Have I won £1000 or is NS&I a scam

hostie

Hello,

I wonder if anyone knows anything about NS&I? Has anyone won? Could they tell me if you get a letter saying you have won or just get a statement?

I have just received a statement from NS&I in the post saying that my balance is just over £1000.

I don't remember ever buying or investing anything with NS&I (have always been in debt) and have no other record of this but wonder if my mother might have bought these for me as a child and I might have won but they didn't tell me?

My first thoughts were that this was a scam but the phone number seems to be the one coming up on the website http://www.nsandi.com/ and it looks like a free number.

Also I notice that Martin mentions NS&I so I don't think NS&I in itself is a scam?

Any advice gratefully received

Thanks,

hostie

PlymouthMaid

Maybe your Mum bought you some children's bonus bonds but if you are an adult, these should have been transferred into your name anyway and have to be chopped in at age 21 anyway and you would have had to sign paper work. Premium bonds normally come as a cheque I think. Hmm could ring and ask them so lomg as it isnt a premium number.

loveka

NS and I definitely isn't a scam! It is premium bonds. They don't.give you a cheque, they pay the money into your bank account.

You could phone or email them. It does seem odd that this is the first you have heard about having premium bonds. If you go on their website you can put in the numbers of the bonds - which are on your statement - in to the system and it shows if you have won anything at any stage. If you do that you will find out if this is just the value of the bonds themselves, i.e. you somehow have £1000 worth of bonds that you didn't know about.

PlymouthMaid

I always receive cheques from premium bonds but I have only ever won the small prizes so maybe that makes a difference. They don't have my bank account so far as I know. I wonder if OP has found out what it is yet?

teddysmum

We have always had cheques, too. Prizes have been up to £100 and did not need to be claimed. However, we always check our account numbers on the website.

Flugelhorn

I have always been sent cheques but noticed that with the most recent there was some info about letting them have your account details so they could pay any winnings in directly.

I haven't let them have the details - I quite like opening the envelopes and hoping that for once there might be more than £25..

Monkeyballs

Hi,

I have a small savings pot and have never won anything but I do know that it depends on what option has been selected either A) reinvest or send payment to you.

I'd suggest giving them a buzz (again if it's not a premium rate no. and actually go to their site by typing the address and not relying on any links you might have been sent) and confirming.

If I was going to be suspicious about anything it would be how did they get your address (assuming you no longer live with your mum)?

Good luck and positive vibes :-)

MB

torbrex

I hold premium bonds but in 35 years I have never had a statement from NS&I telling me what my holding is.
I have never had a seperate letter telling me that I have won, just the cheque.
If you own premium bonds, you will have a holders number and if the letter you received is connected to premium bonds then it will have your holders number on it.

asparagus1968

oh, hope OP comes back and tells us!

ItsOver

Coincidently, heres a relevant link in todays paper:

(Just add the www at the beginning, I can't post links yet)

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2528627/I-waited-ten-years-Premium-Bond-prize-Id-won-124-Pensioner-collects-5-000-windfall-contacting-scheme-hadnt-won-decade.html

Unless of course this is actually OP :rotfl:

hostie

Hello, I phoned them. It isn't anything to do with Premium Bonds. It is simply an investment account. I can only assume that my mam (now deceased) paid money in when I was a little girl and with all the time that has passed, it has grown to £1000
Thanks for your replies. I'm filling out a form to withdraw my little windfall now