Helen Skelton reveals that she lost £70,000 following bank scam call

TV and radio presenter Helen Skelton has revealed that she was scammed out of her savings after falling victim to fraudsters over the phone.

“I got phoned up by the bank, told something dodgy had gone on with my account,” she told Lorraine Kelly. “The next week I had £70,000, all of my savings, had gone. All gone.”

Warning viewers not to fall into the same trap, Helen revealed that all it took was a few questions over the phone for her entire life savings to disappear.

It was only afterwards when Helen’s real bank contacted her that she realised something was seriously wrong.

And now the former Blue Peter star has made a programme with ITV in a bid to raise awareness of similar frauds.

The 36-year-old said she wanted to clear up the misconception that it’s only “little old ladies… who don’t understand the internet” that are susceptible to scams.

“That’s a massively naïve assumption” she said. “It’s happening to people and they’re too embarrassed to say that it’s happened.”

Remember, a genuine bank will never contact you out of the blue to ask for your full PIN or password.

Don't assume a phone call is authentic just because someone knows your basic details, such as name and address.
Phone numbers and email addresses can be spoofed, so always contact the company directly via a known email or phone number (such as the one on the back of your bank card).
 
Don’t be tricked into giving a fraudster access to your personal or financial details. Never automatically click on a link in an unexpected text or email.

Every report matters – If you have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, report it to Action Fraud.

Article Source - Action Fraud
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Licence V3.0
Article Date 9th September 2019

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