WE’RE WATCHING YOU

CRIME overall may be down due to coronavirus, but not frauds and scams, it seems.

Five weeks ago The Mail on Sunday warned that fraud victims who had lost money to scams involving diamonds and binary options were being contacted by Data Financial Services Limited. This company claimed it could recover victims’ losses if they forked out a few thousand pounds to cover its costs.

But Data Financial Services itself is just another scam, impersonating a genuine company of that name. The Financial Conduct Authority published a ‘beware of the clone’ alert on its website, but the scam has continued unabated.

Two weeks ago I reported that the crooks were using a Lloyds Bank account to harvest their loot. I tipped off the bank in advance and the account was closed within hours. Last week, I reported the crooks had switched to a Barclays account. Again, I alerted the bank in advance, and again the account was immediately frozen and shut down. Today, I am sounding the alarm again. The fraudsters have turned to Nationwide Building Society, telling their victims to transfer money to sort code 070806, for the credit of account number 1045-2810.

A few days ago I warned Nationwide, which confirmed that funds had arrived. The building society’s Financial Crime team immediately blocked the account, and a spokesperson told me: ‘We are already speaking with the bank involved to return the money, and will look to close the account.’ Well done, Nationwide.

The only thing that has not changed is the crooks’ telephone number, 0207 315 4076. The number really belongs to Dolphin Com Limited, based in Crewe in Cheshire. It provides phone numbers to anyone who wants to pretend they are somewhere other than their true location.

Last week, I asked, will the fraudsters’ phone line be cut off soon? Will their bank details lead the authorities to identify and arrest the crooks? This week, the same questions remain unanswered.