Enforcement Team to combat cyber crime in Wales
CONSUMER Affairs Minister, Kevin Brennan, believes the Government's £4.5 million investment to tackle e-crime in the UK will help Welsh sport fans who buy tickets from unofficial online sources.
Wales will benefit from the funding as the Office of Fair Trading will introduce new cyber enforcers that will be placed in the region along with specialist equipment to tackle e-crime.
"Welsh sport fans will shell out good money over the coming months for events such as the Six Nations, the Ryder Cup and the European Championships' qualifying campaign," said Mr Brennan, the Cardiff West MP.
"I don't want fraudsters ruining fans' chances of enjoying these huge sporting events and that’s why the Government's enforcers are cracking down on these fake websites to stop people being ripped off by these criminals.
The Government's investment will allow the Office of Fair Trading to put highly trained Trading Standards enforcers in Wales that are specifically trained in cyber crime.
The online scams team will focus on tickets sold for concerts, festivals, sport matches and other events.
They will also concentrate on scam websites that purport to sell goods that dupe consumers into making what appears to be a bargain purchase but consumers receive either nothing at all or counterfeit products.
"The internet is rapidly transforming the way we shop," continued Kevin. "It presents massive opportunities for consumers, but unfortunately it also harbours fraudsters who can leave consumers upset and out of pocket.
"So as they get more sophisticated, we need to stay one step ahead. Our investment will help the OFT and Trading Standards to put in place the new specialist teams, training and technology required to take the fight to these criminals."
A spokesperson from Trading Standards said, "The Office of Fair Trading will co-ordinate which enforcer is best placed to take action on a particular issue and will focus on the most serious cyber scams.
"Cases will continue to be passed to the Police, Serious and Organised Crime Agency and Companies Investigations Branch when appropriate."
Consumers who suspect they are the victim of an online scam should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 or visit www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.
