Skip to content
Please donate

Charity warns older people to be wary of rogue traders looking to take advantage of digital switchover

Published on 05 April 2024 01:22 PM

Landlines in Wales are going digital 

As the telephone industry upgrades from analogue to digital landlines, Age Cymru is warning older people to be wary of rogue traders trying to take advantage of the switchover.  

The change will see calls made over a broadband line instead of the old analogue network, which is becoming increasingly unreliable. 

The charity says for most customers, all aspects of the switchover will be free of charge with no home installation work required. If customers require additional support with set up, they will be contacted by their telephone provider. 

Age Cymru therefore warns that if somebody offers to carry out work relating to the switchover, in return for some form of payment, it’s likely to be a scam that should be reported to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.   

People can also check with their telephone provider about what work is or isn’t taking place in their area. However, if anyone feels threatened or in any danger from a rogue trader they should call the police as soon as possible.  

Age Cymru’s chief executive Victoria Lloyd says “It’s such a shame that we must warn older people to be on their guard in relation to the digital switchover as this is something that should improve people’s experiences of phone services.   

“We’ve been told that lines will be clearer, which will help those who are hard of hearing.  There’ll be a facility to enable three party lines which will help people to have mini group chats with friends and family and thereby help reduce loneliness.  And there’ll be increased protection against unwanted marketing or nuisance calls.  

“However, given our experience of how rogue traders work we want to forearm older people so they can avoid potentially expensive and emotionally damaging scams and instead take full advantage of the new phone services without any unnecessary fears.”  

Understanding the digital switchover process  

BT, the biggest supplier of landlines in Wales, is holding dozens of events across the country to advise customers face-to-face about the switch. Other phone providers may also be organising similar events.  

Age Cymru understands that for most customers, digital switchover will simply involve connecting your home phone handset to a router rather than the phone socket on the wall. And for BT customers, if you don’t have the correct router, they will send you one completely free of charge.

At this stage, BT will be writing to all their customers to make them aware of the changes, and following up with those who are ready and eligible to make the switch. BT will not be switching customers who may have difficulty making the change just yet and will give these customers additional support when the time comes.  

If you think you’ll have a problem with the transition, think you are vulnerable, or use a healthcare alarm connected to your landline, please contact your phone provider and tell them.  

And if anyone uses a personal healthcare alarm, they should also check with their suppliers that they have everything they need prior to the switchover.   

BT customers who are ready and eligible to make the switch will be contacted four weeks before making the move to ensure they have everything they need. 

While BT are by far the biggest provider of telephone services in Wales, this is an industry-wide change and other telephone providers are managing their own switchover process so contact your provider to understand how the change will affect you. 

How big is the issue of scamming in Wales?  

According to the Wales Against Scams Partnership (WASP) older victims of scams in the UK lose an average of £1,200 over their lifetimes.    

WASP also cites Action Fraud data showing that they receive around 15,000 cases of fraud from Wales each year. However, Action Fraud believes that the reported figure is just the tip of the iceberg and that the actual number of scams undertaken, or attempted, is seven times bigger.  

And according to recent BBC research it is estimated that the UK is losing £2,300 per minute to scam activity.  

 When will BT visit your area?  

03-Apr  

Haverfordwest  

Riverside Library, Off Swan Square, Haverfordwest SA61 2AN  

10 until 2pm  

3 - 4 April  

Abergavenny  

Red Square (by Waterstones), High Street, Abergavenny NP7 5RY  

10 till 4pm  

3 - 4 April  

Newtown (SY16 1EJ)  

Morrisons Newtown, Pool Road, Newtown SY16 3AH  

10 till 4pm  

05-Apr  

Welshpool  

Morrisons Welshpool, Berriew Street, Welshpool SY21 7SS  

10 till 4pm  

5th & 8th April  

Merthyr Tydfil  

Co-op Pentrebach, Brown Street, Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 4BG  

