Probe into potential PPI con tricksters

Ballymena police have launched an investigation after receiving a report that a local man lost money in what is thought to be a PPI related telephone scam.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Aug 2013, 15:19 BST
File photo dated 18/09/12 of money as fifteen out of 50 payday lenders have thrown in the towel after being given a deadline by the trading watchdog to prove their business practices were up to scratch. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday July 30, 2013. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that 14 of the lenders have told it that they are leaving the payday market and another firm which failed to meet the deadline has said it is no longer operating as a lender. The watchdog has been carrying out a probe into "deep-rooted" problems within the industry, such as lenders encouraging struggling borrowers to roll over loans they cannot afford so that the debt balloons. Last month it referred the sector for a full-blown investigation by the Competition Commission. See PA story MONEY Payday. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA WireFile photo dated 18/09/12 of money as fifteen out of 50 payday lenders have thrown in the towel after being given a deadline by the trading watchdog to prove their business practices were up to scratch. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday July 30, 2013. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that 14 of the lenders have told it that they are leaving the payday market and another firm which failed to meet the deadline has said it is no longer operating as a lender. The watchdog has been carrying out a probe into "deep-rooted" problems within the industry, such as lenders encouraging struggling borrowers to roll over loans they cannot afford so that the debt balloons. Last month it referred the sector for a full-blown investigation by the Competition Commission. See PA story MONEY Payday. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
File photo dated 18/09/12 of money as fifteen out of 50 payday lenders have thrown in the towel after being given a deadline by the trading watchdog to prove their business practices were up to scratch. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday July 30, 2013. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said that 14 of the lenders have told it that they are leaving the payday market and another firm which failed to meet the deadline has said it is no longer operating as a lender. The watchdog has been carrying out a probe into "deep-rooted" problems within the industry, such as lenders encouraging struggling borrowers to roll over loans they cannot afford so that the debt balloons. Last month it referred the sector for a full-blown investigation by the Competition Commission. See PA story MONEY Payday. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

And they have joined forces with Ballymena Citizens’ Advice Bureau to highlight the dangers of such scams. While there are legitimate companies that provide PPI claim servies, police are concerned that fraudsters are taking advantage and asking for money up front, something a legitimate company will never do.

Action Fraud, the government agency that help to co-ordinate the fight against fraud, advise that any member of the public who receives such a telephone call should: Report the call to police; Report the call to your telephone service provider, for example BT, Virgin or Sky; Consider registering your number with Telephone Preference Service (TPS Online). Call 0845 070 0707, or visit www.callpreventionregistry.co.uk; Never give personal details over the phone, including bank account details.

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Tony Adams from Ballymena Citizens Advice Bureau states that they can help people to make a PPI claim: “It is free to claim, you do not have to pay a fee to anyone. Contact Ballymena CAB on 028 2564 4398 or e-mail [email protected]”.