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Beware of fraudsters operating a loan fee scam

Online cash provider Ukash is urging people to be on the lookout for fraudsters claiming to be from The Start-ups Loan Company and other loan providers.

Pound Coins

The official Start-Up Loans Company is a government backed organisation and is not associated with providing loans to individuals, but is one of the names fraudsters are using to operate this scam.

The scammers have access to personal information provided to loan broker websites and claim to have approved a loan, but need a fee to be paid in advance before it can be processed.

The fraudsters then ask for the fee to be paid by UKash vouchers. Ukash codes are purchased with cash in retail outlets such as shops, petrol stations and kiosks, and issued online from their website. You must not hand over your Ukash codes to these scammers, as you will lose your money.

Miranda McLean, Marketing Director of Ukash said “People should only spend their Ukash with official merchants listed on website. No genuine loan company will ask for a fee to be paid in advance. Our advice is always that Ukash should never be used for payments to suspicious or unknown individuals. The simple message is to treat Ukash with the same security as you would physical cash.”

Top tips on using Ukash safely

  • Keep your Ukash codes secure, just like you do with cash.
  • Only use Ukash at genuine partner websites, if you are not sure check their list.
  • Never reveal the voucher code or any part of it to anyone else including over the phone, via email or letter, no matter how convincing they appear to be.
  • Never give Ukash to individuals asking for payment up front.
  • Only purchase Ukash from official Ukash issuing partners or the Ukash website, never from ‘exchange’ sites.
  • Follow Ukash’s online payment security advice.

For further information please visit the Ukash website.

Please note that Action Fraud is not responsible for the content of external websites.

To report a fraud and receive a police crime reference number, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.

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