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 > 0:00:18They're in it for what they can get, not to provide a service.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22I didn't sleep. It upset me so much that I didn't sleep.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25You've told us with money tighter than ever,
0:00:25 > 0:00:30you need to be sure every pound you spend is worth it.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33How do I get me money back? I just think I'm entitled to it.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36So whether it's a deliberate rip-off,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39a simple mistake or a catch in the small print,
0:00:39 > 0:00:43we'll find out why you're out of pocket and what you can do about it.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46Keep asking the questions, keep... Go to the top if you have to.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50We do get results, I mean, that's the interesting thing.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Your stories. Your money.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Hello and a very warm welcome to Rip-Off Britain,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01the series that battles on your behalf
0:01:01 > 0:01:04to find out exactly why, after handing over your cash,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07you may end up with nothing like you expected.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Or indeed, as with some of the people we'll be hearing from today,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13you may end up with a big fat zero, nothing at all.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16That's because when you sign up to a deal that doesn't materialise,
0:01:16 > 0:01:20it's very often because you've been persuaded to do so
0:01:20 > 0:01:22by either very convincing advertisements
0:01:22 > 0:01:24or smooth-talking salesmen.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28Now, of course, companies depend on both of those things
0:01:28 > 0:01:29to boost their profits,
0:01:29 > 0:01:32but in the situations you've been telling us about,
0:01:32 > 0:01:36too often, those profits can mean your loss.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40It's not always easy to tell whether something's a bargain or bogus,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42which is why among our cases today
0:01:42 > 0:01:46are people who've lost hundreds, even thousands, of pounds
0:01:46 > 0:01:48because of promises that haven't come true.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But the good news is, we've got some excellent advice
0:01:51 > 0:01:53to stop the same thing happening to you.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57On today's programme...
0:01:57 > 0:02:00new ways scamsters can con you out of your cash
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and one of them has cost this family hundreds of pounds.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07I'm not only having to cover the cost for the loan
0:02:07 > 0:02:10but I'm also having to cover the cost that we have lost
0:02:10 > 0:02:11through applying for this loan.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15The promises of guaranteed cash prizes
0:02:15 > 0:02:19dropping through your letter box - but do they ever pay out?
0:02:19 > 0:02:22This is a cheque for £20,500
0:02:22 > 0:02:27and if it's lies or deceit, it's fraud.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31And our experts pop up in one of Britain's biggest shopping centres
0:02:31 > 0:02:34to solve more of your problems face-to-face.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Anyone who cold-calls has to make sure they don't call people
0:02:37 > 0:02:39who are on this list, so that is definitely the thing to do.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Now if you're someone who thinks
0:02:41 > 0:02:44that you're just too savvy to be taken in by a scam,
0:02:44 > 0:02:46well, don't be so sure.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Because here's one that's not only fiendishly clever
0:02:48 > 0:02:50but is very much on the rise.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53In fact, in the first four months of this year,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57thieves managed to snaffle the same amount of money from it
0:02:57 > 0:02:59as they did in the whole of 2011 -
0:02:59 > 0:03:03a cool £750,000,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05three quarters of a million quid.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07So pay attention to how they do it
0:03:07 > 0:03:11because remember, the next person they target could very well be you.
0:03:15 > 0:03:16Now it's important to try and stay ahead
0:03:16 > 0:03:19of crooks and conmen who employ cunning tactics
0:03:19 > 0:03:23to come up with ways to get their hands on your cash.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Some scams may start with a simple phone call,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29as cake-maker Fiona Keen discovered back in January.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'I was phoned on the Sunday night about 9pm'
0:03:34 > 0:03:36by someone called Alex from a 24-hour fraud team
0:03:36 > 0:03:41who seemed to know all my details - my name, my phone number, my address,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44and he said I'd been a victim of a Section 24 fraud,
0:03:44 > 0:03:48my Barclaycard had been, um, cloned and all my cards had been cloned.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Claiming to be from Barclaycard, the man calling himself Alex
0:03:52 > 0:03:56told Fiona that her details were already being used
0:03:56 > 0:03:59to buy things like petrol and mobile phone credit
0:03:59 > 0:04:03and to prove that it wasn't her racking up the cash,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06he needed to send a courier round to collect her cards.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I immediately said, "I'm not handing my cards over to you,"
0:04:09 > 0:04:12and he said no, no, no it was a new system,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16that if they put the cards through a machine and it could be proved
0:04:16 > 0:04:19that I hadn't used the cards in the places where there'd been activity,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21then I would definitely get the money back.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The caller warned that if Fiona didn't cooperate,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29it was unlikely that she'd ever get the money back.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31But she refused to hand over her cards.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And that is when things got really sneaky.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37When I was becoming suspicious, Alex asked me
0:04:37 > 0:04:40to phone the customer care number on the back of my Barclaycard
0:04:40 > 0:04:44to verify that it was a genuine fraud.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I put the phone down to Alex
0:04:47 > 0:04:51and picked up the phone and I didn't listen for a dial tone
0:04:51 > 0:04:55and then I phoned the customer care line on the back of Barclaycard
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and I got through to a person and, you know, explained what happened.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02He said, "I'm just going to put you through to the fraud team,"
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and immediately I got through to this Alex.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Although the whole situation felt quite strange,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I was quite relieved to be put through to Barclaycard
0:05:10 > 0:05:13from the number I'd called on the back of the card.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But Fiona wasn't speaking to Barclaycard at all.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Unbeknown to her, when she'd hung up the phone to this so-called Alex,
0:05:20 > 0:05:24he hadn't disconnected his end of the call, and was still on the line.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28So Fiona wasn't talking to a genuine fraud department.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32In fact, there's no such thing as Section 24 fraud.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33And whoever he really was -
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Alex certainly didn't work for Barclaycard.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40But his phone trick had won Fiona over
0:05:40 > 0:05:43and he kept her on the line until the courier arrived.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46He asked me to wrap the cards in tissue paper
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and to put it in an envelope
0:05:48 > 0:05:53and to write "NW1" and then a code number.
