Police and trading standards in Devon have joined forces to tackle bogus callers, rogue traders and distraction burglars - after a dramatic rise in the amount of money being lost to doorstep criminals.
In 2010 just over fifty thousand pounds was reported lost to this kind of crime in Devon - last year that amount was doubled.
The average amount of money lost in rogue trader incidents also rose, from around 900 pounds to more than 11 hundred.
Several initiatives have been launched to raise awareness of the risks, help householders protect themselves, and also give them advice on what action to take if they do fall victim to the criminals.
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