63,000 has been handed a suspended prison sentence and disqualified from being a director for five years. At Harrow Crown Court on Friday 24 June he was found guilty of misleading consumers under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards scheme reaches ‘one million Friends’ milestone and saves society £59m.
Read MoreHavering Council’s trading standards team helped to stop unsafe electrical goods being sold to the public in an investigation which saw a company director prosecuted.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT) has today published its opinion*, developed with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), that the use of ‘POA’ or ‘price on application’ in property listings (principally sales listings) contravenes consumer protection legislation.
Read MoreA tradesman from Torquay has today been handed a 43-month custodial sentence and a Criminal Behaviour Order for 10 years at Bristol Crown Court after pleading guilty to running a fraudulent business.
Read MoreThe National Trading Standards Board is delighted to confirm that Lord Michael Bichard will take over as the Chair of National Trading Standards from 1 June 2022.
Read MoreIllegal tobacco products worth more than £7 million have been seized in the first year* of a major crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade by National Trading Standards (NTS) and HMRC.
Read MoreA property's council tax band or rate and the property price and tenure information (for sales) must be included on all property listings by the end of May 2022 and these data fields will start to appear on portals over the coming weeks.These changes represent the first phase of a project by the National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team, in partnership with industry leaders and the UK’s major property portals*, to define what constitutes material information for property listings.
Read MoreTwo brothers have been sentenced at Bristol Crown Court today after pleading guilty to one count of participating in a fraudulent roofing and building business on December 22 at Bristol Crown Court.
Read MoreThree fraudsters have been sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court today (4 February 2022) for their part in an elaborate property improvement scam which saw victims conned into paying deposits totalling nearly £800,000 for building work that was never undertaken.
Read MoreVictims conned out of tens of thousands of pounds by Bath fraudster
Read MoreNational Trading Standards urges consumers to beware of fake online reviews when Christmas shopping
Read MoreThe Court of Appeal has today (26 November 2021) dismissed appeals from two online ‘ticket touts’ who were jailed on 24 February 2020 in a landmark case heard at Leeds Crown Court.
Read MoreThree men who conspired to defraud victims across London and the home counties have been found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court today (24 November) for their part in a property improvement scam. A fourth individual pleaded guilty to one count of fraud earlier in the proceedings.
Read MoreWhatsApp enlists ‘Scambassador’ Joel Dommett to encourage the British public to Stop. Think. Call. before responding to a suspicious message that may be a scam
Read MoreMore than five million illegal cigarettes have been seized from local retail outlets in the first six months of the year as part of Operation CeCe, a joint initiative between National Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle the illegal tobacco trade.
Read MoreCriminal trader from County Durham receives custodial sentence
Read MoreA new operation has been launched to tackle the growing number of illegal puppy farms following a multi-agency investigation led by National Trading Standards and Trading Standards Wales.
Read MoreTwin threats to vulnerable as criminals resume doorstep tactics whilst scaling up mass marketing scams; reports jump 76% during pandemic.
Read MoreA banned West Midlands estate agent has today been sentenced to a custodial sentence of six weeks, suspended for two years, and fined £4,000 at Wolverhampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to unlawfully engaging in estate agency work.
Read MoreA Birmingham man has been sentenced today (23 August 2021) to four years imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court today after previously pleading guilty to 26 offences for manufacturing and selling fake designer clothes.
Read MoreA new initiative is launched to crack down on criminals using self-storage facilities fraudulently.
Read MoreToday three mobile fish sellers who defrauded and knowingly misled elderly and vulnerable consumers out of approximately £325,000 have been sentenced to a combined total of 8 years at Teesside Crown Court.
Read MoreMore than two thirds of British adults (36 million) have been targeted by a scammer since January, new research by Citizens Advice has found.
Read MoreProsecutions follow National Trading Standards test purchasing programme
Read MoreNational Trading Standards is launching a new programme with input from property portals and industry groups to make it as easy as possible for estate and letting agents to provide basic essential material information.
Read MoreNew findings highlight a surge in the proportion of scam and nuisance calls as callers target people over the age of 70 to exploit new and unfamiliar processes associated with COVID-19, such as applying for swab tests and vaccines.
Read MoreScamnesty launched to turn the tables on criminals
Read MoreSouthampton City Council’s Trading Standards service, working in partnership with the Regional Investigation Team, have secured a significant conviction against a rogue plumbing and drainage engineer.
