Ministry of Justice warn over scam telephone calls

19/11/2009

The Ministry of Justice is warning people to be careful when providing any personal details over the phone.

It comes after they were made aware of a scam, involving people being phoned by people claiming to be from the government, Office of Fair Trading, a high street bank or a legitimate claims management companies'>claims management company, suggesting that the consumer could receive payments, such as refunds of bank charges or other debts.

They are asked to provide personal information such as bank account details and make an upfront payment first, often by money transfer.

They are nothing to do with any official body and have tricked and harassed victims into handing over hundreds of pounds, only to find that the call was a scam and they’re now even further in debt.

Justice Minister, Bridget Prentice, said, 'There is something particularly despicable about heartless fraudsters who prey on people already struggling with debt'.

'People should make sure they are totally confident a company is legitimate before making any payments. If you’re uncertain or worried contact Consumer Direct on 0845 040 506 or check the Claims Regulation website. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.'

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