A former contestant of BBC show The Traitors, Sam Little, 35, revealed last week he had lost £40,000 in life savings to a phishing scam. 'I like to think I'm savvy, but it can catch anyone,' he said.
His story is part of a staggering rise in fraud: a record four million cases of fraudsters stealing money were registered last year, according to UK Finance, a banking trade body – with plenty more going unreported.
“Record four million fraud cases in UK; £40k loss by Traitors star highlights phishing and romance scams.”
Little fell victim to one of three increasingly common tricks identified by experts: mass messages that look like they are from a family member or delivery company. In the 'Hi Mum' text, the fraudster claims to have a new phone and makes an urgent request for money. Banks reported a surge in 'Hi Dad' scams in the run-up to Father's Day. Messages about missed deliveries typically include a link that, when clicked, takes the recipient to an official-looking website run by fraudsters who harvest banking information. That data is then used in so-called remote-purchase fraud – when criminals buy items using stolen card details. Some £423m was lost this way last year, according to UK Finance.
To avoid these scams, experts urge people not to tap on links. If a message claims to be from Royal Mail, for example, type out the genuine Royal Mail website. Card details can be stolen in many ways, including data breaches, but fraudsters often need a One-Time Passcode (OTP) to complete a theft. OTPs should be treated as carefully as bank details and never given to someone who calls pretending to authorise a transaction. 'It may seem obvious, but fraudsters are skilled in keeping you on the phone for ages to trick you into giving the number,' the source warns.
The second popular trick is romance scams, which are at a record high. On average, victims send 10 payments to the fraudster. Some never accept their loved one isn't real. The fraudster uses fake pictures, often taken from profiles of people innocently posting on social media. After being groomed, victims are told of an accident or that the supposed partner needs help paying for a ticket to meet up.
To avoid romance scams, experts suggest using a reverse image search on pictures from dating websites. Most search engines have that option, and it might show whether the person is telling the truth. They also urge people never to send money to someone they haven't met, and to be open with family and friends.
Little's advice echoes that caution: anyone can be caught out, but taking simple steps – like not clicking links, guarding passcodes, and verifying identities – could save your savings.