POUND NOTES
DIVORCE INQUIRIES SURGED DURING LOCKDOWN PERIOD
DIVORCE inquiries have jumped by more than 40% during lockdown, according to lawyers Co-op Legal Services, which saw a 42% increase in divorce inquiries between
March 23 and mid-May, compared with the same period in 2019.
Co-op said that during some weeks of the lockdown, inquiries were up 75% compared with a year earlier. Friday is the most common day for people to inquire about divorce, followed by Tuesday.
BORROWERS WARNED NOT TO TURN TO LOAN SHARKS
STRUGGLING borrowers are being urged to steer clear of illegal loan sharks offering ‘quick cash fixes’ which will make problems worse.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said money lenders operating outside the law may charge sky-high interest rates, rely on extortion, rarely issue paperwork and are likely to plunge people into deeper debt for longer.
It added that in the most extreme cases, loan sharks have been prosecuted for blackmail, violence and kidnap offences.
JUMP IN SEARCHES FOR PROPERTIES OVERSEAS
SEARCHES on Rightmove Overseas were up by a third (33%) in May compared with May 2019.
In April, earlier on in the lockdown period, searches for overseas homes were also up compared with a year earlier, by 18%, Rightmove revealed.
Spain, France and Portugal have been leading the uplift in overseas property searches made from the UK.
FINANCIAL FACT:
Reported losses from coronavirus-related fraud have passed the £5 million mark according to Action Fraud.
TSB, which has a fraud refund guarantee, says one if its customers, from Scotland, was tricked by a scam involving a bike advertised on an online marketplace.
The fraudster claimed to be an NHS worker who was selfisolating, which led to the customer paying £200 via bank transfer. TSB reimbursed the victim and the listing was removed from the website.