Health Minister warns Newry residents of letter scam

Health Minister Edwin Poots is warning people in Newry that letters warning them to evacuate their homes next month for radon gas testing are part of a scam. Mr Poots has said that the letters were not issued by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety and that the signature on the letters was not his.

The scam letters are suggesting that people must vacate their homes in mid-February in order to facilitate testing for a radioactive gas known as radon. A statement from the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has warned people to contact the police immediately should they receive one of these letters. “Neither the minister nor the department have issued any such correspondence. Residents receiving these letters should report them to the PSNI for further investigation.”

Police in the Newry area have issued a statement saying that they are investigating the scam. The statement read, “Police in Newry are aware of letters sent to two households in the local area. The letters claim to be from the DHSSPS, who say they have not issued such letters. If you receive a letter of this nature please contact police immediately.”

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has informed the NI Environment Agency (NIEA) and the Environmental Health Department of Newry and Mourne District Council on the matter.

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Posted by Declan McAteer on Jan 31 2012. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry