Discover the chilling effects of courier fraud as a victim shares her harrowing tale of losing £4,000. Learn about the rise of complaints against a wealth management firm and how the 159 service is assisting scam victims in connecting with banks. Find out how the Lifetime ISA, while offering benefits, can hinder first-time buyers due to property price caps. The podcast also stresses the urgent need for transparency in financial services and discusses the alarming increase in financial scams affecting the vulnerable.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Use 159 to Report Scams
If you suspect a scam, contact your bank immediately through the dedicated fraud line, 159.
This service connects you directly to your bank to prevent potential fraud or report losses.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Jenny's Courier Fraud Experience
Jenny lost £4,000 in a courier fraud scam after receiving calls from criminals impersonating her bank and the police.
She was pressured into withdrawing cash and handing it to a courier while being constantly monitored by the scammers.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Successful Intervention via 159
A Cooperative Bank customer contacted 159 after noticing unusual transactions and successfully prevented a £100,000 loss due to quick action and coordination.
The 159 service allowed immediate intervention and protection of the customer's account.
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More than 800,000 people have called a dedicated fraud line, which connects them with their bank if they think they’re being scammed, since it started 3 years ago. Stop Scams UK, which set up 159, says 20 banks are now part of the service. We'll hear from a woman who called the number after losing £4,000 in a scam and find out more about how it works.
Complaints about the wealth manager St James Place have risen sharply amid a major historical review of the ongoing fees it charged its customers. Fifteen thousand clients complained to the company directly in the first half of this year, and complaints to the Financial Ombudsman Service quadrupled in that time compared to the year before. St James Place says beginning last year, it saw an increase in the number of complaints received. While these have since reduced, it continues to do everything it can to work through them as quickly as possible. It has put in place processes including training and recruitment to maximise the number it can complete without jeopardising the quality of the investigation, and says that it apologises for any delays clients may experience during that time.
Some first-time buyers are finding that Lifetime ISAs, a government scheme that adds a 25% bonus to everything you put in towards your deposit, aren't working for them when they come to buy a home. It is because there's a £450,000 cap on the price of the property you can buy, which some find prices them out of buying where they live. The Treasury says that across the vast majority of the country and in most London boroughs, the average price for a first-time home remains below the cap.
Presenter: Felicity Hannah
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researcher: Emma Smith
Editor: Jess Quayle
Money Box