‘I thought I was bright enough not to get caught out’ reveals BBC presenter who lost £10,000s after 15 minute phone call
A VETERAN BBC presenter has revealed how he lost tens of thousands of pounds after a 15 minute phone call.
Peter Levy, known for his role as the presenter of the BBC‘s Look North, has encountered numerous individuals who have fallen victim to scams during his 37-year career.
However, despite his familiarity with fraudsters’ deceptive tactics, Levy himself became ensnared in a scheme.
Speaking to The Times, the 68-year-old recounted an evening in February when he received a call while walking home.
The caller claimed to be from Virgin Money’s fraud department, alleging suspicious transactions on Levy’s Virgin current account totalling £500 within the past hour.
Assuring Levy of assistance in reclaiming the funds, the caller exhibited charm and reassurance, prompting Levy to trust him.
Following instructions, Levy downloaded an application purportedly for conducting account checks.
Unbeknownst to him, the app enabled remote access to his device.
When Levy briefly left the room, the scammer swiftly drained his accounts.
“I thought I was bright enough to not get caught out, but this has proved that’s not the case. These people are so convincing”
Peter Levy
This included cash in his Virgin Money current account and tens of thousands of pounds of savings in a Barclays account.
The ordeal, which resulted in the loss of his hard-earned retirement savings, left Levy not only shocked but also deeply regretful of his naivety.
The news anchor told The Times: “I felt physically sick – I couldn’t believe what had just happened, and how stupid and naive I had been.
“By then it was late evening and the bank fraud departments weren’t open. I was up all night going through everything in my head.”
In the morning, Levy contacted Barclays and Virgin Money, embarking on a painstaking process of investigation and resolution.
What’s more, while he waited for an outcome, the same fraudsters applied for a loan in his name with HSBC.
Several weeks later, Barclays and Virgin Money returned the money taken back into both of Levy’s accounts, but the ordeal inflicted considerable emotional turmoil on the anchor.
Levy hopes by sharing his story, he can “stop other people making the same mistakes”.
A spokesperson for Barclays told The Times: “Impersonation scams are becoming more sophisticated
“If you get an unexpected request from an organisation to download an app, transfer funds or hand over your pin we advise that you end the call immediately and verify the caller.
“No legitimate company will make an unsolicited call to request remote access to your computer or device.”
Virgin Money said: “We know that the sophistication of scams is increasing all the time, and encourage any customers who are worried to pause before taking any action, and to contact us by phone.”
Levy’s story shows that nobody is completely safe from scammers.
That’s why it’s vital you protect yourself as best as you can.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are “verified” on Facebook and Twitter pages – this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you’ve fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use its online fraud reporting tool.
REPORTS SCAMS
If you think you have been a victim of a scam, you should report it as soon as possible.
There is no guarantee you’ll get your money back, but banks will often compensate you if you can show you did not know the money would leave your account.
You can forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
If you notice a website that doesn’t look quite right, you can also report it to the National Cyber Security Centre by visiting www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-scam-website.
You should also contact your provider and report it to Action Fraud, which will give you a crime reference number.
You can do this online by visiting actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040
If you’re in Scotland, report a scam through Advice Direct Scotland online by visiting www.consumeradvice.scot. You can also report scams to Police Scotland on 101.
If you need further help, contact Citizens Advice Scams Action by visiting www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/get-help-with-online-scams or calling 0808 223 1133.