This is what happened when MoneySavingExpert confronted PPI scammers claiming to be them
SCAMMERS claiming to be from MoneySavingExpert have had a taste of their own medicine after the money saving website called them up to confront them.
MSE traced the fraudsters' phone number after receiving multiple reports from users that they were using Martin Lewis' name to scam people out of hundreds of pounds.
The scammers promised callers that they were owed thousands from mis-sold PPI in return for a £150 admin fee, even though the service is actually free.
In reality, the scammers trick users into handing over their bank details so that they can steal their money.
MSE reporter Callum Mason called the scammers to double check that they claim to be calling from MSE's head quarters - which they did.
The scammers told Callum, 24, that he was owed more than £4,000 in a PPI reclaim despite never owning a mortgage, credit card or loan.
The fraudsters even told him that they were based in Shepherd's Bush, London, where the consumer group used to be based five years ago.
Callum then turned the table on the scammers, revealing where he was actually calling from.
Spooked, the fraudsters changed the name of the company he was calling from before abruptly hanging up.
MSE has not revealed the name of the company because it hasn't been able to trace it to prove that the company does not exist.
Martin Lewis claims that the UK is "in the midst of an epidemic of scams and frauds".
HOW YOU CAN SPOT A SCAM
HERE are some tips from the Take Five campaign to help you spot fraud.
Here are tips from the Take Five campaign to spotting fraud:
1. A genuine bank or organisation will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your Pin, full password or to move money to another account.
2. Only give out your personal or financial details to use a service that you have given your consent to, that you trust and that you are expecting to be contacted by.
3. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected email or text.
4. If you're approached with a request for personal information, do not provide it. Instead, contact the company directly using a known email or phone number.
He warned: As a simple rule, be incredibly wary of anyone calling you, texting you, emailing you or knocking on your door, trying to sell you a product or service that you haven’t requested.
";Personally I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole.
"Worse still, what leaves a bile-like taste is the fact that many of these scammers are using the reputation and trust MoneySavingExpert and I have spent years building up to try and rob vulnerable people.
"You will never be cold-called in any way by MoneySavingExpert to sell you a product or service – we’re a journalists' website, we don’t do that."
Martin, 45, is currently suing Facebook after his photo was used in £100,000 ad scams on the social network site.
Millions of Brits were victims of the mis-selling PPI scandal but you haven't got long to get your money back - and you don't need to pay a claims' firm to do it either.
So far, the scandal has cost the banks nearly £30billion - as many as 60million policies were mis-sold - but in order to draw a line under the whole affair, Brits only have until August 29, 2019 to get their claim in.
How to make a PPI claim
Think you've got PPI? Then follow these steps.
1. Find out if you have a PPI policy - Check your loan or credit documentation to see if it refers to anything like "payment cover","loan protection" or "ASU (accident, sickness and unemployment) insurance."
If you've thrown away your documents, you can check you credit file which will list any credit agreements you have had in the last six years - and you can ask your lender for a copy of your documentation and terms and conditions too.
2. DON'T use a Claims Managment Firm - Claims firms will promise to do everything for you - but will take a massive slice of your cash if your claim is successful. MSE, Which? and watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, all have template letters and tools you can use to submit your claim for free.
The firm must respond to you within eight weeks of making your claim.
3. You might be able to make a new claim even if you've been rejected - Thanks to a court ruling known as Plevin, customers can get their money back if the bank didn't declare at least 50 per cent of the policy was in commission.
4. Act quickly - The deadline for making a claim is August 2019, so make sure you get your claim into the company you're complaining too well before then.
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