Nottinghamshire County council issue scam warning

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards team has received complaints about a number of websites offering free membership, which claim to give members access to a range of loan and credit card providers at no cost but require them to input their bank details.

When customers sign up to the website via its terms and conditions they permit their bank details to be shared with other companies.

Miss Charmaine Garton, from Boughton, signed up to one of these sites believing she was applying for a loan. Numerous loan companies debited her account £48 to £80 at a time which amounted to around £500 being taken from her account.

She said: “This has been a complete nightmare. Different loan companies have been taking amounts from my account which I need to pay for food, rent and to bring up my kids.

“They have been bleeding me dry – I have been left with £30 one week which left me in tears. How these companies expect you to live on that I don’t know.

“I’ve been chasing refunds and have realised many of the companies are connected.

“I’m working with my bank to recoup the money and no money now goes into the account for these companies to take. I was only after a loan but I’ll never make this mistake again.”

To report a scam contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08454 04 05 06