‘I could have lost a fortune’ says scam target
MAN CALLS FOR VIGILANCE AFTER HE WAS TAKEN IN BY FRAUDSTERS
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A HOLMFIRTH man is warning bank customers to be vigilant after he found himself embroiled in a scam, which almost left him £1,000 out of pocket.
Bernard Wood, 75, did not suspect a thing when he was contacted by what he thought was his bank to verify a £189 payment to Argos.
The pensioner was in fact the victim of a ‘spoof’ scam after he was sent a text message from a number matching that of his bank’s, asking him to type Y or N in response to the transaction.
When Mr Wood typed N, he was asked to contact the Co-operative Bank fraudline and was provided with the number to dial, which again appeared to be bona fide.
Following the instructions, he returned the call and was put through to an operative who managed to extract his personal information – until he grew suspicious and finally ended the call.
Mr Wood said: “I just assumed it was the bank calling me to check. They asked me to start by confirming my name and address and they asked for my card details too. They didn’t ask me my security questions, which of course they wouldn’t have had the answers to.
“Then suddenly it struck me that they should know all this information already. It just clicked so I ended the call and called my bank immediately.
“They had already taken about £65 which I’m not sure I’ll get back, but the bank managed to stop a further £870 being taken.
“I could quite easily have lost nearly £1,000. It was a fortune. I just couldn’t believe it.
“I have learned my lesson and I now want to warn others don’t reply to text messages.
“If you are asked to call your bank, don’t use the number they give you or use ringback. Find the number published by your bank and type it in yourself.
“These people are thieves and are after your money. I was very upset once I rang the bank and realised it was a scam.”
Mr Wood said all his bank cards had now been destroyed and replacements have been ordered.
A spokeswoman from Co-operative Bank said: “We’re sorry to hear that our customer has fallen victim to fraud and the concern this may have caused.
“We’re glad that our customer was able to contact us quickly to help us stop more money leaving their account.
“Preventing fraud and helping to educate our customers of the types of scams and frauds they could be targeted with is of paramount importance to us.
“We also continue to work with the wider industry on initiatives such as the Take Five campaign, to further raise awareness of the what customers should do if they suspect they have been contacted by fraudsters.
“Our advice to customers is always verify the call and call back on the number that you are familiar with typically the one referenced on the back of a debit or credit card, not one provided to you by a cold caller on the phone or provided in a text message or email.”