Wales Against Scams Partnership
The Wales Against Scams Partnership (WASP) is a network of organisations that are committed to fighting against fraud in Wales.
WASP was founded by Age Cymru and the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales with the aim of making Wales more hostile to those who would commit scams, whether on the doorstep, by post, by phone or online. Since 2023, it has been managed by Age Cymru.
Its members include the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Trading Standards, Citizens Advice Bureau, the Information Commissioner’s Office, Get Safe Online, Nest, Care and Repair, the Post Office, all Welsh police forces, Natwest, Barclays and HSBC banks, and more.
The group’s aim is to make Wales a safer place for vulnerable people by sharing up-to-date information and building resilience to scams across Wales.
The impact of scams
Being targeted by a scam can have a devastating impact on both the victim and their family and friends. The consequences are not just financial – they can cause lasting damage to mental and even physical health.
Scams target everyone and all of us could fall prey to them. Fraud is becoming increasingly complex, with the Covid-19 pandemic and rising cost of living driving new and more sophisticated kinds of scams, many of which take place online. Around 15,000 cases of fraud are reported annually in Wales – representing only one seventh of the estimated number of actual cases committed.
Older people are frequently targeted by scammers, and it is estimated that older victims lose on average £1,200 each to scams during their lifetimes. Some people are additionally vulnerable to scammers due to factors such as poverty, isolation, frailty and cognitive impairment. However, people of any age or ability can become a victim of scams.
Scams will not disappear without large-scale, systemic change. Until then, we must work to build resilience to fraud across our society. This will not be easy and we believe that working in partnership is essential so that we can share our knowledge with both organisations and the public.
We want Wales to be seen as a place where scammers cannot flourish. We want to lead the rest of the UK in blocking those who want to abuse the trust of people and trick them out of money.
Join us
The WASP network is always looking out for new partners who want to contribute to the fight against scams.
If you or your organisation want to play a role in protecting your customers or the general public, we would be delighted to hear from you. To get in touch, please contact us at: WASP@agecymru.org.uk
WASP also produces a monthly bulletin, containing information on trending scams, anti-fraud campaigns, partner events and news stories. To sign up, please contact the email address above.
Reporting scams
The following information is provided courtesy of Friends Against Scams, a National Trading Standards initiative.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger because of a scam (for example, being threatened by an aggressive doorstep caller), call the Police on 999.
To report a scam:
Action Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cyber-crime. If you have been the victim of a scam, or know anyone who has, you should report it to Action Fraud.
You can visit the Action Fraud website or call on 0300 123 20 40.
If you have already made a payment in response to a scam, contact your bank straightaway. They may be able to recover some of your money and refund you in certain circumstances. You can find more information about asking your bank for help to get your money back in the National Trading Standards reimbursement toolkit.
For advice on scams:
Citizens Advice Consumer Service can offer support if you or someone you know has been the victim of a scam.
You can visit the Citizens Advice website or call Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 (for English) or 0808 223 1144 (for Welsh).