POUND NOTES
Financial fact: Some £5.2 billion was paid in inheritance tax last year – an increase of 8% or £388 million compared with 2016-17 – according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures.
Holiday-makers hiring mopeds abroad ‘risk unaffordable medical bills’
Holiday-makers are being urged to think twice before hiring mopeds while overseas. Abta, the UK’s largest travel association, says many people have accidents while on holiday after hiring mopeds. It’s also reminding holiday-makers of the limitations and exclusions of standard travel insurance policies – many of which will not cover accidents from quad bikes and mopeds, leaving seriously injured holiday-makers facing unaffordable medical bills.
New ‘sextortion’ scam in which victims are sent their own passwords
Cyber criminals are sending victims their own passwords in an attempt to trick them into believing they have been filmed on their computer watching pornography, and demanding payment. Action Fraud said there have been more than 110 reports made to it from concerned victims who have received the emails, which contain the victim’s own password in the subject line.
The emails demand payment in Bitcoin and claim that the victim has been filmed on their computer watching pornography. Action Fraud suspects fraudsters may have gained victims’ passwords from an old data breach.
Retirement interest-only mortgages launched by building society
Leeds Building Society has launched a new range of retirement interest-only mortgages, as part of moves to give older home-owners more borrowing options. Interest-only mortgages allow people to make regular interest payments on a loan, without paying off the loan itself – but the capital must be eventually paid off.
Leeds’ new mortgages are being offered to borrowers aged 55-80. The loans need to be repaid on a specified life event. This could be the sale of the property, moving into residential care, or the death of the borrower.