Ahead of King Charles III’s Coronation this weekend, scammers have been attempting to take advantage of consumers looking to buy memorabilia online. The cybersecurity provider Kaspersky and Hertfordshire Police have issued warnings about dodgy websites, phishing emails and cold callers trying to take advantage of shoppers who want to buy a souvenir to mark the historic royal event. To encourage Islanders to be vigilant, we’re sharing this article from the Which? consumer news website.

Government officers have met with banks and credit reference agencies, after we gave them our feedback and findings, earlier this year, from Islanders who were unable to obtain or renew credit cards. In January, we called for a centralised electoral register as part of a response needed to prevent further credit card companies from pulling out of Jersey and other Crown dependencies. Jersey Consumer Council Chairman, Carl Walker, said: “We understand that Government officers have been meeting with various banks and credit reference agencies since we first raised this issue earlier in the year. “We had more than 600 responses to our survey last summer about credit card applications, and shared the anonymised information with officers to help them get to the bottom of why it was becoming increasingly difficult for people to apply for, or renew, credit cards. “Recent discussions I had with the officers working on this very much indicated that a solution or work-around for the banks and the issues they’ve had with the electoral register could be on the horizon. This isn’t going to fix itself overnight, but the fact the Government has listened to the concerns of Islanders and is taking positive steps to resolve this is very much welcomed by the Consumer Council, as I am sure it is by Islanders too.” For more than two years, we've been meeting with credit card company representatives, credit reference agencies, the Jersey Bankers’ Association, finance leaders and the Jersey Financial Services Commission to try and understand, on behalf of consumers, why credit card companies are refusing new applications to Island residents, refusing to provide Islanders with a new card once their existing one expires, or, in some instances, closing existing accounts, despite excellent credit history. Mr Walker added: “Credit cards offer vital consumer protection when purchasing goods that turn out to be faulty or not as described. They can also help consumers to recover any funds lost if they’re the subject of fraudulent activity. “Used carefully, they can also earn points or cash-back for Islanders on their everyday spending.”  Last Friday (21 April), the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel questioned the Assistant Chief Minister with responsibility for Financial Services, Deputy Elaine Millar, in a Quarterly Public Hearing. Among other topics, the Panel asked Deputy Millar about actions being taken to aid the Island’s finance industry in maintaining Islanders’ access to credit cards. The Assistant Chief Minister noted that the absence of a centralised electoral register has been identified by the Consumer Council as one of the barriers to credit card operation in Jersey during recent discussions with banks. The Panel heard that conversations are ongoing to ensure that the existing credit card provision on the Island is safeguarded, and that various methods of facilitating this are being considered. Deputy Moz Scott, Chair of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel, commented: “It is reassuring to hear that the issue of access to credit cards for Islanders is being treated as a priority and that the Assistant Chief Minister is working closely with the banks to address this issue. The Panel is keen to hear about progress being made to ensure that Islanders can maintain their access to this vital service.” Earlier this month, an email sent to Barclays Bank customers in the Channel Islands customers said that Barclaycard accounts without a UK residential address were being closed as the company was ‘no longer offering accounts to customers living outside of the UK’. However, the bank has since apologised to customers and confirmed that the email was sent in error.

Islanders are being warned about the latest attempt to scam money out of people, which involves them receiving a text or WhatsApp message from a loved one or friend claiming they've smashed or damaged their phone. The scammers then claim that they have a new phone and need some money as they also can no longer access their digital bank cards stored in their phone's wallet. Islanders in both Jersey and Guernsey have already lost thousands in recent weeks. Jersey Consumer Council Chairman Carl Walker said: "The golden rule with anything these days is if in doubt, check it out, especially if you've been contacted out of the blue by an individual or organisation. Call them back on their usual number and see if they have sent you a message before even replying to the initial message." Islanders are also being warned about paying deposits online for things like pets and rental properties. "Scammers are becoming more and more elaborate in their methods and now advertise things for sale or rent on local Facebook pages and, after building a relationship with those who show an interest, begin asking for deposits before viewing, ‘due to demand’," said Mr Walker. "Obviously there are genuine people out there, but if you ever need to pay a deposit or pay for something online, you should always try to use a credit card or PayPal, as both contain strong consumer protection against scammers and allow you to recover your money. If someone you haven’t yet met is demanding a bank transfer, alarm bells should start ringing." Islanders concerned about scams should call 612612 and report it immediately to the Fraud Prevention team at the States of Jersey Police, or visit fraudprevention.je.

