Woman shares ‘golden rule’ to avoid getting scammed as dad loses £2k
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Scams in the UK are becoming more and more prevalent with many people falling victim and losing thousands of pounds. Helen Thorne, comedian, one half of the Scummy Mummies duo, has had first-hand experience as her dad fell victim to impersonation fraud.
New data from Norton showed more younger people below 39 consider themselves the head of IT in their household.
Younger parents are now tasked with the job of protecting their elderly parents and children on internet safety.
Helen told Express.co.uk: “My dad fell victim to scammers online, letting them take control of his computer and look through his files.
“The fraudsters were convincing enough in saying that they were doing a routine check of his desktop.
“Eventually, they stole his personal information and £2,000.
“Despite that my dad eventually got his money back, it was a difficult time for our family.
“I encouraged him to keep in mind, as I call it ‘the golden rule’ in the future – if it doesn’t feel right, or it feels too good to be true, it probably is.”
With impersonation fraud people are convinced to make a payment or give personal and financial details to someone claiming to be from a trusted organisation.
This includes places such as their bank, the police, a delivery or utility company, communication service provider, a government department such as HMRC or someone they trust such as a friend or family member.
These scams often begin with a phone call, text, message or email that appears to be from a trusted organisation or person.
A criminal might say someone’s bank account is at risk and ask people to move their money to a ‘safe account’.
They might get in touch impersonating a police officer, saying their money needs to be analysed as part of a police investigation.
These criminals use a tactic called social engineering to groom and manipulate people into transferring money or divulging their personal and financial details.
Britons are reminded to be vigilant online and only give their personal or financial information to services they have consented to and are expecting to be contacted by.
Ellie Gibson, the other part of the comedian parent duo Scummy Mummies, has also had first-hand experience helping her son and parents avoid online scams.
She spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk on how she resolved the issues and helped her parents get their money back.
She offered suggestion on how Britons can stay safe online.
She said: “My approach to reducing risk is think before you click. If you receive a text or email, check for any typos in the name, the numbers or email address, and question why you’re being sent the information.
“Are you expecting a package? Are you seeing unexplained charges on your credit card or bank statement?
“I’d also immediately report a possible scam to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.”
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