STRAIGHT TO THE POINT

I READ last week about a smartphone app called Chip that rounds up your spending and puts the spare change in a savings account for you.

Is my money protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS)? A. M., by email.

SOME so-called auto-saving apps are covered by the FSCS, which means that up to £85,000 of your money is protected.

But with Chip, and another app called Plum, it works slightly differently.

Your money is ringfenced in a Barclays account, which means it is protected if the firm offering the app goes bust. However, in the unlikely event that Barclays itself failed, your savings would not be covered.

I AM concerned that my elderly father has been the victim of a scam. We found notes in his diary that mentioned ‘iTunes’ and ‘£1,500 credit’.

Unfortunately, his memory is poor and he cannot remember writing the note or to what it refers. What should we do? L. B., Suffolk.

THIS appears to be what is a common scam. Fraudsters ring up pretending to be from legitimate organisations such as HM Revenue & Customs, and tell the victim they are in debt and must buy gift cards, such as iTunes vouchers, to the value of what they owe.

They are then asked to read out the serial codes over the phone, which allows the fraudster to redeem them. Action Fraud suggests calling its helpline on 0300 123 2040.

I HAVE tried for three days to log in to my online bank account with First Direct using my mobile phone, but appear to be locked out. What is going on? J. G., by email.

FIRST Direct updated its app on April 9, which meant some customers with older mobile phones could not access the website. This issue has now been resolved.