0:05:53 > 0:05:5630 minutes into the call, a man arrived,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00ready to collect all six of Fiona's bank cards.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I have to say, it did look a little bit shifty.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06When I was handing over the cards, I was shaking
0:06:06 > 0:06:10because I was giving away my personal things
0:06:10 > 0:06:13and it's just not something that I would normally do.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The courier left, supposedly taking the cards across London
0:06:18 > 0:06:22to where they could be checked and a block put on them.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And Alex said he needed Fiona to stay on the line until they arrived.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30I kept asking, "Can I put the phone down now?" And he said, "No, no, no."
0:06:30 > 0:06:32He said to me, "He's just going through security now,"
0:06:32 > 0:06:36to make it sound fairly professional, that it was a police organisation.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39He eventually got through
0:06:39 > 0:06:42and that's when he asked me to read out the PIN numbers
0:06:42 > 0:06:43so he could block them.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Now eating out of the fraudsters' hands,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Fiona proceeded to give them the PIN codes for five of her cards
0:06:52 > 0:06:54and she was relieved when Alex said
0:06:54 > 0:06:56they could prove that she hadn't used them
0:06:56 > 0:07:01and she'd be getting all her money back - if she unplugged her phone.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05He said to me, "We need your line in order to wire the money back to you,"
0:07:05 > 0:07:09and that he would tell me when to put the line back.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12By this time, it was almost 11pm
0:07:12 > 0:07:15and after being on the phone for two hours to Alex,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18who Fiona still believed was from Barclaycard's fraud team,
0:07:18 > 0:07:23she followed his instructions and disconnected her landline.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27I felt quite suspicious. I've never been asked to undo my phone line
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and I do realise now it was so people couldn't contact me.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35So as arranged, the fraudster rang Fiona again the next day
0:07:35 > 0:07:37on her mobile, to update her
0:07:37 > 0:07:40on the progress supposedly being made with her case.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42He had been keeping in contact with me
0:07:42 > 0:07:45on my mobile phone at various times of day,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49just to tell me how things were going and he said that they had the CCTV,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52they had the pictures of the people who had been frauding my cards.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55He was being very chatting and charming,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57and even though I had doubts at the back of my mind,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I just kept saying to myself,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02"Oh, you're being silly, because they're sorting it out for you."
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And he did say to me, "You won't need to contact your bank,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07"I'm dealing with that for you as well."
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The reassuring calls to Fiona's mobile continued.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16But when they stopped, she reconnected her landline
0:08:16 > 0:08:20and that is when she was horrified to realise she'd been scammed.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23I found all the messages on the phone
0:08:23 > 0:08:27that people had been trying to contact me, and the banks, M&S,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31to tell me... I actually felt sick.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35To have your cards actually taken from your own home is unbelievable
0:08:35 > 0:08:39and it's really quite shocking how smooth that happened.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Fiona discovered that the fraudsters
0:08:43 > 0:08:46had quickly made full use of her cards.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50I can see that they were spending as soon as Sunday,
0:08:50 > 0:08:51so they got straight onto it
0:08:51 > 0:08:56and for the next two days, they were spending in large amounts.
0:08:56 > 0:09:01400, 500, and then into the thousands.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05The total amount they've spent on this particular card is £7,000.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07In fact, they maxed out my card.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11In total, the fraudsters spent £15,000.
0:09:11 > 0:09:16Luckily, Barclaycard provide customers with a fraud guarantee
0:09:16 > 0:09:17so they won't lose out,
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and as Fiona could prove that she'd been a victim of fraud,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24she got her money back within a week.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Barclaycard told us that they're aware of this scam,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31but would never, ever call asking for personal details
0:09:31 > 0:09:34or requiring cards to be returned
0:09:34 > 0:09:37and anyone who receives a request like that should end the call.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42Meanwhile, although Fiona has her money back,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44she's now on a security register
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and will have to go through enhanced checks
0:09:47 > 0:09:49when trying to get credit in the future.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52I couldn't believe that it happened to me
0:09:52 > 0:09:54because I'm not the sort of person to give my cards away.
0:09:54 > 0:09:59The whole of this experience has really shaken me up,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02but I'm very relieved to have all my money back.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It is an extremely sophisticated scam.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Well, fabulous news, of course, that Fiona has got her money back.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14But someone somewhere has still done very well out of that scam.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So Neil Aitken from the Payments Council is here
0:10:17 > 0:10:20with advice on how to make sure, in similar situations,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25that you can protect yourself and, of course, your money.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27You might find that you're cold-called at home
0:10:27 > 0:10:31by someone posing either as someone from your bank or from the police.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34They might have a bit of personal information about you.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36They might know who you bank with.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39but they will reveal themselves to be fraudsters
0:10:39 > 0:10:41by the extra information they ask for,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44that your bank or the police would never request from you.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50The thing to really watch out for
0:10:50 > 0:10:52is if they try and persuade you
0:10:52 > 0:10:53to enter your PIN.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56That could be reading it out over the phone
0:10:56 > 0:11:00or entering it into the telephone keypad.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Your PIN is completely personal to you.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06No-one from your bank will ever request it.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11The scam develops and they tell you
0:11:11 > 0:11:15they're going to send round a courier to pick up your cards.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Again, this should set alarm bells ringing immediately.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Your bank or the police
0:11:20 > 0:11:22will never, ever send someone round
0:11:22 > 0:11:24to pick up your card.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27If this does happen, it means you know you are talking to a fraudster.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32They will try and win your trust
0:11:32 > 0:11:36by saying, "Call us back on the number on the back of your card."
