Gloria Hunniford: ‘Scams are rife, please be careful…’
Gloria Hunniford, whose hit consumer show is back, talks pandemic scams, being a victim herself – and how she feels about life post-lockdown…
Gloria Hunniford, alongside Angela Rippon and Julia Somerville, is back with Rip-OffBritain, tackling viewer issues – from bills and bad customer service to holidays and food - with gusto. Here, the broadcaster, 80, who fell victim to a £120,000 scam herself (when fraudsters posed as her and took money out of her account), talks about the latest series, her ‘family bubble’ and why she won’t be rushing to theatres as Britain eases into a ‘new normal’…
So, how are you doing, as we ease out of lockdown?
I’ve been self-isolating with Stephen [her hairdresser hubby Stephen Way] for over four months! At the beginning, I was like a caged animal – anyone that knows me, knows I’m always racing around all over the place! But you get into a different routine – I’m not so bad, now. And I’ve found the days fly by. I never want to retire, but it gave me a glimpse into what retirement might look like!
You say that, but work-wise you’ve been busy!
Ha, yes! Last week, I started going out again, to film for Rip-Off Britain [ back this week] – doing a story about a dog. We filmed it all in the owners’ garden – didn’t even pass through the house. But Angela Rippon and Julia Somerville and I have also done various links from our houses – and it works well.
What exactly was the scam?
A family had ‘bought’ a Staffordshire terrier off a website. The woman they spoke to was nice, sent them copies of her ID, pictures, and they paid £500 plus transport (nearly £600) for the pup to arrive from the Isle of Man. They’d called her Bella. Next morning, no dog – they got a gruff call from a ‘transport company’ saying the insurance had run out on the dog, and it would cost £1,200 to transport her. At that point, they realised it was a total scam.
This is Rip-Off Britain’s 11th year on TV. What’s the secret of its success?
I think it’s two-fold. Firstly, we base all the stories on the difficulties people at home are dealing with – the viewer dictates the programme. Secondly, scammers will always be around. They have no mercy at the best of times, but horrendously, during lockdown, they seem to have been even more active.
What kind of scams have you seen happening, during the Coronavirus pandemic?
Many are desperate ones about money. People might have lost their job, don’t know where their next meal’s coming from. Imagine that person gets a text, allegedly from the government, saying they’re owed £5,000 – ‘Send us your account details, and we’ll lodge it today.’ People, out of desperation, do it. No bank or official authority will ever ask for personal information, like bank details – don’t do it. That’s a warning to all.
It must be soul-destroying, hearing these stories…
It is. And these scammers can be so charming. They prey particularly on the vulnerable and elderly. One man I spoke to, a year ago, a very frail 92-yearold but totally compos mentis, was scammed out of his life savings. Two men befriended him, asking at first if they could help take him shopping, then to the bank – they wormed their way into his life, until he trusted them. He told me, ‘You have to remember, they seem really nice. I might not see a living soul for three weeks – I was just so glad for someone to talk to.’
You’ve continued to do Loose Women via video link, haven’t you?
I have – I try to move to different areas of my garden to do it each time. My picture quality on Skype is good, so I can go further than the kitchen or the study! One of my producers asked me if I’d got a professional in to do my live links – I said no, it was my husband Stephen, on the iPad! He was delighted with himself.
They shared an amazing throwback pic of your wedding in 1998 on the show recently. Can you imagine getting married with the new Covid rules?
I can’t, to be honest. I think, personally, it’s almost better to wait till you can do the big bash properly. But for some, it’s more important to do it – they shave down the guestlist and go for it. I’m not rushing anywhere. I’m conscious that Stephen had a bad year, health-wise, last year. He’s 100 per cent OK now, but he had prostate cancer, and suffered a terrible back fracture after a fall. Lockdown’s been good for him – he’s been out, pottering in the garden – he’s picked up a nice tan! His back’s stronger and, mentally, he feels better about himself. We have our little family bubble now, too. We had lunch in a friend’s garden last week, which was lovely.
We’ve seen crowds at beaches and pubs in England – how do you feel about it?
Fairly disgusted. I understand people who might live in a flat with no garden needing to get away, but when you see that amount of people on one beach, move on somewhere else! We need to police ourselves. And those scenes in Soho on ‘Super Saturday’– everyone cheek to jowl, were just horrendous. I’m more worried about spikes of this virus now, than at the beginning – we have a deeper understanding of just how lethal it can be.
Rip-Off Britain continues weekdays, at 10am on BBC One.
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