Read MoreA mobile fish seller who defrauded vulnerable households out of £100,000 has been sentenced today at Teesside Crown Court to 60 months in prison, reduced to 40 months for an early guilty plea.
Read MoreReview into referral fees in the estate agency industry published
Read MoreAnyone can be the victim of a scam, however some people are more vulnerable to scams and criminals will use this to their advantage.
Read MoreSix people involved in duping vulnerable homeowners out of £400,700 for bogus roof repairs have been sentenced in a Croydon Council prosecution working with National Trading Standards.
Read MoreWarning issued as criminals exploit new fraud opportunities
Read MoreThree scammers have been sentenced to a combined total of 9 ¼ years (111 months) at Birmingham Crown Court today (26 August 2020) for their part in running a fraudulent home improvement company in Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire.
Read MoreThe number of knives sold to children by national retailers appears to have fallen significantly, according to new test purchasing data published by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreA couple who mis-sold driving lessons to thousands of learner drivers across the country have been sentenced to 46 weeks’ custody, suspended for two years, at Leeds Crown Court today (Friday 24th July) after pleading guilty to breaching the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
Read MoreAs COVID-19 lockdown measures start to ease, National Trading Standards is predicting a rise in scam telephone calls as illegitimate call centres around the world get back to work.
Read MoreA company director has been ordered to return £150,000 to the public purse following a hearing today (2 July) at Leeds Crown Court.
Read MoreA couple who ran an online plumbing services scam have each been sentenced to six months imprisonment (suspended for 12 months) and ordered to carry out 80 hours unpaid work.
Read MoreA criminal who ran a council tax scam across the North West has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison following a recent hearing at Liverpool Crown Court (22 May).
Read MoreMore than 100 organisations are spearheading a new initiative to combat fraud against businesses as more companies and employees adjust to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing their exposure to sophisticated business scams.
Read MoreMalicious email attachments, false government grant phone calls and CEO impersonation scams are among a raft of scams undermining businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreUnscrupulous criminals are exploiting fears about COVID-19 to prey on members of the public, particularly older and vulnerable people who are isolated from family and friends. National Trading Standards is warning people to remain vigilant following a rise in coronavirus-related scams that seek to benefit from the public’s concern and uncertainty over COVID-19.
Read MoreSeven men have been sentenced at Leicester Crown Court for their part in a fraudulent emergency plumbing operation that preyed on victims across the country. Three of the men received custodial sentences totalling more than four years following an investigation by Trading Standards officers at Leicestershire County Council.
Read MoreJohn Dodds must return money to 'public purse' after prison sentence for supplying illegal streaming devices
Read MoreA new approach to handling complaints about ads for property raffles has been agreed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team (NTSELAT).
Read MoreJudge Jeremy Jenkins commended Powys County Council yesterday at Merthyr Crown Court for prosecuting a rogue trader who targeted vulnerable males in Powys and South Wales and other parts of the UK in a ‘leather jacket’ scam.
Read MoreTwo ‘ticket touts’ from London have been sentenced to a total of six-and-a-half years behind bars following a ground-breaking hearing at Leeds Crown Court today. The sentences follow the first successful prosecution against a company fraudulently reselling tickets on a large scale.
Read MoreA tradesman from Swindon has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment suspended for two years at Bristol Crown Court today, Thursday 13th February 2020, after pleading guilty to two counts of fraudulent trading. He was also disqualified from being a director of a company for 8 years, must complete 160 hours unpaid work and wear an electronic tag for 3 months with curfew.
Read MoreTwo individuals have been ordered to pay back £424,560 for their part in a ‘leisure club’ scam. The confiscation orders were handed down at Birmingham Crown Court on 12 February 2020, where Dominic O’Reilly and Stephanie O’Reilly were ordered to pay £274,560 and £150,000 respectively for their part in running Eze Europe Ltd and linked businesses.
Read MoreThe National Trading Standards Estate & Letting Agency Team and The Property Ombudsman have today launched a survey to assess awareness and uptake of the transparency rules around referral fees linked to property buying and selling.
Read MoreThree individuals and a company have been found guilty of 34 offences for conning people into paying for overpriced, ineffective or unnecessary home improvement work and taking payment for work that was never even started. The convictions were handed down at Birmingham Crown Court on 31 January following an investigation by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigations Team in Central England, hosted by Birmingham City Council.
