Sam Meadows

Journalist writing about consumer issues. Have a story? Get in touch: smeadows.freelance@gmail.com

The Telegraph •

Exclusive: Financial scams have become hidden 'epidemic' as impersonation cases double in a year

Financial scams are an "epidemic within the pandemic", a former investigator has warned, as the number of victims falling for fraudsters impersonating the likes of HMRC, the NHS and Royal Mail doubled last year.

Criminals were swift to seize on the coronavirus pandemic targeting members of the public with fake emails, texts and phone calls.

Figures obtained by The Telegraph from UK Finance, the banking trade body, revealed that the number of impersonation scams, where fraudsters contact potent
The Telegraph •

Exclusive investigation: The property 'guru' leading people into debt in pursuit of 'financial freedom'

Novice investors are borrowing tens of thousands of pounds via loans or credit cards for training courses after being sold the dream of “financial freedom” by salesmen.

Attendees at free crash courses held by YouTube star Samuel Leeds – who says he started investing in property at 17 and no longer had to work by 21 – are told they will receive mentoring and “guaranteed deals” if they sign up for further training, costing around £15,000.

But several of those who joined the so-called Academy tol
The Telegraph •

Retailers under pressure to ban cotton from Uighur, China, after forced labour allegations

British high street brands including John Lewis are under pressure by human rights campaigners to ban cotton picked in the part of China that is home to its oppressed Uighur population.

It came after reports revealed at least half a million Muslims are being forced to work in the fields of the Chinese region amid an ongoing anti-Muslim crackdown by Beijing that has seen people detained and put into so-called re-education camps.

Campaigners said retailers’ existing policies do not go far enough
The Telegraph •

'I lost my £45,000 pension to LCF – the ban on mini-bond marketing is too late'

Ordinary investors seeking to escape rock-bottom interest rates could be targeted by a glut of advertising for risky mini-bonds ahead of a marketing ban, experts have warned.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the City watchdog, announced that the promotion of the high-risk, high-return investments to retail investors will be outlawed from January.

The so-called mini-bonds are issued by companies in need of capital and are meant to be targeted at “sophisticated” or highly wealthy investors
The Telegraph •

Why your workplace pension is probably invested in fossil fuels

The pension savings of millions of workers have been invested in fossil fuel companies via workplace schemes, despite pension firms claiming they account for environmental factors before choosing investments.

This comes amid a growing desire among investors to support “ethical” businesses and government pressure for providers to be conscious of how they invest people’s money.

Money paid into “default” pension funds offered by the biggest providers has been funnelled into oil companies, such as
The Telegraph •

'My student debt makes me stressed and angry': the rising mental health toll on young people

Students and recent graduates face unnecessary stress and anxiety because of the size of their student debt, even though it is written off after 30 years if still unpaid.

The proportion of students reporting mental health problems to their university has more than doubled in the past five years, from 1.4pc in 2012-13 to 3.5pc last year, according to a report last week from the Office for Students (OfS), the watchdog.

Research from Save the Student, an advice website, suggested that student deb
The Telegraph •

How 'bullying' HMRC is turning back the clock in tax crackdown

Sir Ed said: “The damage the loan charge will do to people is becoming clear and undeniable. The Treasury must show some understanding of this and announce a delay to avoid the human impact it will otherwise have if it comes in on April 5 as planned.” He called for a “genuine” review.

At least 50 Conservative backbenchers have signed a letter to the Chancellor, demanding the same thing. The letter, seen by Telegraph Money, says that the policy is “undeniably retrospective” and “undermines the b
The Telegraph •

'I had to sell my house because of the state pension changes' – Fifties women on discrimination

Women who were told by judges they were not discriminated against when their state pension age was increased have bemoaned the hurdles placed in front of them in the workplace.

Many women born in the Fifties, the group most affected by the change, told Telegraph Money of the systemic discrimination they faced – from lower pay to terrible pension policies.

Earlier this month, the High Court ruled against an appeal challenging the Government’s pension age policy. It was lodged by two women who s
The Telegraph •

The inside story of how the Government's £13bn smart meter roll-out went off the rails

Energy firms will face “strict” targets with the goal of installing 30 million smart meters by the end of next year, the Government announced yesterday, as it attempts to keep its struggling £13bn project on track.

Suppliers could be handed big fines if they don’t meet the target, which would require a trebling of the current rate of installations.

The roll-out has already been delayed several times leading to high levels of cost and waste for firms – the £13bn figure published alongside yeste
The Telegraph •

How rogue salesmen hid the real risk of mini-bonds

Rogue salesmen are overstating the safety of high-risk “mini-bond” investments, Telegraph Money has found.

Mini-bonds are unregulated assets that allow companies to raise money directly from individual investors. Some offer interest rates of more than 10pc, implying very high levels of risk.

Telegraph Money has found salesmen playing down the risk and even suggesting that the bonds are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). The FSCS pays out on savers’ deposits if a ba