Barclays Bank has apologised to customers in the Island after incorrectly telling them that their accounts would be closed. Barclaycard cardholders in Jersey and Guernsey have now been reassured that there will be ‘no change to the service they currently receive’, after they were mistakenly told that their credit cards would stop working at the end of next month. An email sent to Channel Islands customers on Wednesday, 12 April said that Barclaycard accounts without a UK residential address were being closed as the company was ‘no longer offering accounts to customers living outside of the UK’. Numerous customers shared the email with the Jersey Consumer Council and contacted us to share their shock and concern, with one saying that they’d been a Barclays customer for over 40 years. However, the bank contacted customers again later the same day to reassure them that the email had been sent in error. The original email said: ‘If you don’t have a UK residential address, then your card will unfortunately stop working on or after ‌30 May 2023 and we’ll close your account on or shortly after 21 June 2023. ‘We know that this may be disappointing and inconvenient, so we’re here to help you understand what this means for you and what to do next. If you have other accounts with us that are affected by these changes, we’ll contact you about them separately.’ Earlier this year, the Jersey Consumer Council called for a centralised electoral register as part of a response needed to prevent further credit card companies from pulling out of Jersey and other Crown dependencies. For more than two years, we've been meeting with credit card company representatives, credit reference agencies, the Jersey Bankers’ Association, finance leaders, and the Jersey Financial Services Commission to try and understand, on behalf of consumers, why credit card companies are refusing new applications to Island residents, refusing to provide Islanders with a new card once their existing one expires, or, in some instances, closing existing accounts, despite excellent credit history. And during the summer of 2022, we received more than 600 responses to a survey we conducted to try and get a better understanding of how consumers were being impacted by the move. We’ve shared our findings with the Government of Jersey, who are currently looking into the issue.

Whether you’re stocking up on chocolate eggs for the family, hot cross buns for Good Friday breakfast, or some seasonal treats for yourself, we’d encourage you to shop around for the best prices this Easter. We’ve updated the latest grocery prices on our Price Comparison site, which include the prices of several traditional Easter products at six local supermarkets and one local online store. In our Easter week survey, we found a difference of £1.88 between stores of the cheapest and most expensive pack of four hot cross buns. And, depending on where you shop, there was a variance of £4.10 between stores for the cheapest medium chocolate Easter egg available. While there was only a ten-pence difference between the cheapest and most expensive Cadbury’s Crème Egg, there was 43 pence variance between the price of a small, 80-gram, bag of Cadbury’s Mini Eggs, depending on which supermarket you buy them from. Our latest survey also found a difference of £1 between the cheapest and most expensive 100-gram Lindt Gold milk chocolate bunny, depending on where you shop. To find out where the cheapest Easter products are available, visit pricecomparison.je or download our app to your smartphone by searching ‘Jersey Price Comparison’ in your App Store, or follow this link. The prices of Easter products can be found under the ‘Festive’ category. As ever, it pays to shop around.

It's Valentine's Day, and love is all around. But if you're currently single and looking to meet 'the one', be aware that, when it comes to online dating, not everyone is as nice as they may appear.  If you've watched The Tinder Swindler on Netflix, then you'll know that online scammers sometimes take advantage of people looking for love online. Catfishing – the act of setting up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes – is a common ploy they use. They then pretend to be romantically attracted to a victim by building up trust and then use manipulative and gaslighting tactics to demand money.   Many of us might be convinced that we could never fall for this type of scam but, sadly, it happens all too often, and victims are often scammed out of thousands of pounds.   Have you received an unexpected Facebook friend request?  In this digital age, scammers frequently use social media to target individuals, often using bogus photos and stories to lure them in. Examples include Facebook friend requests or messages from someone claiming to be a highly qualified professional, such as a lawyer, doctor, neurosurgeon, soldier, or even charity worker. The fraudulent Facebook profile will show photos of the scammer in exotic locations, or helping others, but these photos have usually been copied from the internet and are not the person they claim to be. A reverse image search will often find where the image has been taken from. From examples seen by the Jersey Consumer Council, profile names can often be a double Christian name such as David James, Paul Henry, or Mark Frances, although we’ve also seen examples that aren’t, such as one from a James Henderson.   False promises  These scams are often conducted over a long period of time, building up the victim's trust.   The scammer will often ‘live’ in a different country, explaining this is the reason they’re unable to visit, but promising to do so as soon as they can. They may promise lavish gifts and even offer to marry the victim, sending photos of the engagement ring they’ve apparently purchased.     Don’t be guilt-tripped into sending money Though many people won’t even meet their scammer, they will frequently be willing to transfer them vast amounts of money in the hope of a relationship. In fact, Islanders have lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in the last few years. Once the trust is built, the scammer will ask for cash, often making the victim feel guilty if they don’t send the money. It may start with relatively small requests, such as to: help pay for a hospital bill  pay for a child’s education  donate to a church fund  buy an iPhone or iPad to help keep in touch  pay for phone calls to keep in contact with you  pay for a ticket to visit you. Then the bigger payment requests start, and this is where many victims lose thousands of pounds. The scammer may request:  money to put down a deposit on a house for you both  money to help them pay a large building or legal invoice that, if unpaid, could mean they’ll be jailed.   How to protect yourself from falling victim to a romance scam Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.   Remain sceptical and, if any warning signs appear, try to remove emotion from your decision, even if your ‘partner’ appears sincere.  Don’t feel guilty for refusing to make a payment and if they insist, stop all contact – they’re scamming you.  Don’t give out personal information, especially account details.  Do a reverse image search of your admirer’s photos. Often these romance scammers will steal other people’s photos, so these may be featured on a legitimate person’s social media. Go to Google and search ‘How to reverse image search’.  Watch out for inconsistencies in their story and grammar.  Be cautious about what photos or information you share with the person. They may use compromising photos or information as blackmailing material.  If you arrange to meet them in person, inform friends and family of where you are going.     Remember, anyone of any age, gender or sexuality is a target for these scams: If you’ve fallen victim to romance fraud or catfishing, report it to the States of Jersey Police straight away on 612612.  For more information, go to the Jersey Fraud Prevention website.