Read MoreA company that sent out scam promotional mailings to elderly consumers has been fined £150,000 at York Magistrates’ Court today (21 January 2020) after being found guilty of tricking recipients into thinking they had won, or could win, substantial cash prizes. The company has also been ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £170 and prosecution costs of £10,763.84.
Read MoreA building company director from County Durham has been sentenced to 8 months in prison at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to 14 counts of using misleading and aggressive commercial practices.
Read MoreA man found guilty of running a fraudulent tarmac repair business has been ordered to pay back £150,000 to his victims at a Proceeds of Crime hearing at Cardiff Crown Court. The POCA proceedings follow his five-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed down in August 2018 for his crimes. Failure to pay this sum within three months could result in an additional prison sentence of two years.
Read MoreOrganised crime groups are playing an increased role in doorstep crime and other scams, according to the annual Consumer Harm Report published today by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards and Lloyds Banking Group have today announced a new partnership designed to prevent people falling victim to scams.
Read MoreFree call blockers are being made available to people who believe they are being targeted with scam and nuisance phone calls. Between 1,800 and 2,000 call blockers are being provided on a first come, first served basis by the National Trading Standards Scams Team. Local authorities and care providers are expected to apply on behalf of victims – and individual applications from victims or family members will also be available.
Read MoreThe director and employees of an energy company that claimed to recover overpayments and VAT from UK energy suppliers for small businesses have been sentenced to a combined total of 13 years at Nottingham Crown Court today (Friday 30 August).
Read MoreA doorstep criminal who ran fish-selling businesses that contravened consumer protection regulations has been sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court today (27 September). Adam Brown used a number of illegal sales techniques to exploit consumers, resulting in nearly £8,500 lost by consumers from nearly 60 transactions.
Read MoreThree London criminals have been sentenced after pleading guilty to money laundering in April 2019. Two criminals were sentenced on 27 June 2019 and the third was sentenced on 21 September – all the sentences were handed down at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Read MoreFriends Against Scams initiative to include adaptable interactive workshops for children aged 8-16
Read MoreNew test purchasing data* published today shows that children have been able to buy knives from small independent stores and some of the biggest names on the high street, despite the major retailers pledging** to stop the sale of knives to children.
Read MoreEstate and Letting Agents in the UK are being urged to check that they are signed up with an approved redress scheme that covers the full remit of their work. The warning follows a recent tribunal that penalised a business that was signed up to a redress scheme for its letting agency work but not for its property management work.
Read MoreA South Tyneside man has been sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after admitting selling illegal satellite TV boxes.
Read MoreA man who operated a fraudulent business that sold kitchens and bathrooms to consumers out of Tesco supermarket foyers has received a 98 week prison sentence, suspended for 2 years, at Harrow Crown Court. He has also been ordered to complete 150 hours community service, pay Brent & Harrow Trading Standards costs of £59,354 and a statutory charge of £100.
Read MoreA second-hand car dealer based in Keighley has been ordered to pay £53,567 for secondhand vehicle sales that misled consumers. The fines were handed down at Leeds Magistrates Court on 30 April 2019 after the company entered guilty pleas relating to six breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations.
Read MoreA new team has been set up to provide greater protection for renters in England from letting agents who charge illegal tenant fees. This follows legislation that will ban tenant fees in the private sector in England from 1 June 2019. The new enforcement team – being led by National Trading Standards – will be responsible for regulating the private rental sector in England, protecting tenants and safeguarding compliant letting agents.
Read MoreA mother and son who ran a company that fraudulently serviced Dyson vacuum cleaners have been ordered to pay back more than £370,000 at a proceeds of crime hearing at Leeds Crown Court. Thomas Scoffin, director of Leeds-based Excel Servicing Ltd, and his mother, Linda Scoffin, were convicted in 2017 of conspiracy to defraud and sentenced to a total of ten years in prison following an investigation by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreThree people suspected of being involved in computer fraud have been arrested. Trading standards officers and police officers executed entry warrants at the homes of a 64 year old man and a 34 year old woman in Birmingham, and a 34 year old man in Swindon. They have been interviewed and released pending further investigation. A 65 year old woman from Tamworth agreed to be interviewed by police without the need for arrest. A further suspect remains at large.
