Cold-Calling PPI Scam Alert Warning

Newport City Council’s Trading Standards Officers have today intervened in a potential cold-calling scam. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A caller, claiming to be from County Courts of London, contacted a Newport resident with the news they have recovered a large sum of payment protection insurance (PPI) money for them, and that a representative would be calling later to deliver the cheque. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The caller also added there is a fee for the service, which was to be paid in iTunes vouchers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Newport City Council would like to make residents aware of this scam, and that genuine businesses are exceedingly unlike to collect fees in any kind of voucher, be it ITunes, Ukash, Paysafe or any other kind of voucher. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The reasoning behind asking for these types of vouchers is that the redeemer is virtually untraceable. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A victim can also be scammed into providing the caller with the redemption code from the card, stating that it is just to confirm they have purchased the voucher and that they cannot cash it without a PIN, which is untrue. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Vouchers can be redeemed by supplying the voucher number (which is sometimes called the PIN). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​