0:00:02 > 0:00:06We asked YOU to tell us who has left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and you contacted us in your thousands by post,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12e-mail, even stopping us on the streets.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14The message could not be clearer.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18I think there's a lot of hidden information about your bills
0:00:18 > 0:00:20that should be made a lot more clear.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22I don't feel I get treated how I should be.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24You've told us with money tighter than ever,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28you need to be sure every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31How do I get me money back? I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34So whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Keep asking the questions, keep... Go to the top if you have to.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47We do get results, I mean, that's the interesting thing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Your stories. Your money.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Hello, and welcome once again to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:56 > 0:00:59the programme that gets to the bottom of why you haven't ended up
0:00:59 > 0:01:03with what you thought you would for your money or indeed your time,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06which of course is the reason the people we'll be meeting in today's programme
0:01:06 > 0:01:08got in touch with us in the first place.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Because one way or another, they all feel rather let down,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13as indeed we often do when we end up
0:01:13 > 0:01:15with something that just did not live up to the hype
0:01:15 > 0:01:17or even to our own expectations.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20And of course we'll also have plenty of advice,
0:01:20 > 0:01:23so that before you hand over your money, you've done
0:01:23 > 0:01:26everything you can to protect it in case something does go wrong.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Coming up, the cash voucher system being exploited by scamsters.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36They're actually picking on people that need the money
0:01:36 > 0:01:38and that are vulnerable anyway.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39Very nasty people.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43And as yet more companies fail to deliver on promises of getting
0:01:43 > 0:01:47back your mis-sold PPI, we'll reveal the best way to find out
0:01:47 > 0:01:49if you really are owed thousands of pounds.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52They're not a help to anybody. You don't need them.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55You just can do everything yourself.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Now, if you're someone who thinks that you're just too savvy
0:01:58 > 0:02:00to be taken in by a scam, well, don't be so sure,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03because here's one that's not only fiendishly clever
0:02:03 > 0:02:05but is very much on the rise.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08So pay attention to how they do it, because remember,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10the next person they target could very well be you.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19It's a scam that always starts the same way, with a simple phone call,
0:02:19 > 0:02:24as cake-maker Fiona Keen discovered in January last year.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27'I was phoned on a Sunday night about nine o'clock'
0:02:27 > 0:02:29by someone called Alex from a 24-hour fraud team
0:02:29 > 0:02:34who seemed to know all my details - my name, my phone number, my address -
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and he said I'd been a victim of a Section 24 fraud,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41my Barclaycard had been, um, cloned, and all my cards had been cloned.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Claiming to be from Barclaycard, Alex told Fiona
0:02:45 > 0:02:48that her details were already being used
0:02:48 > 0:02:51to buy things like petrol and mobile phone credit,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54and to prove that it wasn't her racking up the cash,
0:02:54 > 0:02:58he needed to send a courier round to collect her cards.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01I immediately said, "I'm not handing my cards over to you,"
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and he said that if they put the cards through a machine,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06it could be proved that I hadn't used the cards,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08then I would definitely get the money back.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10But she refused to hand over her cards.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13And that is when things got really sneaky,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15because Alex asked her to put the phone down
0:03:15 > 0:03:20and call the customer care number on the back of her Barclaycard.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22I put the phone down to Alex
0:03:22 > 0:03:25and picked up the phone and I didn't listen for a dial tone
0:03:25 > 0:03:29and then I phoned the customer care line on the back of Barclaycard
0:03:29 > 0:03:33and I got through to a person and, you know, explained what happened.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36He said, "I'm just going to put you through to the fraud team,"
0:03:36 > 0:03:39and immediately I got through to this Alex.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43But Fiona wasn't speaking to Barclaycard at all.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47In fact, there's no such thing as Section 24 fraud.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Unbeknown to her, when she'd hung up the phone,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Alex hadn't disconnected his end of the call
0:03:52 > 0:03:57and was still on the line, which is exactly where he kept Fiona.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And 30 minutes into the call, a man arrived,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03supposedly a courier from the credit card company,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06ready to collect all six of her cards.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10When I was handing over the cards, I was shaking,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12because I was giving away my personal things,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and it's just not something that I would normally do.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17So the courier left, claiming to be