Read MoreFollowing an investigation by the National Trading Standards Regional Investigation Team Central England, Dominic O’Reilly (55) of Costa Adeje, Tenerife was sentenced to a total of 28 months imprisonment and his step-daughter, Stephanie O’Reilly (30) of Dickens Heath, Solihull was sentenced to a total of 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, for their part in a timeshare ‘leisure credit’ scam.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards is calling on retailers to do more to prevent knife crime after interim findings from a new programme of test purchasing revealed many were selling knives without undertaking required age verifications.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards has today published new guidance on referral fees received by estate agents across the UK, which will make previously hidden fees open and transparent to consumers.
Read MoreToday the National Trading Standards Estate Agency (NTSEAT) team has released a guide for consumers seeking redress for leasehold matters. This is the latest step taken by NTSEAT to help protect home buyers from confusing and complicated leasehold charges.
Read MoreA joint operation between the National Trading Standards Regional Investigations Team Central England, Birmingham Trading Standards, West Midlands Police and partners including the Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG), the National Markets Group (NMG) and brand representatives, has resulted in the seizure of £2.5 million worth of counterfeit and unsafe products including clothing, jewellery and cosmetics.
Read MoreHunt for a bargain putting shoppers at risk of falling victim to online scams, warns National Trading Standards
Read MoreFollowing an investigation by the National Trading Standards Investigation Team (Wales), a 23 year old Newport man has today been sentenced to 10 months in prison and 180 hours unpaid work at Cardiff Crown Court for six offences of fraud. The prosecution was conducted by Newport City Council as two of the offences took place in the city.
Read MoreThe fifth man involved in a land banking scam where innocent victims were conned out of over £35 million has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and banned from being a company director for 15 years at Blackfriars Crown Court today. James Maynard is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case after fleeing the country before the original trial took place in March 2013.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards’ flagship Scam Marshals programme is to be expanded thanks to new funding from the Home Office as part of the government’s Loneliness Strategy.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards’ annual Consumer Harm Report reveals more consumer detriment prevented and record prison sentences handed down. Report also highlights new and emerging threats facing consumers and businesses.
Read MoreA man has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for defrauding vulnerable and elderly consumers across the country out of at least £300,000 at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court today. The sentencing follows a nationwide case taken by Powys County Council Trading Standards supported by the National Trading Standards Investigation Team Wales.
Read MoreA man who operated websites which conned consumers out of £1.6m has been handed a one year suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay £200,000 within 28 days at Leeds Crown Court today. The sentence comes after he pleaded guilty to breaches of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 following a National Trading Standards investigation.
Read MoreTelephone scammers who target vulnerable and elderly consumers with scams and nuisance telephone calls have been stopped in their tracks, with a National Trading Standards project blocking more than 100,000 unwanted calls in less than a year.
Read MoreAt Reading Crown Court on 20th June 2018, MICHAEL FREEMAN, 46, of Huntercombe Lane North, Taplow, Maidenhead, was sentenced to 9 months in custody suspended for a period of 2 years after pleading guilty to engaging in an unfair commercial practice in relation to a website www.drivinglicenses.org.uk that consumers thought was the DVLA. In addition the Court set a timetable for confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Read MoreNational Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT), with the support of The Property Ombudsman and the Property Redress Scheme, have today launched a survey to assess the use of referral fees among estate agents.
Read MoreA man who said he could cure diseases such as cancer and diabetes using just blood tests and food has been fined a total of £2,250 and handed a Criminal Behaviour Order at Blackfriars Crown Court today.
Read MoreSeven people have been sentenced to three years in prison at Cambridge Crown Court today for their role in a scam that targeted homeowners on their doorsteps.
Read MoreFollowing a trial at Chester Crown Court that lasted 4 weeks, three people have been sentenced to a total of almost 10 years on Friday 16th March for their roles in a home improvement fraud following an investigation by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreA husband and wife from Leeds convicted of consumer protection offences against vulnerable people have been ordered to pay back £917,287 under the Proceeds of Crime Act following a hearing at Leeds Crown Court.
Read MoreA call centre trader who misled consumers by claiming to be from Microsoft to carry out computer repairs has today [26 January 2018] been sentenced after pleading guilty to four unfair trading practices. Narendra Harilal Vadgama (age 56 of Babington Road, Barrow upon Soar, LE12 8NH), who traded under the name Internet Security Direct, admitted four charges brought under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
Read MoreTWO company directors have each been jailed for three years after admitting a £300k plus claims scam involving fake compensation claims for mis-sold solar panels.
