Police warn of PPI scam

Cheshire Police are warning residents that a scam team is operating in the area.

Individuals are conducting door to door enquiries regarding PPI claims. They are obtaining personal information off residents claiming to investigate whether money is owed.

A police spokesperson explained " The team will then contact residents back stating that they are entitled to a large sum of money, however in order for the resident to receive this money they request that an upfront payment is paid for the paperwork.

"They ask for this payment to be made with UKASH vouchers (a system where cash is converted into vouchers of the same value, which have a unique code to make payments electronically on the internet. However, if the code becomes known to anyone else - then the money can be stolen.) Once this money has been taken by the scam team no money is received by the victim."

Police are advising residents to refuse to make payments upfront to secure a promise of a much larger lump sum at some future date following a number of reports of such scams.

The spokesperson added "There are many proper and reputable companies that can assist people with valid PPI claims or those looking for loans, and customers would be well advised to seek relevant professional financial advice at the outset."

"However, if anyone contacts you up asking for money upfront to realise further money down the line, then you can be sure that it's not a legitimate business. No reputable firm in the UK would ask for money upfront to pay for goods and services."