0:11:36 > 0:11:41What they will actually do is keep the phone line open at their end.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43They might even play the noise of a dial tone down the phone
0:11:43 > 0:11:46to persuade you that when you call back,
0:11:46 > 0:11:48you're speaking to the real deal.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Take a minute. You don't need to call back immediately.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56If you've got a mobile phone, call back on that,
0:11:56 > 0:11:58on the advertised number you have
0:11:58 > 0:12:02and then you can be sure you're getting through to the right people.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06If you think you've been a victim of this fraud,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08contact the police straightaway,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10then speak to your bank immediately.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Report your cards lost and stolen.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15No-one who's an innocent victim of fraud
0:12:15 > 0:12:17will ever lose out financially.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Now, unfortunately, there's always someone out there
0:12:23 > 0:12:25who is prepared to do absolutely anything
0:12:25 > 0:12:28to part you from your hard-earned cash
0:12:28 > 0:12:29and they're always on the lookout
0:12:29 > 0:12:32for new ways in which they can do it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35So you can bet that whenever some bright spark comes up with an idea
0:12:35 > 0:12:38that's supposed to make our lives easier,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40someone else is immediately going to find a way
0:12:40 > 0:12:42to turn that to their advantage.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46And judging from the e-mails and the letters you've sent us this year,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50that is exactly what seems to be happening with Ukash vouchers -
0:12:50 > 0:12:54a very simple but increasingly popular way to make payments.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58But the scamsters are using them to rip you off
0:12:58 > 0:13:00and here is how they're doing it.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07For Louise Beard and her soldier husband Lee, every penny counts.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10One step, two steps tickles everywhere!
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Lee is often posted abroad, and while he's away,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17running the family finances falls on Louise's shoulders.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22Recently, that meant sorting out the final repayments on their car.
0:13:22 > 0:13:23They'd bought it on a deal
0:13:23 > 0:13:27where the biggest monthly payment was saved until last...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29One, two, three, up!
0:13:29 > 0:13:33..so a bill for almost £6,000 was looming.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38We'd bought a car on finance in 2009
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and it's due to finish
0:13:41 > 0:13:43while my husband's away in Afghan,
0:13:43 > 0:13:48so I was looking online to see if I could get a loan that way.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51After she entered her details on a website,
0:13:51 > 0:13:57Louise was delighted to get a call offering her a £15,000 loan.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Hoping that this was the answer to her financial worries,
0:14:00 > 0:14:04she checked out the credentials of the company,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06who called themselves Citi Financial.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10I checked the Financial Services Authority number
0:14:10 > 0:14:13and the licence number, and it all looked legit
0:14:13 > 0:14:15so I went ahead with the £15,000 loan.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17As well as that research,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21she was sent an official-looking e-mail confirming her application.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24So Louise was happy that this company was genuine.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28So when this so-called "Citi Financial" got back in touch
0:14:28 > 0:14:32asking for a £215 fee to process her application,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34she wasn't worried.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39I just had to pay a small processing fee by Ukash voucher
0:14:39 > 0:14:42and they also gave me the address of a local shop
0:14:42 > 0:14:45to go and collect the voucher from, which I was happy to do
0:14:45 > 0:14:49because I knew that other loan companies ask for a processing fee.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Ukash vouchers are pre-paid shopping vouchers
0:14:52 > 0:14:56that you can purchase at shops across the country.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58You buy a voucher for the amount that you want,
0:14:58 > 0:15:02then use the unique number printed on it to spend the money.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06It's a quick and easy process, very similar to using cash
0:15:06 > 0:15:09because once you've handed over the number, that's the money spent
0:15:09 > 0:15:12and there's no way of getting it back.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13I went into the local shop.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17I purchased the voucher which had the voucher number on the receipt,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21I then come out the shop, phoned up the company,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24gave them the voucher number and the expiry date.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Little did Louise know that the company was not
0:15:28 > 0:15:30who they said they were. But now they had her hooked...
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Would you like some fish food?
0:15:33 > 0:15:36..and it was time to reel her in.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40An hour later, they called Louise again - suddenly changing the deal.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43They said my earnings weren't high enough,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46so I would need to purchase another Ukash voucher
0:15:46 > 0:15:50to prove that I could pay the monthly instalments
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and I couldn't afford to lose the money that I'd already put down,
0:15:54 > 0:15:56so I went and got the next voucher.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Determined to get the loan sorted,
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Louise dashed to the shop to buy a second voucher -
0:16:02 > 0:16:07this time for £300, enough to cover the extra fee of £299.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11She then called the company, gave them the voucher number...
