Time's up for likely rogues

The Publican is launching ScamWatch month in May, warning licensees about rogues targeting the pub trade.

As cash businesses, pubs are prime targets for chancers whether it be the supply of unsolicited till rolls, calls for advertising for charity and emergency magazines or rogue recruitment companies.

Last year in a Publican poll 55 per cent of licensees claimed they had been approached by someone trying to scam them. During last year¹s ScamWatch month The Publican was inundated with calls from licensees claiming they had been ripped off.

During May we will be highlighting some of the scams faced by licensees, interviewing specialists who fight against crime as well as providing you with advice on how to avoid getting ripped off.

John McNamara, chief executive of the BII, said: "We often hear of confidence tricksters and scammers attempting to prey on the licensed trade.

"I would urge licensees to be vigilant, if someone offers you a deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is. The Publican's ScamWatch initiative has scuppered a number of scams, so hopefully the message is getting out there that these actions will not be tolerated. "

Tony Payne, chief executive of the Federation of Licensed Victuallers' Associations, also gave his support. He said: "Scam artists think the trade and small businesses are a soft touch. I am supportive of ScamWatch as I deal with so many problems with licensees getting ripped off."

Let us know if you¹ve been the victim of a scam by emailing scam@thepublican.com or calling 020 7955 3714.