0:04:17 > 0:04:20safely taking the cards across London
0:04:20 > 0:04:23so that they could be checked and a block put on them.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27Alex told Fiona she needed to stay on the line until he made it back
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and was through police security.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32He eventually got through,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and that's when he asked me to read out the PIN numbers
0:04:36 > 0:04:37so he could block them.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Now eating out of the fraudsters' hands,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45Fiona proceeded to give them the PIN codes for five of her cards
0:04:45 > 0:04:47and she was relieved when Alex said
0:04:47 > 0:04:50they could prove that she hadn't used them
0:04:50 > 0:04:55and she'd be getting all her money back - if she unplugged her phone.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59He said to me, "We need your line in order to wire the money back to you,"
0:04:59 > 0:05:02and that he would tell me when to put the line back.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Fiona followed his instructions and disconnected her landline.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11I do realise now it was so people couldn't contact me.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16So as arranged, the fraudster rang Fiona again the next day
0:05:16 > 0:05:18on her mobile, to update her
0:05:18 > 0:05:21on the progress supposedly being made with her case.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23He said that they had the CCTV,
0:05:23 > 0:05:27they had the pictures of the people who had been frauding my cards.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30And even though I had doubts at the back of my mind,
0:05:30 > 0:05:31I just kept saying to myself,
0:05:31 > 0:05:35"Oh, you're being silly, because they're sorting it out for you."
0:05:35 > 0:05:37And he did say to me, "You won't need to contact your bank,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39"I'm dealing with that for you as well."
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The reassuring calls to Fiona's mobile continued.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48But when they stopped, she reconnected her landline,
0:05:48 > 0:05:53and that is when she was horrified to realise she'd been scammed.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55I found all the messages on the phone
0:05:55 > 0:06:00that people had been trying to contact me, and the banks, M&S,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03to tell me... I actually felt sick.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Fiona discovered that the fraudsters
0:06:06 > 0:06:09had quickly made full use of her cards,
0:06:09 > 0:06:11spending a total of £15,000.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Now, luckily she could prove that she'd been a victim of fraud
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and she got her money back within a week.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Barclaycard told us that they are aware of this scam
0:06:21 > 0:06:25and would never, ever call asking for personal details
0:06:25 > 0:06:27or requiring cards to be returned,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29and anyone who receives a request like this
0:06:29 > 0:06:33should end the call immediately.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35But this is a very effective scam.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39In the first eight months of last year, thieves managed to snaffle
0:06:39 > 0:06:44ten times the amount of money from it as they did in the whole of 2011,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48a cool £7.5 million.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52So to avoid being caught out, remember, no bank will ever, ever
0:06:52 > 0:06:54ask you for your PIN number over the telephone.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Meanwhile, although Fiona has her money back,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03she's now on a security register
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and will have to go through enhanced checks
0:07:05 > 0:07:08when trying to get credit in the future.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10This experience has really shaken me up,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12but I'm very relieved to have all my money back.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It is an extremely sophisticated scam.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Next, three letters that have become a real financial hot potato
0:07:23 > 0:07:25over the last couple of years, PPI.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29I'm sure you know by now that stands for Payment Protection Insurance,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33a policy that turned out to be mis-sold to million of people
0:07:33 > 0:07:34right across the UK.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36And as a result,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39what seems like no end of companies have sprung up offering to help you
0:07:39 > 0:07:43claim back money that you should never have paid in the first place.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Well, we've investigated some of those companies before,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49but I'm afraid they show no sign of going away,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53despite the fact that most people don't even need their help anyway.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56You'd be much better ignoring the middle man
0:07:56 > 0:07:58and claiming your money back yourself,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02something this next couple wishes they'd known BEFORE they signed up.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Like many people, grandparents Ann and Michael Costello
0:08:07 > 0:08:10had no idea that they might be entitled to money
0:08:10 > 0:08:14that they were owed in mis-sold Payment Protection Insurance,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18until, that is, two years ago, when Ann received a call out of the blue.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22A company called Tucan Claims called me,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26saying they could get me PPI back from any credit cards
0:08:26 > 0:08:30or any loans that I've had over so many years,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33and they said they'd already refunded
0:08:33 > 0:08:36lots of money for a lot of customers.
