Tory Covid-19 blunder opens opportunity for Universal Credit scammers
Loadsamoney: but if you are approached by someone claiming to get it for you by exploiting a loophole in the Universal Credit claim system, say no. YOU will be caught and they will get away with cash you’ll have to repay.
An old scam has been given a new lease of life after a glitch was discovered in the application process for Covid-19-related Universal Credit advance payments.
It seems some families looking for extra cash during the coronavirus pandemic have been able to obtain advance payments of £1,500 on up to three separate occasions.
Enter the fraudsters.
Posing as Job Centre staff or personal loan advisers, they have been offering to help UC claimants input false information into the online claim system.
Then, when the payments come through, the scammers have been taking a cut of £500 – one-third of the payments.
It’s terrific for these criminals because the money is in the name of the claimant – so the claimant will take the rap when the Department for Work and Pensions catches up with them.
And mark my words: the DWP will catch up with anybody submitting a fraudulent claim.
It’s an old scam that has been given a new lease of life by the Tory government, because their ramshackle online Universal Credit system can’t cope with a simple change to accommodate a contingency fund.
So if you’ve been contacted by someone claiming they can help you make thousands of pounds from Universal Credit, and asking you to provide the information they need to get it, my advice is this:
Don’t. You will be caught, and you will be fined. And the scammers will move on to their next victim, taking with them the money you’ll have to pay back.
Source: Universal Credit £1500 cash boost loophole – DWP issues warning to fraudsters – Birmingham Live
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