Suffolk Trading Standards are warning parents of a scam where fraudsters are cold calling victims and demanding you pay truancy fines.
Essex County Council issued the warning after a parent of a pupil received a phone call purporting to be from the Education Welfare Service stating that their child had not attended school that day and as a result they had to pay a fine of £340.
The parent was asked to provide her credit/debit card details so that a payment could be made over the phone.
It is important to remember that The Education Welfare Service do not phone parents demanding payment immediately over the phone. Invoices and penalty notices are sent via the post, and only then are you given the option to pay by phone.
If you are a victim of fraud you can call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use their online fraud reporting tool.
Any parent in Suffolk who receives such calls should inform their school and the Trading Standards team on 0845 404 0506.
