CREDIT unions are warning people not to get spooked by a rip-off lender.

Bolton-based Hoot has joined forces with other Greater Manchester credit unions to launch a Halloween-themed campaign raising awareness of the dangers of turning to payday and doorstep lenders, as well as using expensive credit cards.

As part of the campaign, the credit unions have been contacting employers to share information with their staff and taking to the streets with a zombie flashmob.

David Batten, chief executive of Hoot Credit Union, said: “We know how easy it can be to get tricked by shiny offers made by slick national lenders. But we exist to serve our Bolton members — not bankers in London.

“We don’t want people to get spooked by rip off lenders — whether that be payday loans, doorstep lenders, expensive credit cards or national lenders — we want them to get local.

“Hoot Credit Union has joined forces with other credit unions across Greater Manchester to help combat this problem together, making sure people get a fair and ethical deal on a loan, while also encouraging saving.

“It is easy to join a local credit union, with the benefit of an online, phone, and email service as well as a central branch.”

More than 3,000 people in Bolton and Bury are already members of Hoot Credit Union, currently borrowing a total value of £848,990 in loans.

Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi is backing the campaign to support people living and working in the area to free themselves of financial problems.

She said: “Too many people are turning to national payday lenders, expensive credit cards and doorstep lenders.

“But this can mean they end up in a cycle of debt that is not easy to break. Hoot offers an ethical alternative that is helping to combat this problem, making sure people get a fair deal on a loan, while also encouraging saving and keeping money in the local area."

The campaign also has the backing of the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.