Read MoreMan sentenced to five years and ten months for fraudulent business
Read MoreConcerns that Brits could put themselves at risk of online fraud this Christmas
Read MoreNational Trading Standards (NTS) prevented nearly £127 million in losses to consumers and businesses over the last year, new figures from the third annual Consumer Harm Report reveal. This represents an increase of more than a third on last year and takes the total losses prevented by NTS over the last three years to nearly half a billion pounds (over £471 million).
Read MoreToday (Friday 3rd November) at Hull Crown Court Mohammed Usman (age 36) of Highfield Lane, Keighley was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years and ordered to pay £39,752 compensation to his customers and £17,778.59 prosecution costs.
Read MoreWilliam Stringfellow, 51, of Killins Lane in Shotton, was convicted of conspiring to defraud at Mold Crown Court today (25th October). Stringfellow, who was the brains behind a company that conned businesses into believing it was a charity donating money to the emergency services, has been warned that he faces prison.
Read MoreTwo men have been sentenced today at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the sale of IPTV boxes which allowed people to illegally stream subscription content, infringing the rights of copyright holders. The convictions follow an investigation led by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreAction Fraud reports show that Binary Options fraud is a growing problem. In just the first half of 2017, 697 people reported to have lost over £18 million. The day of action used Operation Broadway tactics, mostly visiting businesses occupying serviced offices and reviewing their compliance documents.
Read MoreTwo brothers who ran a computer repair scam across England and Wales were sentenced to a total of four and a half years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (6th October). This sentencing follows a lengthy investigation led by the National Trading Standards Central England Regional Investigations Team.
Read MoreA mother and son who ran a company that fraudulently serviced Dyson vacuums have been sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today (25 September) for a total ten years for conspiracy to defraud following an investigation by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreThousands of dangerous and unsafe electrical products including children’s tablets and nail UV lamps have been seized after a trading standards investigation in Swansea.
Read MoreA rogue trader who defrauded hundreds of people and is currently serving a five year prison sentence following his conviction for fraud at Bournemouth Crown Court, has now been ordered to pay £128,950 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
Read MoreTwo people who ran a company that fraudulently serviced Dyson vacuums have been convicted at Leeds Crown Court of conspiracy to defraud following an investigation by National Trading Standards.
Read MoreEstate agency businesses are being reminded to ensure that their advertising claims are accurate and truthful.
Read MoreMore and more people are being caught out by ‘phantom goods’ scams costing them an average of £1,100, Citizens Advice says.
Read MoreA rogue trader who preyed on the vulnerable and defrauded 21 elderly victims out of £108,000 over almost two years has been jailed.
Read MoreFour leading figures of a multi-million pound fraud involving a Derby-based company mis-selling advertising space have been ordered to hand over a combined £1.3m from their ill-gotten gains at a Nottingham Crown Court hearing today (Friday 12 May).
Read MorePrime Minister Theresa May announces plan to give elderly and vulnerable people hi-tech devices to block nuisance calls.
Read MoreThree men were sentenced today to a total of 11 years and 1 month for running a fraudulent property repair business which targeted elderly and vulnerable consumers across the Midlands, following a three week trial at Birmingham Crown Court. These sentences came after a fourth individual had already been sentenced on 17th March for his part in the scam.
Read MoreA man and his company who misled disabled people into paying £49 a time for Blue Badge parking permits was sentenced to financial penalties totalling £15,457.35 today (29 March 2017) at York Magistrates’ Court.
Read MoreA man who sold illegal media player boxes which allowed the free viewing of premium television content has pleaded guilty at Teesside Crown Court to breaching the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988, following an investigation by the National Trading Standards North East Regional Investigations Team and Hartlepool Borough Council.
Read MoreA husband and wife from Leeds convicted of consumer protection offences against vulnerable people have been sentenced to a total 40 months imprisonment at Leeds Crown Court today (3rd March).
Read MoreNational Trading Standards is warning consumers about a new scam targeting those looking for help with printer problems. The warning comes after a rise in the number of cases seen by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team.
Read MoreA criminal who misled and pressurised elderly and vulnerable people into paying for advertising worth £88,239 has received a 22-month suspended sentence at Nottingham Crown Court today (Thursday 9 February).
Read MoreA property fraudster has been jailed following his conviction on 9 counts of fraud, theft and forgery. Tahir Khaliq was sentenced to 45 months imprisonment at Bolton Crown Court. His accomplice Paul Dickinson; acting as an employee in the property businesses received a two-year suspended sentence and 240 hours of community service for his involvement in 6 counts of insurance fraud. Their convictions follow a lengthy investigation by the National Trading Standards North West Regional Investigations Team.
