Warning over Ukash scam
This is a message sent via Neighbourhood Alert. This information has been sent on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police
Message sent by
Lindsay Donnelly (Police, Administrator, Nottinghamshire)
Nottinghamshire residents are being warned about a recent phone scam in which callers are being asked to purchase Ukash vouchers in order to receive a rebate.
Cold callers are claiming to be from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) advising that they can reclaim bank or other charges such as payment protection insurance rebates.
The caller may advise that the service requires an upfront fee to be paid by money transfer or that they need to disclose their bank account details. In some cases people have been asked to pay between £200 and £250.
Ukash vouchers can be bought from some shops to allow people to purchase items online from participating websites without a credit card or bank account.
Ukash is just like cash. If you hand them over or give their serial numbers to someone, it’s like handing them bank notes.
Keep your Ukash vouchers and their serial numbers safe and use them carefully. Only use them at genuine partner websites.
Never reveal a Ukash voucher code or your bank details to anyone over the phone and never give it to someone who asks for payment upfront.
The OFT are aware of consumers being contacted by people claiming to represent them and have offered advice on their website about this on going scam.
For more details on how to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of fraud or Internet crime visit the ActionFraud website at www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud
If you think you have been a victim of a scam of this nature contact the national ActionFraud reporting line on 0300 123 2040.
If you have any elderly or vulnerable family members or neighbours who are not signed up to the alert system or do not have internet access please pass this information on.