Court summons scam

Members of the Public have received calls from people claiming that they are phoning from ‘Her Majesties Court’ (as opposed to the Magistrates Court) and that a summons has been issued for them and that they need to attend court in the next few days. In this instance an address was given for a Court in London.

The summons has allegedly arisen from a writ from a company that organises telephone preference services.

The caller then explains that the writ is for an amount in the thousands of pounds but that it has not yet been sent to the court.

In this particular reported incident, the member of the public realised what was going on and asked for a contact telephone number which was refused. They then mentioned contacting their own solicitor and the caller hung up.

Although thwarted in this instance, it is believed that the caller would have said that the writ could have been settled there and then over the phone without the need to attend court and asked for payment. The normal payment methods asked for in these types of scams are moneytransfer or via UKASH vouchers. If there is a problem once payment has been made using these methods it is highly unlikely that you will be able to get your money back.

Any summons to attend court would not be dealt with over the telephone.

Inheritance fraud

Inheritance fraud is when you are told that someone very rich has died and you’re in line to receive a huge inheritance.

A fraudster who claims to be a lawyer from overseas or some other legal official sends you an email or a letter. They tell you that a person sharing your family name has died and left behind a vast amount of money. 

The lawyer is administering the inheritance and has been unable to identify any of the dead person's relatives. As a result, the money will go to the government. The lawyer suggests that, because you share the same family name as the deceased, he could pay the inheritance to you. You could then split the money between you, rather than handing it over to the government.

The fraudsters will emphasise the need for secrecy and warn you not to tell anyone else about the deal. To hurry you into making a hasty decision, they will also stress the need to act quickly.

However, there is no inheritance and the person contacting you isn't a lawyer or legal official.

If you respond to the fraudsters, they’ll ask you to pay various fees – for example: taxes, legal fees, banking fees etc. – so they can release your non-existent inheritance.

Each time you make a payment, the fraudsters will come up with a reason why the inheritance can’t be paid out unless you make another payment. If you ask, they will also give you reasons why the fees can’t be taken from your inheritance and have to be paid up front.

If you become reluctant to pay a fee or suggest you can't afford it, the fraudsters will put pressure on you by reminding you how close you are to receiving a sum of money much greater than the fees you’ve already handed over, and of how much you’ve already paid out. 

The fraudsters may also ask for your bank details so they can pay the inheritance directly into your bank account. But, if you hand over your bank details, the fraudsters can use them to empty your account.

Are you a victim of inheritance fraud?

• You've received an email or letter informing you that someone you may be related to has died without leaving a will and you may be in line to inherit.
• You've paid fees to 'research specialists' who offer to sell you an estate report that includes information on the inheritance and how you can claim it.

What should you do if you're a victim of inheritance fraud?

• Report it to Action Fraud: www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud
• End all further contact with the fraudsters.
• Don't send them any more money.
• Don't give them your bank details.
• If you have already given the fraudsters your bank account details, alert your bank immediately.
• If you receive any threats from the fraudsters once you have stopped co-operating with them, alert the police immediately.
• Be aware that you're now likely to be a target for other frauds. Fraudsters often share details about people they have successfully targeted or approached, using different identities to commit further frauds.
• People who have already fallen victim to fraudsters are particularly vulnerable to the fraud recovery fraud. This is when fraudsters contact people who’ve already lost money through fraud and claim to be law enforcement officers or lawyers. They'll advise the victim that they can help them recover their lost money – but request a fee. 

Ukash

Online cash company Ukash is warning consumers not to believe scammers who say they are able to reclaim bank charges or ask for loan fees to be paid using Ukash.

Several scams have involved consumers who have been contacted by telephone from overseas call centres. Consumers are harassed to make a fee payment to claim a bogus refund from banks, government, MoJ, OFT, or local the council. In other instances consumers have been cold called and offered loans where the first months repayment and other fees have to be paid for using Ukash before the loan is released. 

Once the 'fee' has been paid no loan is forthcoming. These criminals will quote genuine address details or website forums and claim it is their own organisation. A new trend is to use a payment scheme called Ukash, consumers purchase a cash voucher through a high street shop and quote the reference. The voucher works like cash and the money is gone.

Consumers who have lost money must act quickly to block payment.

Report this abuse to the money transfer agent

• Telephone Ukash: 0808 234 6244
• Alert from Ukash - Do not send Ukash to anyone asking for a fee to arrange a loan.

Report to police using Action Fraud

• Telephone: 0300 123 2040 (low call rate in the UK)
• www.actionfraud.org.uk/report_fraud

More information can be found on the Action Fraud website.

Online loan scams

Be wary when applying for a loan online. There are various lenders and brokers out there who are looking to lend you money in a few easy steps. Many of these businesses are legitimate; however there are some which are not. Once you have applied to a scam web site you will receive contact from them, normally in the form of a telephone call telling you that you have been approved for the loan. However before the money can be sent to you or before it arrives in your account the company may ask for some fees to be paid or even the first months repayment. Often this request is to have this paid by money transfer overseas. Once this money has been sent using this method there is no way to try and get it back when the loan does not materialise.

Before making any decisions on the internet you should always check who you are dealing with and do your research. Online businesses should have their name and a contact address on their site so you can find out who you are dealing with. You should also make yourself familiar with their terms and conditions which should also be made available. You should also check the reputation of a trader using forums online. Remember just because a web site ends in .co.uk it does not necessarily mean that they are based in the United Kingdom.

Further information

These are just a few of the scams that we get to hear about. If you have any other queries, or know of any other consumer scams out there, get in touch with Trading Standards.