More than 500,000 unusable face masks, and a garage selling fake Covid-19 testing kits, are among the hundreds of frauds investigated by trading standards officers since the start of the lockdown. According to the Local Government Association, fraudsters have gone into overdrive during the past six weeks to exploit the public’s fears and the fact that they are stuck at home. Some local authorities have reported a 40% jump in complaints about fake items and other Covid-19-related scams since early March, the LGA said. It warned consumers to stay especially vigilant as they stay at home. Trading standards officers in Havering, east London, intervened after receiving a report of a car repair garage allegedly trying to sell Covid-19 testing kits to customers. Officers in the borough also issued a warning to a chemist caught selling illegal, homemade hand sanitisers, which were immediately impounded. On the other side of the capital in Ealing, officers seized more than 500,000 face masks which had fake safety markings and fell apart on inspection, plus 2,600 bottles of illegal hand sanitiser. The LGA said there have been widespread complaints of scammers trying to exploit the replacement school meals chaos, telling people they need their bank details to make payments. Fraudsters have been posing as government officials offering special Covid-19 grants or loans while fake IT workers have preyed on those forced to work from home for the first time. Conmen in Swindon even posed as council workers distributing food parcels to gain pensioners’ personal details with a view to later defrauding them, it said. Simon Blackburn of the LGA said criminals had been exploiting coronavirus fears to prey on vulnerable and older people self-isolating. “People need to be cautious. If something doesn’t seem right or sounds too good to be true, don’t hesitate to end a phone call, bin a letter, delete an email or shut the door,” he said. “It’s important that victims don’t suffer in silence or feel embarrassed. By reporting a scam, people can help someone else avoid being a victim of these despicable crimes and help councils track down the fraudsters, bring them to justice and recover their money.” On Monday the Guardian reported how organised criminals had targeted potential motorhome buyers on eBay. Thousands of fake listings have appeared since the lockdown started in a bid to target those looking to buy a vehicle for use when restrictions are lifted. Last month an Uxbridge man was arrested under the Fraud Act after 250 Covid-19 testing kits were found in a car. He told investigators he was planning to sell them to construction workers.