Read MoreFollowing media coverage this morning regarding repeat victims lists, National Trading Standards has published the following statement.
Read MoreA man from Gosforth, Newcastle has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading guilty to nine offences relating to the possession and sale of counterfeit items and one offence of transferring criminal property, following an investigation by the National Trading Standards Scambuster North East Team and Newcastle Trading Standards.
Read MoreAction taken as part of fourth phase of Operation Jasper, the biggest enforcement operation ever seen in the UK to combat counterfeiting and piracy on social media
Read MoreMichael Patrick Phelan (61) finally started his prison sentence yesterday (15 December), having been arrested in Bournemouth on 13th December by Dorset Police.
Read MoreResponding to today’s National Audit Office report Lord Toby Harris, Chair of National Trading Standards, said:
Read MoreA cold calling criminal who conned elderly and vulnerable people out of over £150,000 has been sentenced to five years imprisonment today and disqualified from being a company director for eight years for his part in a fraudulent home alarm business.
Read MoreConsumers are being deceived through the clever use of digital technologies and this is behind a number of emerging threats, including counterfeit and dangerous goods being advertised on social media platforms and misleading listings on online portals. The threats have been identified by National Trading Standards in its annual ‘Consumer Harm Report’, which highlights the types of scams people should look out for and how to report suspected criminal activity.
Read MoreA rogue trader who defrauded hundreds of people has been sentenced to five years in prison and disqualified from being a director for ten years, following his conviction for fraud at Bournemouth Crown Court.
Read MoreA managing director and four co-directors of a Derby-based company have today (Friday 28 October) been sentenced to a total of 15 and half years at Nottingham Crown Court for their part in a multi-million pound fraud involving the mis-selling of advertising space to companies across the UK and Europe.
Read MoreA man from Stourbridge was sentenced today to seven and a half years imprisonment, having been found guilty yesterday of 33 offences of fraud and theft for running a business franchise scam between 1997 and 2010. The conviction and sentencing follows a lengthy investigation by the National Trading Standards Central England Scambuster Team and a trial lasting over 4 weeks.
Read MoreA new campaign has launched today to raise awareness of scams and encourage people to take a stand against them. Scams often target people in vulnerable situations - the Friends Against Scams campaign aims to protect and prevent these people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities to ‘Take a Stand Against Scams’.
Read MoreAdditional guidance on who should join an approved redress scheme if they work within the estate agency industry has today been issued.
Read MoreA father and son who defrauded fifteen victims in South Wales of more than £70,000 have been sentenced today (29 September) to four and two years respectively at Cardiff Crown Court.
Read MoreJames Munro, Team Leader of the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team, said:
Read MoreA cold calling criminal who conned elderly and vulnerable people out of over £150,000 has been found guilty at Bristol Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 22 September) of fraud and for breaching Consumer Protection legislation for his part in a fraudulent home alarm business.
Read MoreThe National Trading Standards Scams Team has seen its pioneering Friends Against Scams campaign recognised at the Government Counter Fraud Awards. The NTS Scams Team scooped the Excellence in Fraud Awareness award for the campaign.
Read MoreOver £232,000 worth of dangerous products destroyed
Read MoreIllegal practice that misleads homebuyers on property websites in the spotlight.
Read MoreNearly 750,000 pieces of scam mail have been prevented from entering the UK postal system in the last three months
Read MoreOperation Jasper extended its reach into Eire in June and begins operating in Scotland this July as officers from Trading Standards and the Police in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are joined by their Scottish and Irish equivalents in the fight against social media counterfeiting. The move is part of the latest phase of Operation Jasper, which was launched in May 2015 to tackle counterfeiting and piracy on social media.
Read MoreTwo criminals behind an elaborate debt recovery scam – which defrauded victims across the country out of tens of thousands of pounds – were sentenced to more than three years in prison at Chester Crown Court today (5 July). Mohammed Ali and Samira Saddique – who are brother and sister – pleaded guilty to offences of conspiracy to defraud and fraud by false representation. Ali was sentenced to 15 months in prison, whilst his sister Saddique received a two-year prison sentence. Both have also been disqualified from holding company directorships for five years.