0:16:11 > 0:16:13But shortly afterwards, they rang her back.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'I was then told they couldn't use the voucher
0:16:17 > 0:16:19'because it had to be for £299 only'
0:16:19 > 0:16:23and I would need to go and purchase one for 299
0:16:23 > 0:16:26but I could still use the £300 one
0:16:26 > 0:16:29to pay my bills, my gas, my electric,
0:16:29 > 0:16:32so I thought, "Well, that's OK," cos I needed to pay them.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35So Louise went out and bought a third voucher,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38for the exact amount of £299.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42By now, she'd handed over more than £800.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45And alarm bells started ringing
0:16:45 > 0:16:49when someone from the company rang her back yet again
0:16:49 > 0:16:51asking for more.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55He said to me that the money was all ready to go into my account
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but I would need to pay a soft electronic transfer
0:16:58 > 0:17:01which I would get back as soon as I'd done it
0:17:01 > 0:17:04but I would need to pay another lot of money.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07I then realised something wasn't right
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and I told him, I said to him,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12"Let's just forget about the application and refund my money."
0:17:12 > 0:17:16He then told me he couldn't do that, and hung up the phone.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21I was gutted, I didn't know how to tell my husband...
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It was awful, I was devastated with it.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27And that devastation only got worse.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Because although the company had led Louise to believe
0:17:30 > 0:17:33that they would not be cashing in the second voucher for £300,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35they already had.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38They ended up cashing every voucher,
0:17:38 > 0:17:41which worked out about £815 in total.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'I don't even earn that in a month.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:46'When she told me, I was obviously really gutted.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51'I thought, like, it's quite a lot of money to just lose in one go.'
0:17:51 > 0:17:53You can only check everything you know about
0:17:53 > 0:17:55and obviously, these guys are working around that
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and doing a really good job at what they do,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59which is to con money out of normal people.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Desperate to get their money back,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Louise has tried calling the company on the number that they gave her.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07There's no reply.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10It's just ringing like it always does.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15There is a genuine company with a similar name
0:18:15 > 0:18:17to the one that the scamsters used.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Based in the City of London,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24it's called CitiFinancial Europe plc, part of the Citibank Group.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27They no longer even offer loans
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and now have a warning on their website about companies
0:18:30 > 0:18:34using names or reference numbers that are similar to theirs
0:18:34 > 0:18:36to scam you out of money.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40They advise anyone offered a loan in this way to contact the police.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And whoever the scamsters really were, they were able to
0:18:44 > 0:18:50exploit the simplicity of Ukash vouchers to trick Louise
0:18:50 > 0:18:55out of over £800 - money she could not afford to lose.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00I'm angry with it because I was hoping to have it a bit easier
0:19:00 > 0:19:02when he's in Afghan, but it hasn't,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04it's put a lot more pressure on me
0:19:04 > 0:19:07because I'm not only having to cover the cost for the loan,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but I'm also having to cover the cost that we have lost
0:19:10 > 0:19:12through applying for this loan.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16Well, later in the programme we're going to be hearing more about
0:19:16 > 0:19:20situations where Ukash payments have been targeted by scamsters.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23And we'll also going to be talking to the company behind the scheme
0:19:23 > 0:19:25to see what they've done to make it safe.
0:19:25 > 0:19:30Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, the mail shots that promise
0:19:30 > 0:19:32a life-changing sum of money, so what's the catch?
0:19:32 > 0:19:37But how likely is it that your money will ever arrive?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40My advice to anybody that gets it is don't even look at it,
0:19:40 > 0:19:41just stick it in the bin.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Rip-Off Britain is on the road again.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54For one weekend only, we've set up our very own pop-up shop.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59We're hoping we can solve as many of your problems as possible,
0:19:59 > 0:20:00face-to-face.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04And we've a team of experts on hand to answer questions
0:20:04 > 0:20:07and offer detailed help and advice.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The rising cost of car insurance, pensions and petrol prices -
0:20:13 > 0:20:17just some of the issues you've been keen to got off your chests
0:20:17 > 0:20:19in our special Gripe Box.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But there's one particular gripe
0:20:21 > 0:20:24that quite a few of you wanted to share.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28The thing that really annoys me is cold calling on the telephones.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30As far as I'm concerned I'm supposed to be ex-directory
0:20:30 > 0:20:32and nobody's supposed to have my number.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34They'll ring until they get an answer,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37It's just annoying, very annoying.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Absolutely fed up with them.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Even up to nine o'clock at night.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45Everybody trying to sell you something one way or another.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It sounds as though those unwanted sales calls
0:20:48 > 0:20:51are a real bugbear for many of you.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55So our colleagues from BBC Skillswise have put together
0:20:55 > 0:20:58some tips on how best to deal with them.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01We can save you over £10 a month.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03With an actress playing the part of a salesperson,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07they've come up with a cold-call challenge
0:21:07 > 0:21:09to put consumers - including us - to the test.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11What are you calling yourselves again?
0:21:11 > 0:21:13Hello?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- Hello, is that Mrs Jones?- Yes.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18How are you today, Mrs Jones? I hope you've been making
0:21:18 > 0:21:20the most of this lovely weather we've been having.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22You're going to sell me something, aren't you?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Well, I have got a fantastic offer to make you, Mrs Jones.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28No, no don't. Let me stop you right there. Thank you so much.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I'm really not interested, but thank you so much for your call. Bye!
0:21:31 > 0:21:35And that's how I do it. Just get rid of them!
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Fantastic.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38But what - if anything -
0:21:38 > 0:21:41can you do to stop receiving cold-calls in the first place?
