Exclusive: Computers tackle doorstep scams

Trading standards officers in North Yorkshire are stepping up their war on con artists preying on the elderly and vulnerable by employing computer software to pinpoint hot-spots for doorstep crime.

The tactics used by known offenders are also being analysed so that trading standards officers can approach potential victims to warn them not to succumb to the high pressure selling of rogue traders.

Officers from North Yorkshire County Council's trading standards department have been on patrol this week in neighbourhoods identified as potential problem areas.

Head of fraud and financial investigations Ruth Andrews is overseeing the new strategy to halt doorstep crime escalating in England's largest county.

Mrs Andrews, who received a national industry award in January for her work, said: "We are attempting to get a lot smarter to try and get to victims before the actual offenders do.

"We are adapting our strategies to target problem areas by learning from cases we have carried out in recent years. Doorstep crime is a massive problem, but it is one we are determined to tackle."

Many doorstep crime campaigns are staged on a seasonal basis, with rogue traders often targeting householders with promises of cut-price deals for gardening in the spring. Trading standards officers are also bracing themselves for a surge in the number of complaints following the coldest winter for more than 30 years as criminals look to capitalise on the need for repairs to homes damaged by freezing weather.

Evidence has emerged that offenders are travelling from across Britain in the belief they will escape undetected by preying on North Yorkshire's often remote communities.

Investigators are aiming to alert elderly and vulnerable residents by looking for tell-tale signs, such as unkempt gardens and properties with peeling paint on window and door frames, which could lead to them being targeted by rogue traders.

The trading standards team is also liaising with police as well as the county council's own care workers to pinpoint where vulnerable residents live. But data has revealed only 14 per cent of all cases of doorstep crime in North Yorkshire is reported. The trading standards unit receives an average of 220 reports each year, meaning there could be as many as 1,700 cases every 12 months.

However, offenders including builder Darryl Glynn have been brought to justice in a series of high profile court cases. Glynn, 45, of Selby, was jailed last week for four-and-a-half years for conning customers out of nearly 55,000.

Specialist fraud investigators are now attempting to claw back tens of thousands of pounds from Glynn under the Proceeds of Crime Act. In total, the North Yorkshire investigators has helped to secure confiscation orders for more than 5.5m.