Financial Services Mis-selling “Scam”

The OFT is aware of Island residents who have been a target of this particular “scam”. The scammers, who make contact by telephone, claim to be from a UK financial services company.

The caller advises that they have a cheque for several thousand pounds which is due to the person they are calling as a result of a product, presumably a financial product, being mis-sold to them in the past. The caller has details of the target’s bank card apart from the last four digits and asks the target to provide these along with the security code. The caller explains that this information is required to prove they have the correct person to whom the payment is due.

The OFT is advising Island residents to protect their financial information.

Never give your bank account or card details to someone in the circumstances described.

If necessary, check with your bank using the phone number in the telephone directory and not the phone number given to you by the caller.

Consumers are warned to be suspicious of any sort of unsolicited email, letter or phone call even if they are being offered something that is of interest to them.

If consumers have lost money as a result of this or any such scams they are urged to cease all contact immediately and contact the local police on 631212.

For further advice on this or other scams, please contact the Office of Fair Trading on 686500.