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00:00of her life. I wanted her to come here and buy a boat and sail around the world. I can't tell you
00:06how much I wanted it but it never happened. Plus could you convince someone that they're being
00:11scammed? Well we meet the experts who get paid to do just that. It's really important that you're
00:17honest with us today because I need you just to make sure that you're not falling victim to a
00:22scam. Keeping you one step ahead of the scammers this is Rip Off Britain.
00:30Hello and welcome to Rip Off Britain on BBC Scam Safe Week. Here from our HQ in Salford to supply you
00:41with all the advice you need to keep your money safe in a world fraught with fraudsters. Now today
00:48take down, turn down. The media giants failing to remove scam investment schemes that proliferate
00:54on their sides leaving users at risk of losing literally thousands of pounds.
00:59You would think that all of the technical capabilities that big tech has they could do the proactive stuff
01:05as well but I see very little evidence of it. We'll have the pointers you need to make sure that you
01:10steer well clear. And in our clinic how one woman's love of crochet like this, very talented, look at that, isn't it?
01:19Led her into a whole other type of entanglement. When she tried to sell her products online, she was duped into handing over her bank details and hundreds of pounds to a scammer.
01:30We'll have top notch advice on how to handle that one. But first we're turning to the language of love, something I'm sure you all are very well versed in.
01:39Well, if there's one group of people who are truly expert at penning heartfelt messages, it's those low-life romance scammers.
01:48And I'm sad to say this horrible type of scam, which comes all wrapped up in a beautiful romantic bow, is catching out more people than ever.
01:57It's truly awful. Last year, nearly a hundred million pounds was lost to romance fraud, according to Action Fraud.
02:04And the dark art of targeting those looking for love is reaching new lows, as the con artists harness artificial intelligence to make their romantic advances even more realistic.
02:16And it's made even worse by just how much of the world of dating is now done online.
02:21Now, shortly, we're going to talk to one expert who unpicks the methods on these types of scams and advises on how to guard against them.
02:30But first, we're going to hear from former university lecturer, Nicky MacLeod.
02:34This time last year, she was listening to Radio Scotland during BBC's Scam Safe Week, and she felt absolutely compelled to get in touch and share her own experience.
02:44And we've now picked up the case on the programme.
02:46Nicky MacLeod from Edinburgh has endured a tough few years.
02:54After the death of her parents and the ending of a long-term relationship, she sought comfort online.
03:01I was really, really at rock bottom, and I started just chatting away to people on the internet because I was getting very, very lonely when I was using Facebook chat rooms.
03:09Nicky says the chat rooms really helped, and by the summer of 2024, she was feeling far more optimistic, not least because someone online had caught her eye.
03:21She was obviously a sailor, and she was wearing a beanie and a big jacket.
03:25Just a little tiny avatar picture as you get on Facebook.
03:28And I thought, oh, she looks really attractive.
03:30And I just wanted to talk to this woman and find out who she was.
03:34She was called Allah, and within days of Nicky dropping her a message, a connection started to form.
03:40We just started blethering to each other.
03:43What we were doing today, what you had for tea, this kind of everyday conversation you'd have with somebody you know really well.
03:50We got to know each other more and more, and she started being really sympathetic.
03:54The pair chatted every day, exchanging hundreds of messages, and they bonded over a joint love of the sea.
04:03She knew I liked to go out sailing, and she said, yeah, I'm a sailor, let's buy a yacht, and let's sail around the world.
04:09Let's just do that.
04:11And it just sounded so fantastic.
04:14In fact, Allah spent most of her days at sea.
04:17She told Nicky she was an engineer on an oil rig, and that to stay in touch, she needed to buy digital gift cards to pay for an internet connection.
04:27Initially, Nicky was sceptical, but Allah convinced her that their future relationship depended on a ready supply of codes from the cards to stay in touch.
04:38Nicky spent hundreds of pounds on them.
04:41But Allah's constant demands for more and more cards started to unsettle Nicky.
04:46So, she voiced her concerns.
04:48I started questioning her identity.
04:51And she said, no, it's really real.
04:54And then, because I was getting so sceptical, she sent me a video.
05:00Well, Nicky, it's Allah Morgan.
05:02I wanted to reach out to reassure you that I am sincere and have no connection to any scans.
05:07Your trust means a lot to me.
05:09With that, Nicky's creeping doubts vanished.
05:12The couple continued to chat, with Nicky sharing details of her family life and hobbies.