0:08:36 > 0:08:41So she signed up, agreeing to pay Tucan Claims 10% of whatever
0:08:41 > 0:08:46they recovered on her behalf plus an upfront fee of £250,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48although she did wonder why that was necessary.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53I thought that if they did the job right,
0:08:53 > 0:08:59if they were charging the 10% fee, that's their way of being paid.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Tucan Claims told Ann that seven different companies
0:09:01 > 0:09:03could owe her money,
0:09:03 > 0:09:07but in order to access her records, she needed to pay each of them £10,
0:09:07 > 0:09:08which she did.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12But it took over a year before Tucan sent her a confirmation letter
0:09:12 > 0:09:15to say that they'd been successful with a claim.
0:09:15 > 0:09:22They stated that they'd negotiated a refund of £802 from a credit card.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Of course, I was really pleased, because this was the first time
0:09:25 > 0:09:29any money looked as though it was coming back to me.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Well, it may have looked like cash was on its way,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34but sadly, it never materialised.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38So Ann rang the credit card company that was making the refund
0:09:38 > 0:09:41to check why they hadn't sent the money on to Tucan.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45And what she was told next came as quite a shock.
0:09:45 > 0:09:50They'd already sent the money to Tucan Claims, so that was it.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53My money had gone into Tucan Claims's bank.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55I've not seen it since.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Although they'd certainly received her money,
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Tucan Claims had not sent one penny of it on to Ann.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04So what HAD they done with it?
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I was calling two or three times a week
0:10:07 > 0:10:10to try and chase up where this money was.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12Excuse after excuse.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I never got an answer to when the money was coming at all.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Ann and her husband decided to do their own research
0:10:18 > 0:10:21into reclaiming Payment Protection Insurance,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and they soon discovered a website
0:10:23 > 0:10:27that they wished they'd known about in the first place.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It just said "Download this information
0:10:30 > 0:10:32"and you can send off and find out yourself
0:10:32 > 0:10:36"if you've got PPI on any loans or any credit cards," which he did.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40And within five weeks, he got a cheque back into the bank.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44So while her husband Michael had got his PPI payment back
0:10:44 > 0:10:46without paying a middle man,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Ann was left bitterly regretting that she'd ever agreed
0:10:50 > 0:10:53to let Tucan Claims reclaim money on her behalf.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56I just feel totally disgusted with Tucan Claims.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59They're just not a help to anybody. You don't need them.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02You can do everything yourself, and I'm absolutely...
0:11:02 > 0:11:04fed up.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05In February of last year,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08three months after Tucan Claims had cashed the cheque,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Ann got in touch with them once again.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13On the advice of the Citizens Advice Bureau,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17she threatened them with court action if they didn't pay up within 28 days.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21I've not heard a single word from them. They're just not interested.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Ann isn't the only one unhappy with Tucan Claims.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27In April of last year, the Ministry of Justice,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29which regulates companies like these,
0:11:29 > 0:11:34prohibited them from providing any further claims-management activities.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37And that line of action happens regularly.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38In the last year,
0:11:38 > 0:11:44the Ministry of Justice has banned or warned 252 PPI claims companies.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46That about a quarter of the industry.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50As for Tucan Claims, the company has now gone into liquidation,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54which perhaps explains why no-one from the company responded
0:11:54 > 0:11:56to our calls, e-mails or letters.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00They were ordered to repay all refunds to customers by last May,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04but Ann still hasn't got her money back.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07She can try to claim it back through Tucan's administrators,
0:12:07 > 0:12:13but so far, she's had no luck. However, there is some light on the horizon.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14From later this year,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Ann and anyone else who has lost money through claims
0:12:17 > 0:12:21management companies will be able to take their case to the legal
0:12:21 > 0:12:25ombudsman, who will be able to make sure compensation is given
0:12:25 > 0:12:26where appropriate.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30But for the time being, Ann has learnt the hard way that
0:12:30 > 0:12:35if you want to reclaim your PPI, the best way is to do it yourself.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40For more information on how to do that, you can
0:12:40 > 0:12:42always log on to our website.
