BBC presenter gets money back after being scammed

Calendargirl

If you think it’s a scam when you are called, apparently you should tell them that, “this is a scam”.

It seems like most ‘businesses’, they have lists to call, and if they realise you are scam aware, your name is deleted and also not sold on to other scammers.

I had a call from someone saying they needed to gve me a refund on my BT account. I replied that as I didn't have a BT account he waas clearly a scammer. He then called me a F***ing B**ch. I was so shocked I said "What did you say?" and he repeated himself very clearly!

As regards using another phone I did this when someone claiming to be the police said they had someone in custody with my bank cards. I didn't even use my mobile for the right reason it was simply that I pay for landline calls while my mobile calls are included in my contract. Very quickly the scammer called again on the landline to ask why I wasn't calling my bank. I Said " I am, on my other phone" and he got very angry and slammed the phone down. He'd wasted a lot of time on me as I was insisting on writing down all his details including his rank and shoulder number etc. I love to waste a scammer's time!

My partner had a call from someone purporting to be his bank, asking about activity on his account just as he was going into an appointment & he asked them to call back later, which they did. They were trying to persuade him to move his money into another account as his had been put at risk by fraudsters monitoring his activity. While he was talking I contacted the bank & it was a scam. The bank told us that they would persuade people to transfer money"to protect it" but it would go into the scammers account, usually Revolut, which is a money transfer bank so it would disappear abroad.

Kate1949

Yes it's confusing. I had one of these calls, a recorded message. I put the phone down and rang my bank. They had always said that they never contact people in this way. The person I spoke to said 'Yes that was us'.

Same here but mine wasn’t a recorded message it was someone asking about unusual activity on my account. I refused to speak to them as I’d heard the bank would never contact you this way. When I finally managed to get through to my bank on the back of my card they said yes it was their fraud department checking up.

If you think it’s a scam when you are called, apparently you should tell them that, “this is a scam”.

It seems like most ‘businesses’, they have lists to call, and if they realise you are scam aware, your name is deleted and also not sold on to other scammers.

The police who attended out support group recently recommended never to speak when you answer the telephone just hold and wait. They will then ask you something if you answer yes you have agreed to something and they are covered.
If in doubt just put the phone down, a genuine caller will phone back.
He also recommended never to carry your cards with your mobile, like a lot of people do,
The telephone trick mentioned above it very common indeed, so watch out for that one in particular. Such a sad world that we have to mistrust everyone.

Someone rang me once and asked about my recent bank activity. I refused to answer at which point he said “It’s a very simple question, Mrs G” to which I replied “Yes, and one I’m not going to answer” and put the phone down. Obviously a scammer but not a get sophisticated one.

A very good tip Barbadosbelle which I have read before.
All these tips help.

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A very important thing to remember is that if you re going to ring your Bank to confirm the authenticity of the call ALWAYS DO SO ON ANOTHER PHONE.

Scammers retain control of the phone they’ve rung on by playing a dialling-tone recording, which they then pretend to answer as your Bank. They then, so say, transfer you to the Department you need.

The dialling tone you hear ISN’T real. Go to an entirely different phone - a mobile for instance if they’ve rung on a landline. If you don’t have another phone, ask your neighbour if you can please borrow theirs.

But NEVER EVER use the same phone until at least some hours later.

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Don’t we all like to think that we would never be taken in by these vile scammers but I have read and heard enough about how they operate, and how clever and convincing they are to know that none of us can afford to be complacent.
The scammers would have to be very clever at what they do, wouldn’t they otherwise nobody would fall for it.

However I must admit I began to lose a bit of sympathy for Peter when I heard that he had agreed to download an app, as this is a very well known ploy, which of course gives the scammer access to the victim’s account.
Banks have repeatedly told us that they would never ask a customer to do that, so that request alone should have brought him to his senses.

LovesBach

My daughter is of a deeply suspicious nature, and quick to spot anything underhand. However, even she came close to being scammed - won't bore you with all the details, but after a highly plausible chain of events, she began to read a card number over the phone, and then had a light bulb moment. She cut the call off at once and rang her bank on another phone - her first call back to her bank had clearly been to the scammers - to have it confimred that they knew nothing of the matter. She had a large sum in her account to pay a contractor, and would have lost it.

