Financial Abuse

Every year, millions of pounds are defrauded from residents of Kent by criminals posing as legitimate businesses, Kent Police or as KCC Trading Standards Officers. Often criminals defraud victims of their life savings - this is financial abuse. Victims are often some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Whilst our own Trading Standards Service and Kent Police pursue criminals that perpetrate these crimes, we need to do more as a community to prevent these crimes taking place in the first place, by protecting our vulnerable adults.

Last year, Kent Trading Standards secured funding to produce a short, hard-hitting film depicting the devastating effects of Doorstep Crime. It is based on real life stories of vulnerable adults in Kent.

We all probably know someone who could be vulnerable. They could be a member of your own family, a friend or a neighbour - so it’s important we all learn how to spot the signs of financial abuse and how to protect potential victims.

I would encourage you to please watch this film.

If you then were able to share the film on your own social media platforms, this will help us reach and inform as many people as we can. We also ask that you encourage your students to share the film on their social media.