Funding pot boosted to help jobless

<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt;">As if the mis-selling of payment protection insurance (PPI) wasn't scandal enough, 2012 has seen fraudsters preying on PPI victims. Consumers have received phone calls from someone who knows their name, announcing that they have won their PPI claim. The caller may also know the lender's name and an estimate of the loan amount.</span></p> <p class="p2"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt;">However, the caller will then request a payment from the consumer in order to receive their compensation. This should signal warning bells, but many innocent victims have fallen for the scam and parted with money only for the bogus firm to disappear with their cash, and of course the compensation that never existed.</span></p> <p class="p1"> Consumers should be wary of all cold calls, particularly those that request cash upfront. There is no need to pay to make a claim for mis-sold PPI &ndash; you can claim direct to your bank for free and receive free advice from debt charities like Citizens Advice and the Consumer Credit Counselling Service.</p> <p class="p2"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt;">If you do choose to take on the assistance of a claims management firm &ndash; never agree to an upfront payment. Reputable firms will only request payment for their services once you have received your compensation from your lender either by cheque or by payment into your bank account.</span></p>