I was scammed by someone who worked for a reputable firm; when I dealt with an exchange over the phone she said my credit card wasn't working, did I have another one I could use. I did and both credit cards were used fraudulently several times.
My exchange goods did arrive but when I complained to the firm they said no-one of that name worked on their sales team so she gave a false name.

GrandMattie I am shocked that you haven't heard anything and that your bank is not being more helpful. I hope it is resolved very soon and you will receive all your money back.

OK to say people shouldn't get caught, but if you're busy, not well, they can catch you off guard

What Freya said is very true. We all think it won't happen to us but then again, we can often be caught off guard if we're worrying about other things and perhaps not concentrating fully.

Not a scam like that, but the computers which pay HM Forces and Veterans salaries has been hacked and data stolen.

My daughter is of a deeply suspicious nature, and quick to spot anything underhand. However, even she came close to being scammed - won't bore you with all the details, but after a highly plausible chain of events, she began to read a card number over the phone, and then had a light bulb moment. She cut the call off at once and rang her bank on another phone - her first call back to her bank had clearly been to the scammers - to have it confimred that they knew nothing of the matter. She had a large sum in her account to pay a contractor, and would have lost it.

GrandMattie, I was so shocked to hear what had happened to you when reading Good Morning (like many I expect, I read but don’t post). I have been hoping and praying that your money is returned and will continue to do so. You do so much to help others and don’t deserve this.

Just found this on the Good Morning thread grandMattie.
This is terrible.

grandMattie

I have had much the same happen time in February. I lost all my money and was left with a large overdraft.
Mr. Levy is lucky to have been refunded. I’m about to go to the financial ombudsman as I have heard nothing from the bank despite much correspondence and a few phone calls.
Life is difficult as I am quite penniless and managing, just, on my pension.

This is sad news Grandmattie, I cannot remember seeing the post on this.
It does make you wonder if Peter Levy was compensated because he is well known.
I do hope you have some luck with the ombudsman.
Have you anyone helping you with the claim such as Citizens Advice or Age Concern?

Doodledog

I see no reason for him to be ashamed. The criminals should feel shame, not the victims.

Frankly, the judgement shown on this thread shows why they get away with it. People are often too embarrassed to say that it happened to them, because of the superior attitude of those who have been lucky enough not to be targeted (yet).

Well said Doodledog- you rarely get this condemnation when people are burgled but somehow people don't treat on-line crime in the same way. Crime is crime regardless.

I have had much the same happen time in February. I lost all my money and was left with a large overdraft.
Mr. Levy is lucky to have been refunded. I’m about to go to the financial ombudsman as I have heard nothing from the bank despite much correspondence and a few phone calls.
Life is difficult as I am quite penniless and managing, just, on my pension.

I see no reason for him to be ashamed. The criminals should feel shame, not the victims.

Frankly, the judgement shown on this thread shows why they get away with it. People are often too embarrassed to say that it happened to them, because of the superior attitude of those who have been lucky enough not to be targeted (yet).

In view of the complexity of paying for parking nowadays even without the risk of scams I have taken to parking further from the town centre. Usually 2 or 3 hours free with no return within an hour. Very beneficial for my physical health as I walk further and my financial health as I buy less so there is less to carry and less time to shop. Does curtail bookshop browsing.

Peter Levy is my local BBC Look North presenter too, I've always considered him to be a well informed and savvy person and - honestly - with all the publicity about scammers, TV programmes dedicated to showing scammers, I'm very surprised he was taken in ... but it does prove, it really can happen to anyone.

He is the presenter on our local BBC Look North. I’ve seen him interview people many times on such issues so I am really surprised he was scammed he even said so himself. It shows you do have to be so careful.

Mr Levy revealed details of the scam to presenter Richard Stead on BBC Radio Humberside and BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

Think that’s what been happening cabbie. The bank did alert us by calling but I assumed a scam and put the phone down …. Can’t do right fur doing wrong these days. We live in strange times.

Yes, scammers have even pasted a different QR code over the proper one on parking ticket machines.

I once had a call from my bank some years ago. They were a bit shirty when I refused to believe it was from them. They were actually checking to see if I had spent £x , as there had been what turned out to be fraudulent activity, which they were preventing. Fortunately they have improved their security by now.

Goodness