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Clifford March popped in to find out.
0:21:45 > 0:21:46- Cold calls.- Yeah.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48We went ex-directory to stop this
0:21:48 > 0:21:51but we've been getting hundreds upon hundreds of cold calls.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53There is quite an easy solution.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55There's the Telephone Preference Service
0:21:55 > 0:21:58which is free to register for.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00You literally give them your telephone number
0:22:00 > 0:22:04and you fill it in online or you can give them a call and speak to them.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It takes two to three minutes to do
0:22:06 > 0:22:08and then that will stop all nuisance calls.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Anyone who cold calls has to make sure that they don't call
0:22:11 > 0:22:13people on this list so that's what to do
0:22:13 > 0:22:15and that should solve your problem for you.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Well, that's absolutely fantastic, Dominic, thank you very much indeed.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24The Telephone Preference Service isn't foolproof,
0:22:24 > 0:22:27but it's the essential starting point for stopping unwanted calls.
0:22:29 > 0:22:36Hopefully now it'll stop and, um, I can't believe how easy it was.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44We all make mistakes and big companies are no exception.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48It's what they do or don't do to put those mistakes right
0:22:48 > 0:22:49that can leave you feeling ripped-off,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52so you need to know what your rights are and where to go
0:22:52 > 0:22:55if you don't feel you've been treated fairly.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58We've put together a free booklet of practical tips and advice.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02You can download it from our website...
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Or to receive a copy in the post,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10send an A5 stamped and self-addressed envelope
0:23:10 > 0:23:13to the address that we'll give you at the end of the programme.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Now if you're really being honest,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21which one of us hasn't at some stage dreamt of what we'd do
0:23:21 > 0:23:23if we won that small fortune in cash?
0:23:23 > 0:23:26So imagine how you'd feel if you suddenly received
0:23:26 > 0:23:30a letter in the post saying that you'd won thousands of pounds.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Not that you stood a chance of winning it, but that already,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35the money was definitely yours.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Now you'd probably think it was all too good to be true, but then again,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41when it's all there, written in black and white, you might also
0:23:41 > 0:23:44hope for the best and just wait for your windfall to arrive.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47Alan Dowling received a letter just like that.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So was Lady Luck truly on his side?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52And if not, what was really going on?
0:23:56 > 0:24:00On average, every household receives 377 pieces of junk mail
0:24:00 > 0:24:02through its letterbox each year.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05And it can be very hard to decide what is junk
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and what is a genuine offer or promise.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12A dilemma faced by Alan Downing last year
0:24:12 > 0:24:14when he started getting letters
0:24:14 > 0:24:17saying that he'd won huge cash prizes.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20"With the confirmation of the amount,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24"we hereby confirm that the amount of this cheque is £15,500."
0:24:24 > 0:24:26We go £15,500,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29£15,500,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31£15,500,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35£15,500,
0:24:35 > 0:24:36and £20,500!
0:24:36 > 0:24:39If all this did come to me
0:24:39 > 0:24:41I would be one of the richest men in Manchester.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45The letters came from a mail order company called Star Shopping,
0:24:45 > 0:24:48which has a PO Box address in Dublin.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52They also sent Alan their catalogue of products.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55On reading it, the products in it didn't really interest me
0:24:55 > 0:24:57in the first place.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00But then I started thinking,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03well, they've told me I've won 20,500 here.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08More than that, they guaranteed it! So with such a clear promise,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13well, 72-year-old Alan just couldn't resist replying.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16When I saw the documents, I thought well, we can all do
0:25:16 > 0:25:18with 20-and-a-half grand for doing nothing.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I was quite wary that it was going to be a scam
0:25:21 > 0:25:24but I thought I'll continue it because it'll only cost me a stamp,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26and, well, you never know -
0:25:26 > 0:25:28somebody might be silly enough at the other end
0:25:28 > 0:25:30to actually make a cheque out for me.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Star Shopping quickly wrote back.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Not with a cheque,
0:25:36 > 0:25:38but with an assurance that if he ordered
0:25:38 > 0:25:42something from the catalogue, the money would be sent "right away".
0:25:42 > 0:25:45The catalogue said I didn't have to buy anything
0:25:45 > 0:25:48but if I did, it would speed it up.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50So Alan placed an order.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I got the goods.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Got this plastic squeegee thing on a piece of plastic, but no cheque.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02And funnily enough, there still hasn't been...
0:26:02 > 0:26:04although over the next six months,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Alan received a further 25 letters insisting that the money
0:26:07 > 0:26:11was still waiting for him at Star Shopping's headquarters.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14And all he had to do to get it was order more.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16£20,500 this one!
0:26:16 > 0:26:20"Mr Downing, this is the best day of your life."
0:26:20 > 0:26:24But I thought that was my wedding day!
0:26:24 > 0:26:28"You are the one and only lucky, winning beneficiary
0:26:28 > 0:26:32"of the big bank cheque for £20,500."
0:26:32 > 0:26:35They don't give up with this!
0:26:35 > 0:26:39But I'm afraid Alan has given up on ever receiving his prize.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Still at least he didn't waste too much money.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Unlike John Cooper from Bournemouth.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48He received the same letters from Star Shopping
0:26:48 > 0:26:50and indeed from other mail order companies,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52some of which appear to be connected.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55He was also told that as soon as he ordered from the catalogues,
0:26:55 > 0:26:58his five figure prize would be on its way.
