Find consumer advice

Find out how to get advice about scams and other consumer issues and how to report them.

Citizens Advice consumer helpline

The Citizens Advice consumer service provides consumer advice and information in Brighton & Hove.

If you need help, you can contact the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 or Text Phone on 18001 0808 223 1133 and a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone.

The helpline adviser can:

  • give you practical and impartial advice on how to resolve your consumer problem
  • tell you the law that applies to your situation
  • pass information about complaints on to Trading Standards - you can’t do this yourself

Report a fraud or a scam online

Fraud

You can report:

  • banking fraud
  • business fraud
  • buying and investment scams
  • charity and competition frauds
  • advance fee fraud
  • identity fraud and theft
  • online fraud

Report a fraud

Find out more about these types of fraud by visiting the Action Fraud website.

Scams

You can receive scams by advert, email, internet, phone, post or by someone knocking on your door.

You can report:

  • cold calling doorstep traders
  • rogue traders
  • scam or fraud
  • unsafe products
  • scam mail and emails
  • underage sales
  • counterfeit products
  • loan sharks

Report a scam to Trading Standards

Please try to give as much as information as possible, even if you think it’s not relevant or important. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

Get help with online scams

To get help from Citizens Advice Scams Action you can:

Signs of a scam

It might be a scam if:

  • it seems too good to be true – for example, a holiday that’s much cheaper than you’d expect 
  • someone you don’t know contacts you unexpectedly
  • you suspect you’re not dealing with a real company – for example, if there’s no postal address
  • you’ve been asked to transfer money quickly
  • you've been asked to pay in an unusual way – for example, by iTunes vouchers or through a transfer service like MoneyGram or Western Union
  • you’ve been asked to give away personal information like passwords or PINs
  • you haven't had written confirmation of what's been agreed

This year 1 in 5 people will fall victim to fraud. Please watch our signs of a scam video for more information.

You can also read the information from GOV.UK about how to avoid and report internet scams and phishing.

If you’d like more information about how to protect your community and the people you love from scams, visit the Friends Against Scams website and become a friend today.