05:18Allah told Nicky about her well-paid engineering career, and they started to make plans for the future.
05:24As the bond seemed to get stronger and stronger, Allah suggested they meet up in Edinburgh.
05:30I was so excited.
05:32She said she was absolutely head over heels in love with me.
05:34I was in love with her.
05:36I mean, it was that simple.
05:37But the visit would come at a cost.
05:44Allah said her employer would need Nicky to stump up US$2,500, around £1,900,
05:51to pay for a helicopter to bring her from the oil rig to Edinburgh.
05:56She said, don't worry about it.
05:58I'm so rich.
05:59I'm getting $1.5 million for this contract, and I'll pay it all back.
06:04So, just give them the £2,500.
06:06So, I did.
06:08But that was followed by another request for money, this time for almost £10,000,
06:14supposedly to compensate for Allah's leave.
06:18I didn't pay that because it made me very, very suspicious.
06:22And I thought, I just don't trust this at all.
06:25But, just like last time, as soon as Nicky raised her suspicions,
06:30Allah sent another video.
06:32Good morning, Nicky.
06:33I hope you had a wonderful night.
06:34I want to prove myself to you and hope this video proves you wrong
06:37with all the negative thoughts.
06:39You can see it's very storming weather outside.
06:45But when it finally came to meeting...
06:48She never turned up at Edinburgh Airport.
06:50And I filled the house with flowers because I thought she was going to turn up the next day.
06:53Nicky was upset, but the pair reconciled and continued to exchange messages.
07:00And while Nicky was now on her guard,
07:02Allah reassured her that she was absolutely committed to their relationship.
07:07It got round to the fact that my daughter was desperate to find somewhere else to live in Aberdeen.
07:13And Allah promised she would just buy my daughter a house.
07:16It was very, very generous, which is why I asked her if she really meant it.
07:20Because it was so generous.
07:22She said, I love you so much.
07:23I'm just going to give you this money.
07:26Nicky and her daughter set about finding a suitable property,
07:30settling on a one-bed flat costing £65,000.
07:34To get the ball rolling on the purchase,
07:36Allah provided Nicky with login details for what she said was her online bank account
07:42with a company called Terafin Capital.
07:44And when Nicky checked the account, everything seemed to add up.
07:49Lo and behold, there was $1.5 million in her bank account.
07:53So I happily transferred £65,000 to my bank account.
07:58But Allah's bank blocked the transaction.
08:01Almost instantly, Nicky received an email saying the account had been frozen
08:08and releasing the money would require a payment of £8,500.
08:14Baffled, Nicky messaged Allah, who was as reassuring as ever.
08:19Allah said, why don't you just pay them and then I'll give you the money back.
08:23So Nicky did just that, using her bank and PayPal accounts
08:28to pay the fee to Allah's bank in instalments of around £1,500 at a time.
08:35But when Nicky's bank blocked one of those transfers,
08:38she picked up the phone to find out why.
08:40The bank said, what's that bank called?
08:44Oh, we know about that bank. It's not a real bank.
08:47And that person is not a real person.
08:51You've been scammed.
08:54The online bank account Nicky had viewed had been faked
08:58and the £1.5 million she'd seen didn't really exist.
09:03Now, Nicky knew that everything Allah had told her had been a lie.
09:09I didn't want to believe it at all.
09:11I wanted it all to be real.
09:13I was really involved with this person.
09:16I wanted her to come here and buy a boat and sail around the world.
09:20I can't tell you how much I wanted it, but it never happened.
09:23Nicky believes she spent around £20,000 on Allah,
09:33though can't be completely sure.
09:35Some of her losses were reimbursed by her bank,
09:37but the lion's share of the payments came from her PayPal account.
09:42PayPal refunded around £6,000 through its buyer protection policy,
09:46but roughly £11,000 was transferred using the platform's friends and family function,
09:53which comes with no such protection.
09:55But for Nicky, the biggest loss was emotional.
09:58I feel really stupid, completely stupid.
10:03She was one of my best pals for a while.
10:06And, you know, ironically now,
10:08it's like something has kind of disappeared from my life,
10:11but I'm getting over it.
10:14Something has indeed disappeared from Nicky's life
10:16because Allah wasn't just words in a text message or photos sent via Facebook.
10:21As far as Nicky knew, this living, breathing, speaking person was Allah.
10:27But she wasn't Allah at all.
10:30In fact, her real name is Sophie Baviere.