0:26:58 > 0:27:04I've probably placed about 16 to 18 orders with Star
0:27:04 > 0:27:07and, with the other mail order firms, probably about another ten.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Generally speaking I suppose the orders would come
0:27:11 > 0:27:14to about £15 to £20 each time.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18They're mainly small domestic items -
0:27:18 > 0:27:20bottles of fluid for cleaning
0:27:20 > 0:27:24plastic windows and chairs,
0:27:24 > 0:27:27some crystals for putting down drains to unblock them.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29Nothing very exciting.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33When John contacted Star Shopping to see where his winner's cheque was,
0:27:33 > 0:27:36three of the company directors assured him in writing
0:27:36 > 0:27:40that it would be sent to him shortly.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43All three of them had signed a document confirming
0:27:43 > 0:27:45that I had won that money
0:27:45 > 0:27:49so I was just waiting for the cheque to come through the post,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51but of course I'm still waiting.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Now believing his winnings were on their way,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57John spent £350 on Star Shopping products alone.
0:27:57 > 0:28:03He also spent almost £200 on goods from the other catalogues,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06because they too promised that he'd won big cash prizes.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08There's probably about
0:28:08 > 0:28:14300 different pamphlets, envelopes and letters all of which are
0:28:14 > 0:28:20clearly pointing out that a massive prize has been won by myself.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24This is a cheque for £20,500, it is not a discount voucher,
0:28:24 > 0:28:29but a real first prize bank cheque.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31That's just one indication.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34I was the only person getting the prize.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36I mean, I wouldn't have expected that to be true,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39but when somebody makes a statement like that in business,
0:28:39 > 0:28:45under contract, and firms make that contract, they must stand by it.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49And if it's lies or deceit, it's fraud.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Now you may also have received catalogues like these.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Many of them have addresses in either the Netherlands or Belgium.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03And several of them have links to a Belgian mail order company
0:29:03 > 0:29:07called D Duchesne SA - a business that the Office of Fair Trading
0:29:07 > 0:29:09has taken action against in the past,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13all as part of an ongoing battle about these kinds of prize draws.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17But I'm afraid that hasn't stopped the same sort of misleading letters
0:29:17 > 0:29:20being sent to countless households across the UK.
0:29:20 > 0:29:24We contacted all the companies who'd written to John to ask why
0:29:24 > 0:29:27neither he nor anyone else we've heard from
0:29:27 > 0:29:31has ever received the prize they were supposedly guaranteed.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33Not one of them has replied.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38John still can't believe they're able to make such big claims
0:29:38 > 0:29:41without delivering on their promises.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45Perhaps a person listening to this might say, well,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49he was naive. I would never fall for that.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52But my view is that firms should not be able
0:29:52 > 0:29:57to make these sort of offers. They should be heavily penalised.
0:29:57 > 0:30:02They made these false promises and kept on repeating the promises
0:30:02 > 0:30:04when they were complete lies.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06And Alan has some words of wisdom
0:30:06 > 0:30:09for anyone who receives a letter like this
0:30:09 > 0:30:11suggesting they've won a cash prize.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13My advice to anybody that gets it is
0:30:13 > 0:30:17don't even look at it, just stick it in the bin or return to sender
0:30:17 > 0:30:19because you're not going to get it.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22If you've ever been tempted by a deal
0:30:22 > 0:30:25or a promise that's not what it seems,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28or is just too good to be true,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30well, here's how to resist it.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33The first thing is that if someone calls at your house
0:30:33 > 0:30:35and tries to sell you something, don't feel under pressure.
0:30:35 > 0:30:36It's quite likely
0:30:36 > 0:30:40the sales man or woman will be under pressure themselves
0:30:40 > 0:30:42because they will have sales targets to meet.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46But that's their problem and not yours so take your time and only buy
0:30:46 > 0:30:50something if you want to buy it and you want to buy it there and then.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52If not, just say no.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55If you buy something at home or at your office,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59so basically away from the normal place where the company
0:30:59 > 0:31:01does its business, you have some fairly good rights.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04You have the right to cancel within seven days,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08and that seven days starts from when you were given the information about
0:31:08 > 0:31:12your cancellation rights which may not be when you actually sign up.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15If you are getting plagued by lots of doorstep sellers,
0:31:15 > 0:31:19you might want to consider setting up a no cold-calling zone.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21It is something your local trading standards
0:31:21 > 0:31:23and the police can organise for you.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25But it's not an automatic right.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Normally there has to be a certain number of older or vulnerable people
0:31:28 > 0:31:30living in your area.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33If you're fed up with junk mail coming through your letter box,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37then I suggest you sign up with a mailing preference scheme.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40That means that companies you don't have any business with
0:31:40 > 0:31:42won't be able to send you junk mail.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45You will still get some marketing information from companies
0:31:45 > 0:31:48like your bank or energy supplier.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50Signing up for the mailing preference scheme
0:31:50 > 0:31:53won't necessarily mean that you stop getting those dodgy letters
0:31:53 > 0:31:56saying you have won a lottery you've never entered,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00or you've won a prize competition. Generally these offers are dodgy
0:32:00 > 0:32:03so don't even open the envelope - shred it or get rid of it.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05If you reply to one of these companies,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08you could find your name's put on what's called a suckers list,
0:32:08 > 0:32:13meaning your details will be traded with other would-be fraudsters.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Now earlier in the programme,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20we heard how an increasingly popular form of payment
0:32:20 > 0:32:24can be exploited by companies determined to rip you off.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28Ukash vouchers, as they're called, are a perfectly legitimate
0:32:28 > 0:32:31and apparently easy way of paying for things.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34But in some parts of the country, Trading Standards officers
0:32:34 > 0:32:38are warning of scams which mean you could end up out of pocket.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43So could it be that Ukash vouchers are just too simple to use?
