Duped by the friendly caller with evil intent

OLIVIA Evans was targeted by fraudsters and says the caller was so convincing she is now nervous about answering her phone.

Olivia, 31, who works in public relations in London, took a call on her mobile on a Sunday afternoon. She thought it was from Lloyds Bank as the number showing on her phone was in her list of contacts.

Olivia spoke with a ‘friendly, knowledgeable man’ who said he believed her card had been used fraudulently for contactless payments in Waitrose and Starbucks with losses amounting to about £30. She had only recently lost, cancelled and replaced a debit card too, making the lie sound even more convincing.

The caller transferred her to the ‘fraud department’, where she was asked for details including her PIN.

Olivia says: ‘I was only half thinking at the time as it was a Sunday and I was relaxed, spending time with a friend.

‘The moment I gave my PIN I realised what I had done and flew into a panic. I didn’t think it was untoward at first because I thought the questions were from a trusted source.’

She immediately requested the name of the caller – who even gave her a reference code for the call – then hung up and dialled the number of her bank. It confirmed there was no employee by the name she had noted and it had no record of the call to her phone.

Within minutes she had blocked her account and cancelled her debit card. No money was stolen.

Olivia adds: ‘People think it will never happen to them, but I now realise how easy it is to be misled by someone who sounds authoritative on the phone calling from a number you recognise.

‘I worry that a person more vulnerable than myself might not be able to distinguish the good from the bad or be able to act quickly enough to avert a fraud being committed against them.’