Really strange : have I just been scammed!

slider09

Hi

Just had a really strange phone call from a company called PCC, (PPI Claims Co). They knew my name and address and informed me that they were going to claim back my PPI from 2004 from a loan I had with Lloyds. The went through some questions and told me what the answers were which I had to repeat.

I then got transferred to a company called AI solicitors who started asking the same questions, we actually then got cut off mid way through.

What has just happened - has anyone any experience of this company. To be honest during the call I could not remember having a loan back in 2004, but as I am typing this we did have a conservatory built around that time but I can't remember how it was financed.

Any comments, thanks.

dunstonh

They knew my name and address

Which is the in the public domain.

and informed me that they were going to claim back my PPI from 2004 from a loan I had with Lloyds.

Unsecured loan information is not in the public domain. However, secured loan information is. So, either they have bought a list giving them secured loan details or they are taking pot luck by using Lloyds (statistically, they or Santander are likely to be who you are with). In their script, if you said I didnt do it with Lloyds but I had it with xyz bank they would reply along the lines of "oops, sorry I meant them" and the conversation carries on and they know you had a loan with that different bank.

I then got transferred to a company called AI solicitors who started asking the same questions, we actually then got cut off mid way through.

Are you sure it was a solicitor and not someone pretending to be? It against the rules for solicitors to take referrals from cold calling on compensation cases. However, a number of these CMCs try to give the impression (sometimes overtly, sometimes by telling outright lies) that they are using solicitors.

Most cold calls are scams or dodgy. So, best not to act on them.

slider09

Thanks for the reply.

I'm half expecting to have a huge telephone bill in the coming weeks, even though they called me.

Your point of it being against the rules for solicitors to take referrals could be the reason when I think I answered one of the questions wrong. She put me on hold then, either cut me off or we got cut off accidentally.

All this has got me thinking now, did I have a loan? I think we re-mortgaged to finance the conservatory, is there anyway I can find out regarding previous loans?

[Deleted User]

slider09 wrote: »

All this has got me thinking now, did I have a loan? I think we re-mortgaged to finance the conservatory, is there anyway I can find out regarding previous loans?

You can write Subject Access Request (SAR) letters to all the likely financial institutions. It will cost £10 per letter.

Even if you did have a loan, it's not automatically the case that you then had PPI or that it was mis-sold to you.

If I were you, I'd forget all about the "information" this claims company seemed to "know" about you. You were simply suckered into believing that they somehow knew more about your financial history than you do yourself.

All that will have happened is that they will have obtained your name and address from the electoral roll (or even the 'phone book if you're not ex-directory). They then ask leading questions and make "educated" guesses about loan amounts, dates and Banks you may have used. If they strike lucky, they reach someone who does have PPI and they then charge an exorbitant fee just employing the simple and free complaints process on behalf of the customer.

Start some research by all means, but don't be blinded into thinking there was likely any truth in the cold call you received.

clubscout

Just had the same type of call, knew all my details, I didn't tell them anything, the man got me to write down what I should say when someone calls me back. They haven't called back yet, but I won't be answering after reading this!!

magpiecottage

If you received an unsolicited call from or onbehalf of a firm of solicitors in England or Wales you should report it to the Solicitors Regulation Authority as this is prohibited.