0:32:48 > 0:32:51In May, Karen McCracken from Nottinghamshire was thrilled
0:32:51 > 0:32:55when she received a call from a withheld number,
0:32:55 > 0:32:57claiming she'd won some money.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00They phoned up about half-past ten in the morning,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04saying that I'd won this £10,000, and it was from Royal Mail.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08It was quite exciting to be fair, I must admit.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11But to claim it, they asked her for a £50 admin fee
0:33:11 > 0:33:14which she'd have to pay using a Ukash voucher.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Well, I said I would have to speak to my husband about it
0:33:18 > 0:33:19and he turned round and said,
0:33:19 > 0:33:22"You don't need your husband's permission for this."
0:33:22 > 0:33:24I said, "Well, I think I do,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27"cos I haven't got that kind of money to give you anyway."
0:33:27 > 0:33:30And he says, "Oh well, I'll phone you back on Monday."
0:33:30 > 0:33:34He did call back on the Monday morning,
0:33:34 > 0:33:37still falsely claiming to be from the Royal Mail.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41But when Karen declined the offer, he became aggressive,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43insisting they must have that admin fee
0:33:43 > 0:33:45whether she wanted her prize or not!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48They just kept saying that I would need a solicitor
0:33:48 > 0:33:52and he went, "I'm going to send the police round to your door
0:33:52 > 0:33:55"to get this money because you're breaking the law not giving me it."
0:33:55 > 0:34:01And it got me scared to be honest. When I come off the phone, I cried.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Karen didn't fall for what the man was saying,
0:34:05 > 0:34:07but only because the previous year,
0:34:07 > 0:34:09she'd been targeted in a similar way.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14She'd again been told that to claim a £10,000 cash prize,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18she'd have to pay an admin fee. And that time, she'd done it.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21They told me I needed a Ukash voucher
0:34:21 > 0:34:26and even told me where the shop was, what street it was on and stuff
0:34:26 > 0:34:28and I never heard of them before.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32The woman on the phone said that she'd call back once Karen had
0:34:32 > 0:34:36bought the Ukash voucher, to get the unique code number printed on it.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39So I went and got the £50 UK voucher
0:34:39 > 0:34:42and then they said that that would be it, I would get the cheque.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47Karen had just unwittingly handed over £50 she'd never see again.
0:34:47 > 0:34:50The woman who'd called her
0:34:50 > 0:34:53was using the simplicity of Ukash vouchers to scam her.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58But Karen only realised that when her winnings failed to arrive.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01The cheque never come after Christmas cos we thought,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05Christmas time it'd be lovely, be able to get the kids something nice.
0:35:05 > 0:35:07But it never come.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Ukash is a convenient way of paying online at websites
0:35:11 > 0:35:14if you don't have a bank account, or debit or credit cards.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17But once you've handed over the serial number,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20the payment is completely untraceable.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23It's as if you'd used cash and unlike using a credit or debit card,
0:35:23 > 0:35:27you have absolutely no protection.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31As Karen's learned the hard way.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34And then I went well we've lost £50,
0:35:34 > 0:35:36and it was my last £50 out the bank to be fair,
0:35:36 > 0:35:39because we didn't get paid till the week after.
0:35:42 > 0:35:44After the second incident,
0:35:44 > 0:35:46she reported the calls to the police
0:35:46 > 0:35:48and to Nottinghamshire Trading Standards who issued a warning
0:35:48 > 0:35:51about the scam.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Well, these kind of cold-callers are particularly difficult
0:35:54 > 0:35:57because of the aggression that's used.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00They're possibly targeting people who haven't got the facility
0:36:00 > 0:36:03to use credit cards and debit cards so readily.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Ukash vouchers are a brilliant idea, they work in a lot of circumstances.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09But you do need to remember that,
0:36:09 > 0:36:13when you give that number over, it's effectively handing the cash over.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Across the UK, whether it's on the phone, or online,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Ukash vouchers are being exploited by crooks in all sorts of ways.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24In London, conmen have claimed to be police needing a fee paid
0:36:24 > 0:36:28with Ukash to remove illegal content from PCs.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32In Dunbartonshire, targets have been told they're entitled to money
0:36:32 > 0:36:35from unclaimed insurance policies.
0:36:35 > 0:36:40And in Gloucestershire, a recent scam was more elaborate still.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44A woman reported handing £600 worth of Ukash vouchers to a man
0:36:44 > 0:36:47who'd first rung to say that she was entitled
0:36:47 > 0:36:52to £4,000 worth of mis-sold PPI, then turned up at her house
0:36:52 > 0:36:55with very convincing forms for her to sign.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00So it looks as if the only way to avoid being stung like Karen
0:37:00 > 0:37:03is to make sure you only give a Ukash code
0:37:03 > 0:37:06to someone you're sure is legitimate.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11Otherwise whatever yarn you're being spun, chances are, it's a con.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14They're actually picking on people that need the money,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18and they're vulnerable anyway so they're going to take the money.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Very nasty people, very nasty people.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27So, are Ukash doing enough to keep consumers safe?
