The fixed-rate bond scammers are back – and they are slicker than ever

LAST spring, retired businessman Ron Newman (and thousands of other people besides) was under siege from online scammers.

Every time he switched on the computer at his home in Shepperton, Surrey, there was another email pressuring him to invest in an attractive fixed-rate bond, apparently backed by one of the country’s leading brands: be it Centrica, EDF Energy, Heathrow or M&S.

Thankfully, as we reported in these pages at the time, 86-year-old Ron was never fooled by these fraudulent offers. He gave them short shrift, while helping us ensure the companies whose brands had been cloned did all in their power to close the fraudsters’ websites.

Sadly, the scammers are back. Last month, Ron received an email purporting to be from Primark about an ‘exclusive’ investment opportunity that he could not afford to miss. It said the retailer – a ‘trailblazer in affordable fashion’ – had joined forces with ‘financial titan’ Morgan Stanley to offer a bond paying 7.25 per cent. ‘A fusion of style and finance,’ the email trilled.

Ron admits that the use of two premium brands in one email made him wonder whether this time around the bond offer was genuine. So, just in case, he forwarded the email to me to check it out.

Clicking on the link to register for the bond, it soon became apparent that it was a scam.

The page it takes you to was scant on key details – other than the need for a minimum investment of $10,000 (£8,000) – and heavy on further links (four of them) enabling you to make your investment straightaway. It urges: ‘Act fast as limited bonds are available.’

Though Morgan Stanley staff wouldn’t comment on the offending email when I sent it to them, the investment bank did confirm it was a scam. So, if you receive this email in the coming days – or have done already – please disregard it.

Even better, report it to: fca.org. uk/consumers/report-scam and then drop me a line at: jeff.prestridge@mailonsunday.co.uk.