Police in the Scottish Borders are reminding the public to be wary of phone calls from people who claim to be working for companies assisting with claiming Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) refunds.
They say there are a number of legitimate companies who assist with making claims in relation to PPI’s however the police are finding there are criminals who are taking advantage of this.
In a statement they said:
These criminals will cold-call members of the public pretending to be from a legitimate company. They state that the person is due a sum of money as they have been mis-sold PPI in the past. The caller then requests that a payment is made to cover administration costs and this should be made using payment schemes such as U-Kash or Western Union.
– Lothian and Borders Police
A Police spokesperson added:
“We would advise people to be very wary of such calls and not to send money. If you feel that you may have been mis-sold PPI in the past then there are a number of legitimate companies who you can contact for assistance.”
Lothian and Borders police are warning people in the Scottish Borders of an ongoing Sky TV scam after a woman was targeted on Thursday.
The public are being asked to remain vigilant after a number of residents have been contacted by people claiming to be from Sky.
Customers are being told they are entitled to a refund and to claim these refunds, they're being sent a pin machine and asked to enter their pin.
A 76-year-old man, from Earlston, entered his pin on a number of occasions- resulting in a four-figure some of cash being taken from his account.
Similar incidents have occurred across the region and police are now urging anyone who has received a pin-reading device to contact them immediately.
Lothian and Borders police can be contacted on 0131 311 313.
"These callers sound very convincing and have targeted individuals who are currently Sky TV customers. However, the public should not be fooled by this scam and should under no circumstances enter their pin into any machine they receive to their home.
We are keen to hear from anyone else who may have been affected by this con and would urge them to come forward as soon as possible if they believe they have been defrauded."