Connect with us

Published

on

With a Christmas blighted by the cost of living crisis, there are fears more people could lose money to fraudsters offering non-existent loans.

The Financial Conduct Authority said it receives an annual increase in reports of loan fee fraud over the festive period.

Loan fee fraud happens when someone pays a fee for a loan they never receive – and the FCA is concerned that rising financial stress could place more people at risk of scammers’ tactics this year.

Emma Francis (not her real name) fell victim after escaping an abusive relationship where her ex-partner controlled all their money.

The single mother-of-three found herself facing a Christmas with no money and didn’t want to let her children down.

After searching for payday loans, she found a website offering “guaranteed” loans and paid, what she thought was, a £49 admin fee for a £500 loan.

“After paying, I rang them and they told me to go to a bank for a loan,” she told Sky News.

She then looked at the small print of the website which admitted the firm was a “broker, not a lender”.

“The advice they offered me was just that one line. Go to the bank. I knew then I wasn’t getting my money back,” she said.

“I was very vulnerable and looking back I was quite naive about it.

“It was a lot of money and I felt so foolish.”

Read more:
Cost of living advent calender – how crisis isn’t stealing Christmas
How kitchen table project turned into charity helping thousands
Powering up 40,000 Christmas lights in an energy crisis

Victims lose hundreds of pounds on average

An often-used tactic by loan fee fraudsters is to pressurise people who are seeking quick access to cash – but victims stand to lose £260 on average.

The regulator said such scams have already increased in frequency in the past year, with the number of cases reported rising by around a fifth (21%) between November 2021 and October 2022 compared with the same period a year earlier.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers are unaware of what loan fee fraud is.

The FCA is asking people to check its register if they are asked to provide an upfront payment for a loan.

Mark Steward, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: “This Christmas period is going to be tough for many consumers, and those who have been hardest hit by the rising cost of living will understandably be anxious about meeting the additional expenses that Christmas brings.

“Some consumers may be tempted to take out loans to meet these extra costs. Unfortunately, this is where loan fee fraud scammers and illegal lenders see an opportunity.

“At a time of heightened stress and pressure, scammers and illegal lenders will rush consumers into bad decision-making.”

Ms Francis’s advice was to “talk to your children”.

“I know it seems silly,” she said, “but children are a lot more understanding than we give them credit for.

“I know my children would much rather watch a Christmas movie with me than open a big box of presents.”

She also said she doesn’t let Santa take all the credit.

“I tell my children one gift is from Santa and the rest are from mummy’s hard work,” she added.

“Because otherwise how do you explain that he brought your friend an Xbox and not you?”

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Most commonly used tactics of loan fee fraud

• Having made several loan applications online, you are then contacted out of the blue by text, email or phone and offered a loan
• Being asked to make an upfront payment into a bank account, or transfer money via an unusual method
• Scammers may claim that the fee is refundable and will be used as a deposit, administrative fee, insurance, or because of bad credit history
• You may be put under pressure to pay the fee quickly
• Once the first payment has been made, the scammer might contact you again to ask for more payments before they can give you the loan
• Even though you make the payments, you never receive the loan

Continue Reading

UK

Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

Published

on

By

Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.

The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.

A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.

The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.

A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.

Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.

More on London Marathon 2025

There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.

More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.

“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”

The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.

The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.

Continue Reading

UK

Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week’s council elections

Published

on

By

Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week's council elections

Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out forming coalitions at a local level with Reform after the council elections next week.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the Conservative leader did however categorically rule out a pact with Nigel Farage’s party on a national level.

“I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage… read my lips,” she said.

However, she did not deny that deals could be struck with Reform at a local level, arguing that some councils might be under no overall control and in that case, “you have to do what is right for your local area”.

“You look at the moment, we are in coalition with Liberal Democrats, with independents,” she said. “We’ve been in coalition with Labour before at local government level.

“They [councillors] have to look at who the people are that they’re going into coalition with and see how they can deliver for local people.”

She added: “What I don’t want to hear is talks of stitch-ups or people planning things before the results are out. They have to do what is right for their communities.”

More on Electoral Dysfunction

A total of 23 councils are up for grabs when voters go to the polls on Thursday 1 May – mostly in places that were once deemed Tory shires, until last year’s general election.

It includes 14 county councils, all but two of which have been Conservative-controlled, as well as eight unitary authorities, all but one of which are Tory.

Ms Badenoch has set expectations low for the Tories, suggesting they could lose all the councils they are contesting.

The last time this set of councils were up for election was in 2021, when the Conservative Party was led by Boris Johnson who was riding high from the COVID vaccine bounce.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

UK

Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

Published

on

By

Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.

Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.

The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Officers guard one of the crime scenes in Leeds
Image:
Officers guard one of the crime scenes

Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Image:
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds

Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.

“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.

“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

Trending