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Let's see what the company's chief executive, David Hunter,
0:37:30 > 0:37:33has to say about the way that the system is being abused.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37David, I have to confess that I had never heard of Ukash,
0:37:37 > 0:37:41so shall we start by you explaining exactly what Ukash is.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45So Ukash is designed to be a safe and simple way for people
0:37:45 > 0:37:49to spend cash on the internet via our voucher system.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51People can go, typically to their corner shop
0:37:51 > 0:37:54or anywhere they might get a mobile top up,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57present your cash and ask for a Ukash voucher in return
0:37:57 > 0:38:02with a unique 19-digit code which represents that value.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05So a bit like an electronic bank note.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08You're swapping a physical bank note for an electronic bank note.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11So if you take a case like the one that we're dealing with here,
0:38:11 > 0:38:13what went wrong with that?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Because I'm sure you're going to tell me
0:38:15 > 0:38:18your system's meant to be watertight with the code number, and so on.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Well, of course. I mean in fact, actually,
0:38:20 > 0:38:25we know of not one single breach of, or somebody guessing a number
0:38:25 > 0:38:28and spending it as their own, because there are
0:38:28 > 0:38:32so many billions of permutations, and each number is unique.
0:38:32 > 0:38:36I think what happened in this case was that she was contacted
0:38:36 > 0:38:41by a cold-caller who was literally trying to scam
0:38:41 > 0:38:44or extract money from her and other people,
0:38:44 > 0:38:49and they'd asked her to go to a local shop to get Ukash for them
0:38:49 > 0:38:55and she was asked to tell them the unique number over the telephone,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58which, I must say, is just the same as
0:38:58 > 0:39:02giving real cash away at your front door.
0:39:02 > 0:39:03You use the word 'scam'
0:39:03 > 0:39:07and obviously this is one case, but I presume there are others.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09What other means do you know of
0:39:09 > 0:39:11where people are getting round your system,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15or rather using Ukash as a way of getting money out of people?
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Scams exist and always have done, always will do,
0:39:17 > 0:39:24and they'll often move to other means of executing that scam.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28And I think what's happened here is that as Ukash has become more
0:39:28 > 0:39:32popular and is more available and convenient for people to buy,
0:39:32 > 0:39:37these criminals are exploiting the fact that people can be
0:39:37 > 0:39:40convinced to use the product in a way it's not designed to be used
0:39:40 > 0:39:43against our strict terms of use,
0:39:43 > 0:39:48against the alerts we put on the vouchers saying please do not give
0:39:48 > 0:39:51details away to anybody, only use it participating in Ukash websites.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53So this has been exploited.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58So David, what's the key advice that you would give people to make sure
0:39:58 > 0:40:01that they don't get taken for a ride and don't have their money taken?
0:40:01 > 0:40:04I think it's really important that people recognise this is like cash.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07That number is the security of their value.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Please don't give that to anybody over the phone or by email
0:40:10 > 0:40:13unless you want them to have the value.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17It's the same as you giving them a bank note of that value.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20Please only use participating websites.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24You can see a full list of those sites on the Ukash.com,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and please take the warnings that you see on the voucher.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Treat like cash, don't give it to anybody else.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33If you do feel that you might've been compromised
0:40:33 > 0:40:37or if you've given the voucher to somebody, contact us immediately.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Because if you contact us immediately
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- and the voucher's not spent, we can block it for you.- David, thank you.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44Thank you.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50Here at Rip-Off Britain, we're always ready to investigate
0:40:50 > 0:40:51more of your stories.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53Confused over your bills?
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Trying to wade through never ending small print?
0:40:56 > 0:40:59We should read it but it's not in plain English. It's not...
0:40:59 > 0:41:01It should be simple, you know, ABC, very basic stuff.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04Unsure what to do when you discover you've lost out,
0:41:04 > 0:41:08and that great deal has ended up costing you money?
0:41:08 > 0:41:10You get home, you get your bill and it's like £70,
0:41:10 > 0:41:13when it's meant to be £35.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16And it's just basically, you get ripped off, don't you?
0:41:16 > 0:41:20You might have a cautionary tale of your own and want to share the
0:41:20 > 0:41:24mistakes that you've made with us, so that others don't do the same.
0:41:24 > 0:41:29We paid them good money to act in our best interest, they didn't.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31You can write to us at...
0:41:41 > 0:41:42Or send us an email...
0:41:47 > 0:41:52The Rip-Off team is ready and waiting to investigate your stories.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Well, fortunately most businesses, thank goodness,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01don't actually set out to deliberately fleece you.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05But there will always be a minority determined to do exactly that.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08So while it seems, unfortunately, unlikely
0:42:08 > 0:42:12that everyone that we've met today is ever going to get their money back,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15we hope at least by sharing their stories with you,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18we've given you an idea of some things you need to watch out for.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22In particular, be extra careful before agreeing to any promise
0:42:22 > 0:42:25that comes right out of the blue, whether it's in the post,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27or online or on the phone.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Don't be rushed or pressurised into making a decision straight away.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Do take your time to do some research
0:42:33 > 0:42:35just in case someone is trying to rip you off.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40Well, with that excellent advice, that's all we've got time for today.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Thanks for joining us and please do keep sending us your stories.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45We'll be back to investigate more of them soon,
0:42:45 > 0:42:48but in the meantime, from all of us here, bye-bye.
0:42:48 > 0:42:49ALL: Goodbye.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd