MSE confronts PPI scammers claiming to be from…MSE

The UK’s biggest consumer website MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) has taken on cold-calling fraudsters claiming to work for the site as part of a new PPI scam… by turning the tables and giving them a call to confront them.

MSE has received multiple reports of scammers calling up "from Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert" about a promised PPI reclaim of £1,000s in return for a £150 'admin fee'.

These of course are bogus calls. MSE never cold-calls or knocks on doors, and champions reclaiming PPI for free. So after being passed one of these con artists’ phone numbers, a journalist at the website gave them a call. 

What happened when MSE called back…

After MSE’s reporter rang the number and said he had a missed call, the man who answered opened by saying: "I’m calling you from the MoneySavingExpert - you’ve received a call from my colleagues regarding your PPI."

When the reporter asked if this was the MoneySavingExpert associated with Martin Lewis, the call handler replied by saying "exactly" - little did he know that the person he was speaking to was calling from MSE HQ and sat just metres from Martin's office.

The reporter - who is aged just 24 and has never had a mortgage, credit card or any other loan - was told that there was a PPI reclaim cheque waiting for him for £4,689... even though he never even gave his name.

There was, of course, a catch. The reporter was told there would be a £150 "admin fee" to process the reclaim, which would supposedly only be taken after the cheque had cleared.

Once the scammer had made his pitch, the reporter confronted him, and revealed that he was actually calling from MoneySavingExpert. The fraudster quickly changed his tune and claimed he was actually ringing from a different firm.

The fraudster also claimed that he was calling from Shepherd Studios on Charecroft Way in Shepherd's Bush, London. Funnily enough, MoneySavingExpert used to be based on Charecroft Way in Shepherd's Bush, though not for five years. When the MSE team visited the address last week to check, there was no sign of the fraudster or the firm he claimed to be calling from, though there are many entirely legitimate firms based there.

When MSE called 'MSE' - the full transcript

Reporter: Sorry I’ve just got a missed called from this number, and I’m just ringing to see what it’s about.
Caller: I’m calling you from the MoneySavingExpert. You’ve received a call from my colleagues regarding your PPI.
Reporter: OK, so it’s from MoneySavingExpert is it?
Caller: Exactly.
Reporter: OK, and what’s it about, the PPI?
Caller: Can you just confirm me your landline number so that I can pull up your information and I can register you better?
Reporter: It’s... [we give our phone number]
Caller: Yes.
Reporter: Is that MoneySavingExpert with Martin Lewis, is it?
Caller: That’s right exactly.
Reporter: Oh OK, yeah, yeah.
Caller: So your number is [our phone number] right?
Reporter: Yep, that’s correct, yeah, yeah.
Caller: Can I just arrange a call back from this department on your landline in the next five minutes?
Reporter: I’m out actually at the moment so I won’t be able to do that. What’s the call about?
Caller: This is a call regarding a PPI. There is some amount that has been issued on your name as a PPI.
Reporter: OK so I can get some money back, essentially?
Caller: That’s exactly.
Reporter: Do I have to do anything to get that?
Caller: No, there is a procedure I’m going to explain you [sic], OK. Do you have a pen and a paper with you? I will provide you some information.
Reporter: Yes, I’ve got a pen and paper. Will I have to pay anything for this?
Caller: Yeah, there will be some administration and delivery charges of £150, that’s it.
Reporter: £50?
Caller: £150, £150. It’s free at this point of time -can I explain you each and everything now?
Reporter: Yeah, yeah sure explain it, yeah that’s fine.
Caller: OK let me just pull up all the information. 
[long pause]
Caller: OK. As I can see, there will be an amount that’s been issued on your name - it’s £4,689.
Reporter: £4,000, OK - that’s quite a lot. And I have to pay £150 to yourselves?
Caller: That’s right, but we’re not taking a cut now. We’re not taking anything from you until the cheque has cleared from your bank.
Reporter: Do I have to send any evidence or anything like that to yourselves?
Caller: Sorry?
Reporter: Do I have to send any evidence, like any bank statements or anything like that?
Caller: No, no, no, you don’t have to send anything to us.
Reporter: OK.
Caller: I’m going to explain you, you can write down the amount you’ll be getting – it’s £4,689. You can write on your cheque number. The cheque number is 098611.
Reporter: Can I just check as well, whereabouts are you calling from? Are you based in the UK? 
Caller: That's right, in central London. 
Reporter: London, ah right? Whereabouts in London?
Caller: It's in the Shepherd's Studios, Charecroft Way.
Reporter: Is that Shepherd’s Bush?
Caller: That’s right, Shepherd’s Bush.
Reporter: OK, the only thing is... I’m actually calling from MoneySavingExpert itself. So we’re just wondering where you’re actually from and where you’re actually calling from, because we know you’re not MoneySavingExpert, we work there.
Caller: [Pause] Yeah, from the MoneySavingExpert.
Reporter: Yeah I work at MoneySavingExpert with Martin Lewis so I know that you’re not actually calling from MoneySavingExpert. So I’m just checking where you’re actually calling from.
Caller: I’m calling you from London.
Reporter: And you’re not calling from MoneySavingExpert - where are you calling from?
Caller: [Gives a company name - we haven't been able to trace it but have decided not to include it in case it's another legitimate company.]
Reporter: From where, sorry?
Caller: [Gives the company name again.]
Reporter: So why did you say you were from MoneySavingExpert?
Caller: [hangs up]