Scam warning: Man, 64, recalls sophisticated scam which almost lost him £6,400 | Personal Finance | Finance
The credit management company Lowell has reached out to victims of fraud to share their experiences, and highlight the devastating impact that fraud can have on people financially and mentally. George Gallimore is sadly one of these victims and he spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk about how his situation began.
George Gallimore, 64, almost had £6,400 stolen from his account when a fraudster posed as him over the phone.
He had received a text from the bank saying that he was approaching his credit card limit which promoted him to immediately log into the mobile banking account.
Mr Gallimore said: “I saw that there was £6,400 pending. I then received a text saying my new SIM card was on route and suddenly, my phone went dead.
“I realised a SIM swap had obviously taken place, so I contacted the fraud department at the bank straight away to stop the transaction. I cancelled my credit card and ordered a replacement straight away.
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“This all happened in the space of 30 minutes, if I had left it another hour, the transaction would have been completed and I would have lost £6,400.”
He eventually managed to get through to his provider, who told him he had rung them earlier to request a new SIM card.
Mr Gallimore continued: “I had no idea how the fraudster knew my secret word, but the bank had been convinced it was me.
“They put a block on the number, and I was left without a phone for three days.”
DON’T MISS
With reports of fraud being an ongoing issue across the UK, it is key that Britons know how to identify and report a scam.
There are also several ways people can protect themselves from cyber criminals.
People should always use strong passwords and ensure that they are not using the same password for each of their accounts.
Scammers will usually offer a problem (act now or be fined thousands of pounds) or a prize (huge tax rebate waiting, click here). However, Britons should be wary of both and stop to think if individuals have any involvement with the company.
If they haven’t heard of the company, they should research the organisation separately before clicking.
Individuals should always log in to sites directly, rather than clicking on links in emails or texts. People can also see if the website is secure via the padlock next to the link.
The browser should warn people if it isn’t, giving them a good indication that it is risky. A useful tip is to look out for the ‘s’ at the end of ‘https://’ in the URL for a clear indication the site is secure.
Finally, people should never give out personal information or send money to anyone they don’t know or trust.
