Sefton Council warns of toxic mould and damp scam as fraudsters ‘cash in’ on toddler’s death

Sefton Council is urging residents to be cautious as fraudsters are offering free surveys to check for toxic mould in their homes.

Since recent high-profile coverage of two-year-old Awaab Ishak’s death in 2020, as a result of mould in his family home, there have been reports of scammers cold-calling, phoning, texting and emailing householders urging them to have a survey carried out.

The scammers then trick householders into paying administration fees ranging from £50 to £250, which they say will secure Government grants, or paying for unnecessary work.

‘Cashing in on sad death’

Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said: “Sadly, criminals are cashing in on the sad death of Awaab Ishak and using it to trick householders. Sometimes, having cynically taken the money, the scammers simply disappear.

“In other cases, they have charged people thousands of pounds for unnecessary work and pressured them into taking out loans to finance it. Some of that work has been such poor quality that it has affect the value of the property.”

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has blamed emerging damp and condensation problems on the national cost-of-living crisis, which has resulted in people leaving their heating off to save money.

It’s Chief Executive John Herriman recently described those exploiting people’s fears about mould as plumbing the depths of cynicism.

Help and advice

Avoud clicking links or downloading attachment in unsolicited emails or texts from unknown sources, or even trusted ones, unless you are certain they are authentic.

The Council’s Trading Standards team provides help and advice on consumers’ civil rights relating to goods or services purchased. Available to residents and businesses in Sefton, the service promotes fair trading practices and enforces consumer law relating to a range of areas including the safety of consumer goods, the sale of fake or counterfeit goods, doorstep crime and overcharging and misleading prices.