0:12:42 > 0:12:47It's bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00Rip-Off Britain has opened up a pop-up shop.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Inside, our team of experts is ready
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and waiting to help consumers with their problems.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06You know you're in the right
0:13:06 > 0:13:08and almost certainly your case will be upheld.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12And one of the first to see Trading Standards expert Sylvia Rook
0:13:12 > 0:13:16was Aisha. She needs steering in the right direction after being
0:13:16 > 0:13:19ripped off by her driving school.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24I paid for 10 block-book lessons and I only got seven of those lessons,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28and then the driving school closed down, and I didn't get my money back.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33- How much did you pay?- £180.- What is the situation with that, then, Sylvia?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Unfortunately,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36the problem that you face, that the company that has been bought
0:13:36 > 0:13:40out by a different company, and as soon as a company takes over
0:13:40 > 0:13:43another one, the liabilities of the previous company go, so,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48unfortunately, the existing company are under no obligation at all
0:13:48 > 0:13:49to give you a refund.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52You didn't pay only credit card or anything, did you?
0:13:52 > 0:13:53If you'd paid by credit card,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55there might have been some way of getting your money back.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Are you saying she has got to write that off to experience?
0:13:58 > 0:14:00She is never going to get the money back?
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I'm afraid that's the only thing I can say. Yes, I'm afraid so.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Not the answer Aisha was hoping for.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07But the good news is she has now passed her test.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Now, we are told paying bills by direct debit will save us money,
0:14:12 > 0:14:17but personal finance expert Sarah Pennells' next case Anera
0:14:17 > 0:14:21is being penalised because she would rather not pay that way.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24All the other companies that I have my regular bills with,
0:14:24 > 0:14:30one in particular, I get charged £5 every month
0:14:30 > 0:14:32if I don't pay by direct debit.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Companies absolutely love direct debits.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37They say they like direct debits
0:14:37 > 0:14:38because they are much cheaper to process.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41The real reason they like direct debits is that once you pay
0:14:41 > 0:14:44by direct debit, you are much less likely to check your bill,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46you are much less likely to switch away.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48I think you've got a couple of choices.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Firstly, you could try and escalate it with this company and say,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54"Is there a way that I can pay regularly?" Some other way
0:14:54 > 0:14:57that is low-cost for them to process without getting penalised.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00Secondly, the other choice is to vote with your feet
0:15:00 > 0:15:01and switch to another company.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- Thank you for your help. - You're very welcome.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Now, unfortunately, there is always someone out there who is
0:15:10 > 0:15:15prepared to do absolutely anything to part you from your hard-earned cash.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18And they're always on the lookout for new ways in which they can do it,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22so you can bet that whenever some bright spark comes up
0:15:22 > 0:15:26with an idea that is supposed to make our lives easier, someone else is
0:15:26 > 0:15:30immediately going to find a way to turn that to their advantage.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32And judging from the e-mails and letters you have sent us,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37that is exactly what seems to be happening with Ukash vouchers -
0:15:37 > 0:15:41a very simple but increasingly popular way to make payments -
0:15:41 > 0:15:45but scamsters are using them to rip you off.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47And here is how they're doing it.
0:15:50 > 0:15:51In May last year,
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Karen McCracken from Nottinghamshire was thrilled
0:15:54 > 0:15:57when she received a call from a withheld number claiming
0:15:57 > 0:16:01she had won £10,000 from Royal Mail.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05'They phoned up at half past ten 10 the morning, saying that'
0:16:05 > 0:16:09I had won this £10,000, and it was from Royal Mail.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12'It was quite exciting, to be fair, I must admit.'
