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Scams in Eastbourne:
how to spot them, stop them and report them
Scams are more common than most people realise, and anyone can be targeted. Here is what Eastbourne residents need to know...
How many people in the UK are affected by scams?
According to Citizens Advice research, more than seven million people across the UK were personally deceived by a scam in the past year, and around seven in ten people have been targeted by a scammer in the last two years. Scams are not a niche problem affecting a small minority. They are widespread, increasingly sophisticated, and can cause serious financial and emotional harm.
Eastbourne is not immune. The town’s population includes a significant number of older residents, a group that scammers frequently target, and the cost-of-living pressures that have affected the whole country have created new opportunities for criminals posing as energy companies, government departments, and financial institutions.
Crucially, scams can happen to anyone. The evidence consistently shows that confidence, education and income do not protect you. What does protect you is knowing what to look for.
The most common types of scam right now
Citizens Advice tracks scam trends through its Scams Awareness campaign. The most common types of scam seen in recent years include:
Online shopping scams (the most reported): fake websites selling goods that do not exist, or counterfeit versions of legitimate products
Investment and ‘get rich quick’ scams: including cryptocurrency schemes and fake financial opportunities promising unusually high returns
Impersonation scams: criminals posing as banks, HMRC, energy companies, or government departments by phone, email, or text
Emergency scams: a message or call claiming that a family member is in trouble and needs money urgently
Cost-of-living scams: fake emails or texts claiming to offer energy rebates, government grants, or benefit payments, designed to capture bank details
Doorstep scams: bogus traders offering services such as driveway repairs, roofing or gardening and taking payment for work that is never done or done poorly
Warning signs to look out for
Scams vary in their approach, but most share common features. Be alert if:
You are contacted out of the blue by phone, email, text, or at the door, especially if you were not expecting the contact
You are being pressured to act quickly or told the offer is available for a limited time only
You are asked to pay in an unusual way, such as via bank transfer to a personal account, gift cards or vouchers, cryptocurrency or a money transfer service
You are asked to provide personal information such as passwords, PINs, or verification codes
Something seems too good to be true, for example a pension or investment offering much higher returns than the market rate, or goods available at a fraction of their usual cost
You are asked to keep the contact confidential or not to tell anyone
The sender’s email address or phone number does not match the organisation they claim to represent
Legitimate organisations, including your bank, HMRC and the DWP, will never ask you to transfer money to keep it safe, reveal your full PIN or password, or act immediately without time to think.
If you think you are being targeted right now
If you receive a suspicious call, hang up. You can then call your bank or the organisation the caller claimed to represent directly, using the number on their official website or on the back of your card, not the number the caller gave you.
If you think someone is calling to trick you into giving them money or your personal details, you can hang up and call 159. This is a secure service that connects you directly to your bank. Check whether your bank uses 159 at the Stop Scams UK website.
If a doorstep trader is pressuring you, you are not obliged to engage with them. You can ask them to leave and close the door.
If you have already been scammed
If you think you have given money or personal information to a scammer, act quickly:
Contact your bank immediately. Call the number on the back of your card or on your bank’s official website. Explain what has happened and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. Banks now have stronger obligations to refund victims of authorised push payment (APP) fraud where the payment was made by bank transfer.
Change your passwords. If you have shared any login details, change them straight away on any account where you use the same password.
Report the scam. Report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) at gov.uk/report-fraud or by calling 0300 123 2040. Reporting helps authorities identify patterns and protect others.
Forward suspicious texts. Forward suspicious text messages to 7726, which is free and goes to your mobile provider.
Report suspicious emails. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, the National Cyber Security Centre’s reporting service.
Seek advice. Contact Citizens Advice Eastbourne or the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133. Do not feel embarrassed. Scams are crimes, and anyone can be a victim.
If you are worried about the emotional impact of being scammed, you can contact Victim Support’s free helpline, which is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Source: Citizens Advice: Report a scam
Source: Citizens Advice: Check if you can get your money back after a scam
Protecting yourself and people you know
Scams are often not reported because people feel ashamed or embarrassed. But scammers are deliberately sophisticated, and the decision to trust someone who seems legitimate is not a sign of carelessness. Reporting scams, and talking about them openly, is one of the most effective ways to protect others.
If you are worried that a friend, family member, or neighbour may have been targeted, you can:
Talk to them calmly and without blame
Help them contact their bank or Citizens Advice
Report the scam on their behalf to Report Fraud
Contact Age UK’s free advice line (0800 678 1602) if you are concerned about an older person
We’re here to help
Citizens Advice Eastbourne provides free, confidential and impartial advice to Eastbourne residents. We help over 4,000 local people every year.
If you have been targeted by a scam or are worried that someone you know has been, contact Citizens Advice Eastbourne. We can help you work out what has happened, what steps to take, and how to protect yourself going forward.
General Advice Freephone: 0800 144 8848
Or visit eastbournecab.co.uk to find out more.
Citizens Advice Eastbourne is a local charity. We are independent of the national Citizens Advice network and receive no automatic government funding. If you’d like to support our work, find out more at eastbournecab.co.uk/help-5000.
Citizens Advice runs a Scams Awareness Campaign every October. Stay in the loop to find out useful, Eastbourne-specific information through Citizens Advice Eastbourne's social media channels and newsletter.