The scammers in your handbag
Text-message fraud has doubled in a year, and it could easily happen to YOU
He offered to set me up with a new bank account...
‘They took everything I had’ Emmeline Hartley, 21, Birmingham
Walking home one afternoon in March, I got a text. It was from Royal Mail and said there was a £2.99 additional postage fee to pay on a parcel they wanted to deliver.
It was my birthday the next day, so I quickly clicked on the link as I walked.
It took me to the Royal Mail website.
I’d been asked to pay small amounts for deliveries before, so at first I wasn’t too suspicious.
I checked out the website first and, in my hurry, it seemed legit.
I typed in my name, address, account number and sort code.
Although I’d not been asked to do that previously, I thought no one could do much with just those details, anyway.
Next morning, a few parcels arrived and, shortly after I’d opened them, my mobile rang.
A man said he was from my bank – Barclays – and that the fraud team had detected suspicious activity on my account.
Straightaway, I thought about the message from Royal Mail.
It dawned on me that the link must’ve been a scam.
‘I’ve been so stupid,’ I cried, embarrassed.
He explained how transactions for PC World, Vodafone and Argos had been attempted using my account.
He reassured me I didn’t have to worry, saying that, thankfully, they’d caught the scam quickly and stopped it.
Then he asked me to go through security questions.
I answered them, giving my date of birth and how many accounts I had with the bank.
‘All correct,’ he said, explaining a new bank card would arrive in the next five working days.
‘Thank you. It’d be devastating if I’d lost my money,’ I said.
And, to ensure my money was even more secure, he offered to set me up with a new bank account.
He read out some small print. ‘You should transfer your money into the new account straightaway,’ he advised.
‘Hang on,’ I said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. ‘How
do I know you are who you say you are?’
I was still feeling vulnerable after falling for the text scam.
Am I just being naive again?
After a brief pause, the man politely asked me to check the number he was calling from on the Barclays website.
Typing it into Google, I confirmed the phone number was their official Fraud Investigations line.
He was also able to confirm my middle name and the amounts of money in my account.
My mind at ease, I logged into the banking app on my phone while he stayed on the line.
I transferred £500 from my personal account and £500 from my business account – this was all the money I had.
Then he asked me to transfer my overdraft to the new account as well.
‘I don’t have an overdraft,’ I said, confused.
‘Yes you do. I can see it on our system,’ he told me calmly.
‘I don’t, and even if I did, I’m not going to transfer anything else,’ I said, my voice shaking.
Something isn’t right. After a few minutes of him insisting I transfer over my non-existent overdraft, I started crying. The man hung up. By now, a friend had arrived to go for a walk. I broke down, telling him everything.
‘I think I’ve just been scammed,’ I sobbed.
He and my housemate helped me contact my bank to report it. Later, I contacted the police, who advised me to get in touch with Action Fraud.
In the days that followed, my friends rallied, lending me cash until my bank was eventually able to refund my stolen money.
I was lucky they did this quickly, though, as I’ve since heard from people who’ve had to wait months.
No amount of reassurance could stop me feeling foolish and embarrassed.
Before, I’d never have imagined falling for a scam like that.
Now, through my own bitter experience, I know it has nothing to do with being clever or savvy, but everything to do with being manipulated into a panicked state.
It’s so easy to become a victim, and I urge everyone to always act with caution, or you could be next.