0:16:12 > 0:16:16But to claim it, they asked her for a £50 admin fee, which she
0:16:16 > 0:16:19would have to pay using a Ukash voucher.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Well, I said that I would have to speak to my husband about it,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and they turned around and said,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25"You don't need your husband's permission for this.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27I says, "Well, I think I do,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30"cos I haven't got that kind of money to give you anyway."
0:16:30 > 0:16:35And he says, "Oh," he says, "I'll phone you back on Monday."
0:16:35 > 0:16:38He did call back on Monday morning,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41still falsely claiming to be from Royal Mail,
0:16:41 > 0:16:46but when Karen declined the offer, he became aggressive, insisting
0:16:46 > 0:16:50they must have that admin fee whether she wanted her prize or not.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53'They just kept saying that I would need a solicitor, and he went,'
0:16:53 > 0:16:55"I'm going to send the police round to your door
0:16:55 > 0:16:59"to get this money, because you're breaking the law not giving me it."
0:16:59 > 0:17:01'And it got me really scared, to be honest.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:06Then, when I come off the phone, I cried.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Karen didn't fall for what the man was saying but only
0:17:10 > 0:17:14because the previous year, she had been targeted in a similar way.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18She had again been told that to claim a £10,000 cash prize,
0:17:18 > 0:17:23she would have to pay an admin fee, and that time, she had done it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26They told me I needed a Ukash voucher and they then told me
0:17:26 > 0:17:31where the shop was, what street it was on and stuff like...
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And I had never heard of them before.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Ukash vouchers are prepaid shopping vouchers that can be
0:17:38 > 0:17:41purchased at shops across the country.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43You buy a voucher for the amount you want
0:17:43 > 0:17:47and then use the unique number printed on it to spend the money.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51The woman on the phone to Karen said that she would call back
0:17:51 > 0:17:53to get the code, once she bought the voucher.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58So, I went and got the £50 voucher,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02and then they said that that would be it, I would get the cheque.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07Karen had just unwittingly handed over £50 she would never see again.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09The woman who called her
0:18:09 > 0:18:13was using the simplicity of Ukash vouchers to scam her.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18Karen only realised that when her winnings failed to arrive.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'The cheque never come after Christmas, cos we thought,'
0:18:20 > 0:18:23"Oh, Christmas time, it'll be lovely.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26"We'll get the kids something nice." But it never come.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Ukash is a convenient way of paying online at websites
0:18:30 > 0:18:33if you don't have a bank account or debit or credit cards,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36but once you have handed over the serial number,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38the payment is completely untraceable.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43It is as if you had used cash, and, unlike using a credit or debit card,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46you have absolutely no protection...
0:18:46 > 0:18:49..as Karen learned the hard way.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Then I went, "Oh, we've lost 50 quid."
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And it was my last 50 quid out of my bank, to be fair.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Cos we didn't get paid till the week after.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05After the second incident, she reported the calls to the police
0:19:05 > 0:19:08and to Nottinghamshire Trading Standards,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10who issued a warning about the scam.
0:19:10 > 0:19:15These particular kind of cold calls are particularly difficult
0:19:15 > 0:19:16because of the aggression that is used.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20'They are possibly targeting people who haven't got the facility
0:19:20 > 0:19:22'to use credit cards and debit cards so readily.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Ukash vouchers are a brilliant idea.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28They work in a lot of circumstances, but you do need to remember that
0:19:28 > 0:19:32when you give that number over, it is effectively handing the cash over.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Across the UK, whether it is on the phone or online,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Ukash vouchers are being exploited by crooks in all sorts of ways.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43In London, conmen have claimed to be police,
0:19:43 > 0:19:48needing a fee paid with Ukash to remove illegal content from PCs.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51In Dunbartonshire, targets have been told
0:19:51 > 0:19:54they are entitled to money from unclaimed insurance policies.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59And in Gloucestershire, a recent scam was more elaborate still.