Read MoreA husband and wife from Leeds charged with consumer protection offences against vulnerable customers have, at Leeds Crown Court today (4 July 2016), given opposing pleas.
Read MoreA Redcar builder who cheated residents out of more than £30,000 has been sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, and fined £6,000 after pleading guilty to a number offences at Teesside Crown Court.
Read MoreA parking fraudster who was sentenced to 16 months in prison back in September has now been ordered to pay more than £150,000.
Read MoreVictims were intimidated into paying hundreds of pounds for shoddy driveway repairs
Read MoreTwo criminals have each been sentenced to two years, suspended for two years, after swindling around 80 customers - including a wheelchair bound couple - out of an estimated total of £291,000 for shoddy and unnecessary housing repair works.
Read MoreSix people sentenced to go to prison for a total of 5 years 9 months after judge hears testimony from over 300 victims.
Read MoreAn order banning a Brentwood man from estate agency work has taken effect after successful legal action by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team (NTSEAT).
Read MoreA new partnership between the National Trading Standards Scams Team and home care provider, Home Instead Senior Care, will place Home Instead’s 8,000 caregivers at the forefront of a new scambusting initiative.
Read MorePeople desperate to attend major pop concerts, music festivals and sporting events this summer face a greater risk of falling victim to criminals after online ticket fraud soared by 55 per cent.
Read MoreJustice served for 90 victims duped out of £30,000
Read MoreKirk Michael Claus (aged 51) of Slate Delf Farm, Cragg Vale, Mytholmroyd has been sentenced to over six years in jail for failing to pay back £6.2 million gained from criminal activity
Read MoreMore than 35 victims who were ruthlessly targeted on their own doorsteps by a rogue building company have seen justice served after the company’s sole director, William Henry King, was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, at Maidstone Crown Court.
Read MorePhilip Mark Harris (49) of Kingsbridge Devon and Roy John O’Grady (45) of Olton Road Solihull have been found guilty of fraud following a four-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.
Read MoreIn recent days fraudulent emails have been circulating offering compensation for a so-called “Microsoft Support Scam”.
Read MoreFive people have been sentenced for being part of a £5.2m publishing fraud which affected thousands of victims from across the country.
Read MoreThe National Trading Standards Scambuster Team East Midlands has welcomed the latest crown court outcome against a criminal who preyed on older and vulnerable people on their own doorsteps.
Read MoreThe National Trading Standards e-crime Team is concerned about the possibility of fraud after a recent upsurge in call recording services, which people are using to provide proof of phone conversations with banking staff in the event of disputes.
Read MoreElectrical products detained in the run-up to Christmas
Read MoreEnforcement teams raided premises across the country last week as Operation Jasper, the UK’s biggest crackdown on counterfeiting and piracy enabled through social media, entered its second phase.
Read MoreLatest figures from National Trading Standards and trading standards services in Scotland reveal more than 15,000 self-balancing scooters detained at UK points of entry. Major safety risks identified include issues with the plug, cabling, charger, battery or cut-off switch.
Read MoreHigh street discount retailer Poundstretcher has been fined £350,000 for selling tens of thousands of dodgy batteries that were potentially harmful to young children.
Read MoreAn internet conman is today behind bars after being found guilty of operating a series of online pyramid selling schemes.
Read MoreInaugural National Trading Standards ‘Consumer Harm Report’ reveals annual data and predicts biggest threats for 2016 including energy, lottery and telephone preference scams.
Read MoreSutton Council has advised small businesses in the borough to be vigilant if approached about online grant advertising after a Buckinghamshire man received a suspended sentence for an elaborate grants scam that targeted businesses across the UK.
Read MoreA third UK redress for the property sales sector has been approved by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.
Read MoreDangerous goods bound for the streets of Tyneside have been detained by National Trading Standards and will be destroyed after a stash of more than 1,000 items was impounded at the Port of Felixstowe.
Read MoreLeslie Smith of Minsterworth, Gloucestershire, trading as “Ringway Traffic Management”, “Traffic Management Solutions” and “Highway Safety Link”, was sentenced today at Bristol Crown Court to 16 months imprisonment for Fraudulent Trading contrary to Section 9 of the Fraud Act 2006.
Read MoreNational Trading Standards has produced a leaflet, which aims to explain the importance of feed hygiene enforcement and the impact of the National Trading Standards Feed Delivery Programme.
