To ask the Minister of Justice to detail (i) how her Department is addressing telecommunications scams which target older people; and (ii) the external organisations and arms-length bodies her Department is working with in relation to these scams.

My Department works to tackle the issue of scams through its membership of the ScamwiseNI Partnership: since 2016 the partnership has provided valuable information about scams and crucial advice helping to keep the public informed, aware and vigilant.

The Partnership encourages people to discuss the topic of scams with friends and families, particularly older family members, to help protect and support each other against scams. Prevention, through awareness, is a vital tool in combating scammers and, working at a multi-partner level, the partnership aims to raise awareness of all types of scams and get helpful information out to the public on how to prevent them.

The Partnership is chaired by the PSNI and involves over 45 partners working collaboratively to raise awareness of scams. Partners representing older people’s needs include the Commissioner for Older People, Age NI and Hourglass. Other partners include NI Policing Board, Policing and Community Safety Partnerships (PCSPs), Trading Standards NI, the Consumer Council, the Cyber Security Centre, Ofcom, the Communications Regulator, representatives from the retail and banking sector including Royal Mail and the Post Office, libraries and a number of faith and youth groups.

My Department also supports work at a local level through PCSPs across Northern Ireland who work with communities to reduce crime and the fear of crime amongst the elderly and vulnerable. PCSPs have developed a range of crime prevention interventions in response to identified community need and emerging trends in their own areas. Examples include using social media, the SaferU App and Facebook to spread the scamaware message: scam awareness presentations and videos; engagement with local groups such as Agewell, Causeway Age Concern and AGENDA (Age North Down & Ards); distribution of information packs and Neighbourhood Watch newsletters; scam alerts; home security visits; advice shared with Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators and providing online training for ‘Scambassadors’ (people from local areas who are known to vulnerable members of the community in everyday life such as library staff, elected representatives, PCSP members, church groups and GPs).