0:19:59 > 0:20:04A woman reported handing £600 worth of Ukash vouchers to a man
0:20:04 > 0:20:06who had first rung to say she was entitled
0:20:06 > 0:20:11to £4,000 worth of mis-sold PPI, then turned up at her house
0:20:11 > 0:20:14with very convincing forms for her to sign.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So, are Ukash doing enough to keep consumers safe?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'Let's see what the company's chief executive David Hunter has to say
0:20:22 > 0:20:26'about the way that the system is being abused.'
0:20:26 > 0:20:30These criminals are exploiting the fact that people can be
0:20:30 > 0:20:33convinced to use the product in a way it's not designed to be used,
0:20:33 > 0:20:38against our strict terms of use, against the alerts we have
0:20:38 > 0:20:42put on the vouchers saying, "Please do not give details away to anybody.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47"Only use at participating Ukash websites." This has been exploited.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50So, David, what it is the key advice you would give people to make sure
0:20:50 > 0:20:54they don't get taken for a ride and don't have their money taken?
0:20:54 > 0:20:57I think it is really important that people recognise this is like cash.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01That number, that is the security of their value.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Please don't give that to anybody, over the phone or by e-mail,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07unless you want them to have the value.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Following our last programme featuring this issue,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Ukash says it has seen
0:21:11 > 0:21:14a 45% reduction in new victims
0:21:14 > 0:21:16of this kind of scam coming to them,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18and in January, a criminal gang
0:21:18 > 0:21:20with a similar operation was arrested abroad.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26They're actually picking on people that need the money,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and they're vulnerable anyway, so they're going to take the money.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Very nasty people. Very nasty people.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39We all make mistakes, and big companies are no exception.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43It is what they do to put those mistakes right that can leave you
0:21:43 > 0:21:47feeling ripped off, so you need to know what your rights are
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and where to go when you don't think you have been treated fairly.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54So we have put together a booklet of tips and advice.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57You can find a link to the free guide on our website.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01It is at bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Or to receive a copy in the post, send a stamped, self-addressed
0:22:05 > 0:22:08A5 envelope to the address that we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Now, if you're really being honest, which one of us hasn't at some
0:22:15 > 0:22:19stage dreamt of what we could do if we won that small fortune in cash?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22So, imagine how you would feel if you suddenly received
0:22:22 > 0:22:26a letter in the post saying that you had won thousands of pounds.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28Not that you stood a chance of winning it,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30but that already the money was definitely yours.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38On average, every household receives 377 pieces of junk mail
0:22:38 > 0:22:41through its letterbox each year, and it can be very hard to decide
0:22:41 > 0:22:45what is junk and what is a genuine offer or promise.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51A dilemma faced by Alan Downing last year when he started getting
0:22:51 > 0:22:55letters saying that he had won huge cash prizes.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00"We hereby confirm that the amount of this cheque is £15,500."
0:23:00 > 0:23:0715,500, 15,500, 15,500,
0:23:07 > 0:23:1315,500 and 20,500.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15If all this did come to me,
0:23:15 > 0:23:18I would be one of the richest men in Manchester.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23The letters came from a mail order company called Star Shopping,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26which has a post office address in Dublin.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29They said they guaranteed a cash prize.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30And with such a clear promise,
0:23:30 > 0:23:3472-year-old Alan just couldn't resist replying.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36When I saw the documents, I thought,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40"Well, we can all do with 20 and a half grand for doing nothing."
0:23:40 > 0:23:43I was quite wary it was going to be a scam,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47but I thought, "I will continue, because it only costs me a stamp."
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Star Shopping quickly wrote back.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Not with a cheque, but with an assurance that
0:23:52 > 0:23:55if Alan ordered something from the catalogue they had sent,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58the money would be dispatched right away.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Their catalogue said I didn't have to buy anything,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04but, if I did, it would speed it up.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07So, Alan placed an order.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09I got the goods.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14I got this plastic squeegee thing on a piece of plastic but no cheque.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17And, funnily enough, there are still hasn't been.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21Although over the next six months Alan received a further 25 letters
0:24:21 > 0:24:25insisting that the money was still waiting for him
0:24:25 > 0:24:27at Star Shopping's headquarters,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31and all he had to do to get it was order more.