Read MoreApple is expected to unveil a new iPhone this week and the National Trading Standards eCrime Team is urging consumers to be on the lookout for criminals trying to exploit the hype by flooding popular social media platforms with misleading adverts and bogus offers.
Read MoreA new and innovative enforcement toolkit which has been designed to assist local authority trading standards enforcement staff to determine the levels of compliance of local estate agents has been launched.
Read MoreTwo individuals have this week been arrested following an investigation into the manufacture and supply of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) or ‘legal highs’.
Read MoreA criminal who ran an elaborate business grants scam online was jailed yesterday for 18 months, suspended for two years.
Read MoreAn updated version of the Guidance of Property Sales has today (Tuesday 1 September) been launched by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.
Read MoreAdvice issued to supporters buying remaining tickets.
Read MoreHampshire County Council Trading Standards has welcomed a successful outcome in the courts, after three market traders were handed suspended sentences this week for selling counterfeit clothing at a Hampshire market.
Read MoreTwo people were today sentenced by HH Judge Marson QC for their activities whilst operating a West Yorkshire based Home Improvement Business and a mobility aid business Adjust 4 Life Ltd.
Read MoreFight against mail scams intensifies during Scams Awareness Month
Read MoreLouise Baxter received a Hero Award at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's Conference in Bournemouth on Thursday 2 July for the significant contribution she made to consumer protection in East Sussex, over and above her professional role.
Read MoreArrests at copycat website company after a surge of consumer complaints. National Trading Standards is once again warning consumers to be vigilant about ‘copycat’ websites – and to report suspect sites – following the arrest of five people this morning.
Read MoreBiggest enforcement operation ever seen in the England, Wales and Northern Ireland launched to combat piracy on social media
Read MoreInvestigators from the National Trading Standards eCrime team based in York and North Yorkshire have brought a national travel company and its sole director to justice. TravelnTravel.co.uk lured consumers with the promise of cheap flights, but failed to honour them.
Read MoreA Nottinghamshire-based gang that scammed pensioners of sums estimated to run into millions of pounds has been sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court today (Friday 12th June 2015).
Read MoreTwo men from Weston-super-Mare have been convicted of trading in counterfeit goods following a lengthy investigation that uncovered more than 10,000 counterfeit items.
Read MoreOn 6 Mar 2015, the successful conclusion to Operation Kennet was heard in Reading Crown Court after a complicated two year investigation by West Berkshire Council Trading Standards Service.
Read MoreLatest figures from National Trading Standards reveal nearly two million unsafe or noncompliant products were identified between April and December 2014. Children’s toys, cosmetics and DIY products are biggest offenders.
Read MoreAlthough it’s difficult to be 100% certain that a website or seller you are buying from is legitimate, there are some simple things you can do to increase the odds that you’re buying from an honest trader. Here is National Trading Standards’ new checklist to help you buy safe online.
Read MoreFive Bentleys, a Ferrari and other prestige vehicles seized from criminals are being auctioned tomorrow (Friday 27 February) following an investigation by a York-based National Trading Standards Team.
Read MoreJocelyn Hunter of Willows Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire was convicted today at Swindon Crown Court of conspiracy to import and distribute counterfeit goods and sentenced to 15 months imprisonment.
Read MoreTwo men who misled consumers through a Cardiff-based green deal business have been fined at Cardiff Crown Court in a prosecution brought by Newport City Council and the National Trading Standards Scambusters Team of Wales.
Read MoreA judge has ordered £6.5 million payback under the Proceeds of Crime Act as a result of what is believed to be the UK’s largest seizure of vehicles from a single rogue trader.
Read MoreThree people at the heart of a country-wide council tax re-banding scam were today sentenced by His Honour Judge Kearl QC at Leeds Crown Court, following a year-long investigation and prosecution by the National Trading Standards Scambuster Team.
Read MoreCommunities urged to support vulnerable residents and report doorstep callers.
Read MoreMore than 6,000 people have had money returned to them as a result of a new crackdown on prize draw mail scams.
Read MoreA Carmarthenshire rogue trader was jailed for 19 months after he failed to pay money back to the victims of his rogue trading.
Read MoreRoyal Mail and Trading Standards have joined forces to launch a new initiative to tackle scam mail in the postal system
Read MoreAvoid being conned by deceptive websites.
Read MoreIn June 2014 the National Trading Standards Scams Team and Royal Mail launched an initiative to return seized responses to prize draw mail scams before the money reached the hands of scammers.
Read More