Nuisance calls to be blocked by Powys County Council
Five vulnerable people are to be given call blocking devices from the local authority to protect them from nuisance calls.
Powys County Council's Trading Standards Consumer Fraud Team has signed up to receive the five call blocker units from the National Trading Standards Scam Team.
As part of a national scheme, about 1,500 devices will be provided at a cost of £500,000 for the most vulnerable, including dementia sufferers. The call blockers will be supplied by Truecall Ltd.
This initial pilot will run for 12 months and aims to provide call blocking technology to consumers who most require protection from nuisance and scam telephone calls – in particular those with a dementia diagnosis.
Doctors, trading standards officials and local councils will identify those most at risk.
A consent form is required when the call blocker is installed and a survey questionnaire will be completed at the end of the project. Each authority has been allocated five units although more may be available later.
Clive Jones, the council's professional lead for Trading Standards, said: "We are determined to clamp down on fraudsters. We want to create a fairer society by cracking down on unscrupulous practices which target the most vulnerable.
"These devices can block all calls from numbers not on a pre-set list chosen by the home owner. The technology can also provide an option where callers can enter a PIN code to get through to the person or be directed to a friend or relative."
The initiative follows a similar trial scheme run by the National Trading Standards scams team last year.