0:24:31 > 0:24:3220,500, this one.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36"Mr Downing, this is the best day of your life."
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I thought that was my wedding day.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42"You are the one and only
0:24:42 > 0:24:48"lucky winning beneficiary of the Big Bank cheque for 20,500."
0:24:48 > 0:24:49They don't give up with this.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55But I'm afraid Alan has given up on ever receiving his prize.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Still, at least he didn't waste too much money.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Unlike John Cooper from Bournemouth.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04He received the same letters from Star Shopping and indeed from
0:25:04 > 0:25:07other mail order companies, some of which appear to be connected.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11He was also told that as soon as he ordered from the catalogues,
0:25:11 > 0:25:14his five-figure prize would be on its way.
0:25:14 > 0:25:20I probably placed about 16 to 18 orders with Star,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24and with their other mail order firms, probably about another 10.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26Generally speaking,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30I suppose the orders would come to about £15-20 each time.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35When John contacted Star Shopping to see where his winner's cheque was,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38three of the company directors assured him
0:25:38 > 0:25:42in writing that it would be sent to him shortly.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Believing that his winnings were on their way,
0:25:44 > 0:25:48John spent £350 on Star Shopping products alone.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52He also spent almost £200 on goods from the other catalogues,
0:25:52 > 0:25:57because they too promised that he had won big cash prizes.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00There's probably about 300 different pamphlets,
0:26:00 > 0:26:06envelopes and letters, all of which are clearly pointing out that
0:26:06 > 0:26:10a massive prize has been won by myself.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13When something makes a statement like that in business,
0:26:13 > 0:26:18on a contract, and firms make that contract, then they must stand by it.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22And if it is lies or deceit, it is fraud.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Now, you may also have received catalogues like these.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Many of them have addresses in either the Netherlands or Belgium,
0:26:30 > 0:26:32and several of them
0:26:32 > 0:26:37have links to a Belgian mail order company, a business
0:26:37 > 0:26:41that the Office Of Fair Trading has taken action against in the past,
0:26:41 > 0:26:45all as part of an ongoing battle about these kinds of prize draws.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47But I'm afraid that hasn't stopped the same sort
0:26:47 > 0:26:52of misleading letters being sent to countless households across the UK.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56We contacted all the companies who had written to John to ask
0:26:56 > 0:26:59why neither he nor anyone else we have heard from has ever
0:26:59 > 0:27:03received the prize they were supposedly guaranteed.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04Not one of them replied.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09So, Alan has some words of wisdom for anyone who receives
0:27:09 > 0:27:13a letter like this, suggesting they have won a cash prize.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16My advice to anyone who gets these is don't even look at.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Just stick it in the bin. Or return to sender.
0:27:19 > 0:27:20Cos you're not going to get it.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26Here at Rip-Off Britain, we are
0:27:26 > 0:27:29always ready to investigate more of your stories.
0:27:31 > 0:27:32You can write to us at...
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Or send us an e-mail to...
0:27:49 > 0:27:52So, as we have heard today, sometimes we need to manage our own
0:27:52 > 0:27:56expectations before getting too excited about an offer
0:27:56 > 0:27:59or a promise that may not be quite as good as the website
0:27:59 > 0:28:00or the ads would have us believe.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03But even so, when you are forking out good money,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06you really should expect to get what you pay for
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and if you don't, then you need to make sure that you know your rights
0:28:09 > 0:28:13so that you know the most effective way of getting your money back.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16And do think about the way you pay for things.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19Remember that paying by credit card will usually give you protection
0:28:19 > 0:28:21if something does go wrong.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24Well, that's all we've got time for today, but we hope you can
0:28:24 > 0:28:27join us next time when we will be looking into more of your stories.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29- Till then, from all of us, bye-bye.- Bye.- Bye.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd