Category: 0 Reviewed

Scammers create websites that look similar to HMRC’s official site and then direct the public to call numbers with extortionate costs in comparison to the low cost and no cost service HMRC provides. These sites promote non-HMRC premium rate phone numbers as a means of reaching HMRC but these are merely call forwarding services which connect callers to HMRC at a significant price. HMRC’s own 0300 numbers are mostly free or charged at the national landline rate. In other cases, sites charge for forwarding information to HMRC which can be provided free of charge through hmrc.gov.uk.

HMRC has successfully challenged the ownership of these websites, masquerading as official websites, and taken them out of the hands of cheats. Analysis has shown that had HMRC not taken this action then the public would have lost £2.4m to these phone scams.

Treasury Minister, Mel Stride MP the Financial Secretary to the Treasury said:

We know that HMRC is the most spoofed government brand as criminals try to take advantage of the fact that everyone has some involvement with the tax authority. In this particular case, scammers try to dupe the public into paying large sums for services that are available for free or low cost.

This is a brazen con, charging premium rates whilst simply redirecting calls to the real HMRC numbers that are available at low or no cost. It is a testament to the hard work of HMRC that they have prevented criminals extracting £2.4m from the public.

The public should go direct to gov.uk to obtain genuine HMRC contact numbers. These will not be premium rate numbers. People should be alert for sponsored adverts, websites charging for government services which would be expected to be free and those with disclaimers denying association with HMRC or government.

Consumer Minister Andrew Griffiths MP said:

Anyone can fall victim to scams and the cost can be devastating, so it’s great to see HMRC cracking down on these bogus websites and protecting the public’s purse.

This Scams Awareness Month I’m encouraging anyone who has fallen foul of false phone numbers to speak up, so we can stamp scams out.

Further information

• This announcement comes at the start of scam awareness month organised by Citizens Advice which is running throughout June
• In 2017 HMRC took a formal approach to denying others ownership of misleading domains, so far 105 domains have been recovered which were being used to host a range of misleading content.
• The specific tactics and costs on each site vary, but the maximum cost of a call is £3.60 a minute, capped at £36 per call. Anecdotal reports show the average victim reporting a cost of around £15 per call.
• Check GOV.UK for information on how to avoid and report scams and recognise genuine HMRC contact.
• Follow HMRC Press Office on Twitter.
• HMRC’s Flickr channel

Alkane Energy UK Ltd has applied to the Environment Agency for an Environmental Permit under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 for a site at Rufford Hills Farm, Off Rufford Lane, Rufford, Nottinghamshire.

As part of this exploration the company plan to carry out the drilling of a borehole to extract gas from old mine shafts.

This is a well-established technique that the company use at several sites in the area, with the gas then converted into electricity.

The Environment Agency is seeking views from the local community and interested groups on the application. The consultation will run until Monday 6 June 2018. The application documents have been placed online for people to view and provide comments.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency, said:

We insist that where a permit is required our standards are met and that we have evidence that the process can take place safely. We will thoroughly assess the application to ensure that people and the environment are protected.

The consultation runs from 31 May 2018 until Midnight of 28 June 2018.

People now have the chance to comment on the proposals by emailing: You can email your response to pscpublicresponse@environment-agency.gov.uk or you can post you response to:

PSC
The Land Team
Quadrant 2
99 Parkway Avenue
Sheffield
S9 4WF

The driving hub is being launched to help people improve learner drivers’ safety awareness in the run up to the law change on 4 June 2018.

The law change will mean that for the first time learner drivers that are ready to take their test will be allowed to have motorway driving lessons with an approved driving instructor using a dual controlled car displaying L plates. Any motorways lessons will be voluntary and it will be up to the instructor to decide when the learner is ready to drive on a motorway.

Highways England, the body responsible for the country’s motorways and main A roads, has supported the creation of Driving Hub which features a series of free instructional learning modules to help drivers and instructors prepare for the law change.

Highways England has worked with Department for Transport, DVSA, DVLA, the Driving Instructors Association, Approved Driving Instructors National Joint Council, Motor Schools Association of Great Britain and Trak Global, in setting up the website. It is also aimed at improving the driving skills of all road users.

It will be followed by a free smart phone app being launched later this summer.

The free driving hub tutorials are accessible by logging onto the site and include a range of courses covering everything from safety checks, to driving on high speed roads, reading the road, being a considerate driver and managing incidents and breakdowns, as well as a dedicated section for learner drivers.

In the past learner drivers’ first experience of driving at higher speeds had been limited to using dual carriageways and only when they had passed their driving test could they get their first taste of driving on a motorway. For some newly passed and inexperienced drivers this could prove to be a daunting and often frightening experience.

Highways England Head of Road Safety, Richard Leonard, said:

We want all drivers on our motorways to be as safe as possible. We’re looking forward to helping the motorway drivers of tomorrow to develop new skills and get invaluable practical knowledge and experience of using motorways thanks to this law change.

To help instructors and learners prepare we have worked with our partners to set up these really valuable free resources and I’d urge people to log on and take a look. It will help everyone, not just learner drivers, be safer on our roads.

Driving Instructors Association chief executive, Carly Brookfield, added:

Learners and novice drivers, the next generation of motorway user, will greatly benefit from the hub and the app, but there’s also lots of useful advice, guidance and resources on there for parents, and even driving instructors, too.

The free app, called Pace Notes, being launched later, is for all learner drivers and approved driving instructors and can be used alongside their driving lessons and practise sessions. By logging onto Driving Hub, people can register to download the app as soon as it is launched.

Highways England believes the law change will help develop a smarter generation of motorway road users, allowing approved driving instructors to teach test-ready learners about the specific set of skills associated with using the motorways safely in a practical situation.

Further information

The law change will allow learner drivers to:

• get broader driving experience before taking their driving test,
• get training on how to join and leave the motorway, overtake and use lanes correctly,
• practise driving at higher speeds and,
• put their theoretical knowledge into practice.

The Department for Transport consulted on these changes in December 2016, they received wide support from learner drivers, the driver training industry and road safety organisations and the general public. These changes apply to England, Wales and Scotland only. The law applies to drivers of cars only (licence category B).

Learner drivers will need to be:

• accompanied by an approved driving instructor (with ADI certificate correctly positioned in the car windscreen)
• driving a car fitted with dual controls and displaying L plates

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Fast Pensions Ltd and five other related firms have been wound up in the public interest at the High Court on 30 May 2018. The Official Receiver in the Public Interest Unit (North) is now the liquidator of all six companies.

Between 2012 and 2013, 520 people were encouraged to transfer their pension savings from existing providers into one of 15 schemes, with Fast Pensions acting as the sponsoring employer.

FP Scheme Trustees Ltd (FPST) was the trustee of all 15 pension schemes and a proportion of the funds were invested in the remaining four related finance companies.

The Insolvency Service was made aware of complaints about the management and operation of the companies and following an investigation, the High Court ordered that Fast Pensions and the five related companies be put into provisional liquidation in March 2018 following a petition presented by the Secretary of State.

Investigations found that a total of at least £21 million was invested into the 15 schemes and people were persuaded to transfer their savings through various methods. Some received cold calls questioning the performance of their pension funds or offering free pension reviews.

Others who were originally looking for credit were advised by the connected finance companies that they could get a loan if they transferred their pension savings to one of Fast Pensions’ schemes.

Advice provided was inadequate as the companies misrepresented the schemes on offer. Advisors also failed to disclose information around returns and the high risk and illiquid nature of the investments made by the schemes, as well as the benefits members would be entitled to.

Scheme members were also informed that the investments would consist of a wide ranging portfolio but investigators found that funds were misused. At least £4 million was used to pay commissions and the remaining funds were largely used to make loans to companies and other entities which appear to be connected with Fast Pensions and FPST.

The six companies failed to preserve, maintain or produce adequate accounting records and failed to cooperate fully with the investigation. This made it impossible for investigators to determine the full extent of the companies’ activities, the nature and value of the investments made or the value of the members’ pension funds.

David Hope, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service said:

People work long and hard to put money away for their retirements but the six companies that have been shut down paid scant regard to their members. They used unsavory tactics to attract members and failed to paint the full picture as to what would really happen with their savings.

By shutting the companies down, the courts have put a stop to their unscrupulous activities and we hope this sends a strong message that we will robustly investigate and take action where people’s funds and savings are at risk.

The Official Receiver has made an application to The Pensions Regulator for the appointment of an independent Trustee to take over the running of the pension schemes and it is anticipated that the application will take 4 to 6 weeks to complete. Further updates will be publicised in due course.

Until the application is completed the Official Receiver will continue to act as the trustee to the pension schemes and, in doing so:

• will take steps to protect the investments and assets in the pension schemes
• will not make investment decisions during the period of appointment
• is unable to provide updates regarding an individual’s pension, or to authorise transfers out of the schemes, or to make any payments out of the schemes, including death benefits
• is unable to provide advice to pension members regarding their pensions

Members of the pension schemes who require advice should consider contacting a solicitor, a regulated financial advisor or the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) on: 0800 011 3797 ; email: virtual.appointments@pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk.

All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the companies should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit (North), PO Box 16663, Birmingham, B2 2JP; email: piu.north@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk.

Notes to editors

The six companies that are subject to compulsory liquidation are:

• Fast Pensions Ltd, CRO 08121954, incorporated on 28 June 2012 and the registered office: Crown House, 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX
• FP Scheme Trustees Ltd, CRO 09126225, incorporated on 11 July 2014 and the registered office: 20-22 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU
• Blu Debt Management Ltd, CRO 06699233, incorporated on 16 September 2008 and the registered office: Gilbert Wakefield House, 67 Bewsey Street, Warrington WA2 7JQ
• Blu Financial Services Ltd, CRO 05912973, incorporated on 22 August 2006, and the registered office: Gilbert Wakefield House, 67 Bewsey Street, Warrington WA2 7JQ
• Blu Personal Finance Ltd, CRO 07758290, incorporated on 31 August 2011 and the registered office: – Gilbert Wakefield House, 67 Bewsey Street, Warrington WA2 7JQ
• Umbrella Loans Ltd, CRO 07331044, incorporated on 30 July 2010 and the registered office: Gilbert Wakefield House, 67 Bewsey Street, Warrington WA2 7JQ

The 15 pension schemes involved:

• Broughton Retirement Plan
• DM1 Retirement Plan
• Elphinstone Retirement Plan
• EP1 Retirement Plan
• Fleming Retirement Plan
• FP1 Retirement Plan
• FP2 Retirement Plan
• FP3 Retirement Plan
• Galileo Retirement Plan
• Golden Arrow Retirement Plan
• Leafield Retirement Plan

Bosses of companies which plague people with unsolicited nuisance calls could be fined as much as half a million pounds under new proposals to make them personally liable if their firm breaks the law.

The UK data protection watchdog revealed last week it had recovered just over half (54 per cent) of the £17.8 million in fines issued for nuisance calls since 2010, as companies go into liquidation to avoid big penalties.

This follows latest estimates by Ofcom showing British consumers were bombarded with 3.9 billion nuisance phone calls and texts last year.

As it stands, only the businesses themselves are liable for fines of up to £500,000, and some directors try to escape paying penalties by declaring bankruptcy – only to open up again under a different name. The Insolvency Service can also disqualify people from boardroom positions and failure to adhere to this ruling could lead to a prison sentence.

But new Government proposals being consulted on will provide the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) with the powers it needs to hold company directors directly responsible with further fines of up to £500,000.

Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries Margot James said:

Nuisance calls are a blight on society and we are determined to stamp them out.

For too long a minority of company directors have escaped justice by liquidating their firms and opening up again under a different name.

We want to make sure the Information Commissioner has the powers she needs to hold rogue bosses to account and put an end to these unwanted calls.

Steve Wood, Deputy Commissioner (Executive Director- Policy), Information Commissioner’s Office, said:

We welcome these proposals from the Government to make directors themselves responsible for nuisance marketing.

We have been calling for a change to the law for a while to deter those who deliberately set out to disrupt people with troublesome calls, texts and emails. These proposed changes will increase the tools we have to protect the public.

The Government has already made it easier for regulators to fine those breaching direct marketing rules, forced companies to display their number when calling customers and increased fines for wrongdoers.

Ofcom data suggests this action is working. The total complaints made to the ICO and Ofcom about nuisance calls have fallen for the second year in a row.

The Government has also:

• Introduced a measure in the Digital Economy Act 2017 to make it a requirement for the Information Commissioner to issue a statutory code of practice on direct marketing;
• Amended the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) to require all direct marketing callers to provide Caller Line Identification;
• Lowered the legal threshold at which the ICO may impose a monetary penalty on organisations breaching PECR (a previous requirement to prove that the call caused alarm or distress was removed);
• Made it easier for the ICO to more effectively share information with Ofcom in relation to nuisance calls through an amendment to the Communications Act 2003;
• Given the ICO the power to issue monetary penalty notices up to £500,000 for serious breaches of PECR;
• Introduced a ban on cold calling in relation to claims management services through the Financial Claims and Guidance Act 2018, except where the receiver has consented to such calls being made to them. The 2018 Act also includes powers to ban cold calls from pension providers; and
• Given £500,000 to Trading Standards to help install call blocking devices installed in the homes of vulnerable people.

Notes to editors

• For more info call DCMS press office on 020 7211 2210.
• The consultation closes in August.
• Government would amend the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations legislation to make directors liable for nuisance call fines.
• ICO will consider the level of fine based on evidence – (whether it applies to a company, director, or both).
• If a firm has multiple directors, each could be liable for a fine.
• In 2016/17, the Information Commissioner issued 23 companies more than £1.9m of fines for nuisance marketing.