Scam call took £700 from exhausted mum

WARNING OVER FRAUDSTER POSING AS HMRC

A NOTTINGHAM mum was tricked into thinking she would lose her savings and scammed out of £700.

The exhausted parent had been up feeding her young baby when she received a call from someone pretending to be from HMRC last month.

The fraudster said her National Insurance number had been compromised and was linked to a drugs incident.

The woman, aged 24, said: “I was instantly panicked. I hadn’t had any sleep the night before as I was looking after my baby and the call woke me up.

“I was being told I was involved in some sort of crime. It was really stressful.”

The woman was urged to change her National Insurance number straight away or she would lose her savings.

After first being asked to send her provisional driving licence on Whatsapp, fraudsters told her to go to her local supermarket and buy gift cards.

Police describe this as a familiar tactic used by scammers as the cards are not traceable and can be used anywhere in the world.

The woman said the scammers told her to stay on the phone as she got herself and her baby ready.

They had told her to purchase seven Google Play Cards.

“I’d never even heard of them, but I did what I was instructed to do. I bought the seven gift cards and put £100 on each,” she said.

After getting outside the shop, the woman was instructed to read the code off the back.

Despite thinking that would be the end of it, the woman was asked to return to the shop and get five more cards.

She said: “I queued up again and it was the same cashier. Thankfully my card was declined. My bank had noticed something dodgy going on.”

The ordeal hadn’t ended there though. The fraudsters demanded the woman go to another supermarket, becoming more aggressive and persistent on the phone.

She added: “I was already very tired at that point and they become more and more pushy and rude.

“I was fuming to be honest. I just didn’t think twice if this was real or not. I stupidly went ahead with it.”

As soon as she tried to purchase more gift cards, staff were alerted and a manager told the woman to hang up the phone immediately, explaining she was not in trouble.

The mum added: “I had a whole mix of emotions. I was shocked, embarrassed, I felt guilty and I was so angry.

“After a couple of hours being told what to do by the fraudster it finally clicked in my head. I felt such an idiot. How could I fall for it so easily?

“I rang the police straight away and they were great. They really supported me.

“I hope no one goes through what I went through.”

In the end the woman lost £700 but she hopes to be able to get the money refunded.

Officers are now warning others to be extra vigilant and to help their vulnerable elderly relatives or friends keep their finances secure.

Fiona Price, a fraud protect and prevent officer at Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Fraudsters are always looking to exploit people. The conman pretending to work from HMRC was so convincing and no one should feel ashamed of falling for scams like this. The people behind them are very clever and deceiving.

“It goes to show the vital work that our key workers play not just in keeping the country going, but spotting exploitation and reporting it to us. “We are now working closely with the victim to make sure there is appropriate support for them moving forward.” If you are a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud via their website: www.actionfraud.police.uk

In an emergency, you should always call 999.

I just didn’t think twice if this was real or not. I stupidly went ahead with it.

Fraud victim