An 84-year-old woman from North-east England lost around £40,000 to scammers posing as her bank’s fraud department -prompting a fresh warning from Citizens Advice. The pensioner, targeted in a sophisticated con, handed over her life savings and pension money before being pressured into borrowing from a friend and taking out a five-year loan worth £30,000.
The ordeal left her traumatised and she has since sought treatment for depression from her GP.
She said: “The scammers said my identity had been stolen by internal bank staff and the issue had to be dealt with in absolute secrecy. It was pressure right from the beginning. They don’t give you time to think. Straight away I had to go to the bank, even though the nearest branch is 30 miles away. I had to send the cash in packets of thousands of pounds to four different addresses, they gave me explicit details on how to pack it up.
“They caught me at the most vulnerable I’d been for a long time. I thought I was doing my bank a favour by trying to unearth a mole in their staff. There was always this promise I would get the money back but the phone calls started easing off and of course the money never came.”
Citizens Advice has issued a new warning to the public, particularly in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas, after research showed that more than seven million UK adults were scammed over the past year. Of those, one in five suffered severe financial and emotional consequences.
A further seven million said they knew someone else who had fallen victim to fraudsters.
The charity found that 26% of scam victims were targeted while shopping online, mostly through fake websites or bogus products. Nearly a quarter (22%) said they were coerced into handing over money, while 42% were approached through social media platforms.
Among those supported by Citizens Advice were consumers who paid “hundreds of pounds” for clothing, furniture, or electronics, only to receive counterfeit goods, unsafe items, or nothing at all. In many cases, companies either disappeared, failed to respond, or took more money than agreed.
Some 20% of those severely affected were unable to carry out work or caring duties. 12% were pushed into debt or forced to borrow money, while 10% had to dip into emergency savings.
Other common scams identified in the research included investment fraud (18%), such as cryptocurrency or “get rich quick” schemes, and fake loans. Alarmingly, 16% of victims were tricked by a friend or family member, while 14% were misled into signing new mobile phone contracts or paying for handsets they didn’t receive.
Dame Clare Moriarty, chief executive of Citizens Advice, warned: “Anyone can be scammed and the impact can be devastating, leaving people not only out of pocket but in some cases unable to go about their daily lives.
“It’s important to be alert. If you’re not sure about something, get advice. If you think someone might be trying to scam you, act straight away.”
Kate Dearden, minister for workers rights and consumer protections, said: “Too many of us know the devastating consequences of scams. As part of our Plan for Change, we have taken decisive action to improve transparency, including cracking down on subscription traps, and banning fake reviews and hidden fees once and for all.”
Lord Michael Bichard, chairman of National Trading Standards, said: “We urge anyone who has been targeted by a scam to report it, however large or small the financial loss. By coming forward, people can receive the support they need and their information will be vital in helping to stop these criminals in their tracks.”
Citizens Advice issued a warning to consumers to be vigilant for scams if:
- Someone you do not know contacts you unexpectedly, or you are asked to transfer money quickly.
- If you’re being asked to share personal or security information like passwords, pins or codes.
- If you suspect you are not dealing with a legitimate company – for instance, there’s no postal address.
- If you’ve been asked to pay in an unusual manner – remember, paying by debit or credit card offers you additional protection if things go awry.
According to the charity, the golden rule is: if something appears too good to be true or doesn’t feel right, it could well be a scam. Take a moment and seek advice.
Citizens Advice provides online advice and a consumer service helpline on 0808 223 1133. Scams or suspected scams should be reported to Action Fraud.
Savanta conducted a survey of 2,222 UK adults between 5-7 September.