10 till 4pm  

8 - 9 April  

Dolgellau  

Dolgellau Library, Bala Road, Dolgellau LL40 2YF  

10 till 4pm  

09-Apr  

Aberdare  

Aberdare Library, Green Street, Aberdare, CF44 7AG  

10 until 2pm  

9 - 10 April  

Port Talbot  

Morrisons Port Talbot, Baglan Industrial Park, Christchurch Road, Port Talbot SA12 7DA   

10 till 4pm  

10-Apr  

Cardiff  

Cardiff City Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff, CF11 8AZ  

10 until 3pm  

10 - 11 April  

Porthmadog  

Porthmadog Library, Stryd Y Llan, Porthmadog LL49 9HX  

10 till 4pm  

11-Apr  

Newport  

Newport Central Library, John Frost Square, Newport NP20 1PA  

10 until 2pm  

11 - 12 April  

Swansea  

Dobbies Garden Centre Swansea, Siemens Way, Bon-y-maen, Swansea SA7 9FT  

10 till 4pm  

15 - 16 April  

Llanelli  

Morrisons Llanelli, Pemberton Retail Park, Trostre Roundabout, Llanelli SA14 9DR  

10 till 4pm  

15 - 16 April  

Caernarfon  

Morrisons Caernarfon, Ffordd Y Gogledd, Caernarfon LL55 1BA   

10 till 4pm  

17-Apr  

Denbigh  

Denibigh Library, Hall Square, Denbigh, LL16 3NU  

10 until 2pm  

17 - 18 April  

Carmarthen   

Carmarthen Garden Centre, Myrtle Hill, Pensarn, Carmarthen SA31 2NG  

10 till 4pm  

17 - 18 April  

Holyhead  

Morrisons Holyhead, Penrhos, Holyhead LL65 2ZZ  

10 till 4pm  

18-Apr  

Wrexham  

Ty Pawb, Tŷ Pawb, Market St, Wrexham LL13 8BB  

10 until 3pm  

19-Apr  

Aberystwyth  

Aberystwyth Library, Town Hall Canolfan Alun R. Edwards Queen's Square, Aberystwyth SY23 2EB  

10 until 2pm  

19th & 22nd April  

Ammanford  

Ammanford Library, 3 Wind Street, Ammanford SA18 3DN  

10 till 4pm  

22 - 23 April  

Llanrwst  

Co-op Llanrwst, Plough Street, Conwy LL26 0AG  

10 till 4pm  

23 - 24 April  

Pembroke  

Pembroke Dock Community Learning Centre, Albion Square, Pembroke Dock SA72 6XF  

10 till 4pm  

24th April  

Ogmore Vale  

Ogmore Vale Library, Ogmore vallery Life Cente, Cwrt Gwalia, CF32 7AJ  

10 until 2pm  

24 - 25 April  

Colwyn Bay  

Bayview Shopping Centre (outside Costa), Sea View Road, Colwyn Bay LL29 8DG  

10 till 4pm  

25 - 26 April  

Cardigan   

Cardigan Library, Morgan Street, Cardigan SA43 1DG  

10 till 4pm  

26 & 29th April  

Prestatyn  

Prestatyn Shopping Park (beside Tesco), Fforddd Llys Nant, Prestatyn LL19 9BJ  

10 till 4pm  

29-Apr  

Lampeter  

Co-op Lampeter, Lower Bridge Street, Lampeter SA48 7AF  

10 till 4pm  

30-Apr  

Llandrindod Wells  

Llandrindod Wells, The Gwalia, Ithon Rd, Llandrindod Wells LD1 6AA  

10 until 2pm  

30-Apr  

Brecon  

Morrisons Brecon, Free Street, Brecon LD3 7SE  

10 till 4pm  

30th April  

Mold  

Mold Library, Earl Road, Mold CH7 1AP  

10 till 4pm  

 

For more information visit www.agecymru.org.uk/digital-switchover or call Age Cymru on 029 2043 1555.  

Ends.  

 Notes to editors  

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/cymru/our-work/policy/wales-against-scams-partnership/  

Warning UK losing £2,300 per minute to fraud - BBC News  

 

 

 

Last updated: Apr 05 2024

Become part of our story

Sign up today

Back to top