10:34And the woman who uncovered her true identity,
10:37romance fraud expert Anna Rowe,
10:39joins me now in HQ,
10:41along with fraud lawyer Aaron Chohan,
10:43to unravel more truths about how the scam unfolded.
10:49This is a really extraordinary and upsetting story, actually.
10:54Anna, you, I know, have been working with Nicky
10:56on uncovering the truth about her romance fraudster.
10:59So how did you get involved, find out what was going on?
11:03I started helping victims of romance fraud back in 2017.
11:07I'd seen Nicky's story on other platforms
11:10and I actually recognised Sophie's face.
11:13So Sophie is the real person behind the pictures of Ella Morgan.
11:17Sophie is used particularly for her profession.
11:21So she is a sailor.
11:22She does work on the seas.
11:25And one of the top professions
11:26that these particular fraudsters like to use
11:29is an oil rig worker scam.
11:31So Sophie's pictures fit very, very well with that.
11:34So what they've done, essentially,
11:35and you're going to have to explain it to me,
11:37is they've taken those videos that Sophie has put out
11:39and then they have manipulated them.
11:42So let's play the video that Nicky was sent.
11:45Good morning, Nicky.
11:46I hope you had a wonderful night.
11:47You know the reason of sending you this video to you?
11:50Because I want to prove myself to you
11:51and hope this video proves you wrong
11:53with all the negative thoughts.
11:54I find that really convincing.
11:56How would anybody know that wasn't for real?
11:59It's incredibly difficult.
12:01The only part of that video
12:02that's been manipulated with the AI
12:04is the mouth movements.
12:05So this is software
12:06where they would upload the saved video
12:09and they can choose a voice
12:11and then they type what they want that voice to say
12:13and then the AI manipulates it,
12:16lip syncs the lips to the movements of the speech
12:19that they want it to say.
12:20So what I want to do now is play the real video
12:23and she says something completely different.
12:25So let's play that.
12:27It's been a while.
12:28We haven't done any live here.
12:30So go back.
12:32It's really hard to tell the difference, isn't it?
12:38And what strikes me about all of this
12:40is that the effect of it
12:43on anybody who's been affected by this kind of scam
12:46is devastating, isn't it?
12:48It really is.
12:49I mean, we describe it as a triple trauma.
12:52So the victim who, to all intents and purposes,
12:55has been in a real relationship,
12:58even though it was manufactured for the purpose of fraud.
13:00So they are really intense relationships.
13:04So the first trauma is that that relationship
13:07has suddenly ended and it leaves a really huge void.
13:10The second trauma is that that character
13:13that they thought they were in love with
13:15and that loved them didn't actually exist at all.
13:18And then, of course, the third trauma
13:19is the financial loss,
13:21which can leave people devastated for years as well.
13:24And there's a particularly cruel element
13:27to the financial side of things here, too.
13:31If Nikki had been duped into transferring the money
13:33from the bank,
13:34chances are she would have been reimbursed.
13:37But most of it was sent via PayPal
13:39using its friends and family function,
13:42which comes with no such protection.
13:44Where do you stand, Aaron?
13:47PayPal have two options.
13:49They have this kind of friends and family option
13:51or paying for goods and services.
13:53These payees are set up as friends and family.
13:55So if you're tricked to pay these people,
13:57gosh, unfortunately,
13:59PayPal's resolution centre says
14:00we're not going to cover you for reimbursement.
14:03So unfortunately, not the same protections
14:06as you'd expect from maybe your larger retail banks.
14:09PayPal has told us it's sorry to hear
14:10about what had happened to Nikki,
14:12advises customers to be wary
14:14of unusual payment requests,
14:15particularly if it targets your emotions
14:17and is moving large amounts of money,
14:19even when the request appears
14:21to come from someone you know.
14:22Aaron, the other big player in all of this
14:24is Facebook, isn't it?
14:25Where so-called Allah targeted Nikki in the first place.
14:29We shared the details of this case with Meta,
14:32its parent company,
14:33and it told us there are tips
14:34on how to avoid romance scams on its website.
14:36That advice includes
14:38beware of unsolicited messages,
14:40verify unfamiliar accounts
14:41by checking when the account was created
14:43or, for example,
14:44doing a reverse image search on the photos
14:47to check their authenticity.
14:48Do you think that Facebook
14:49has any responsibilities here?
14:51Yeah, I do think all social media platforms,
14:53Facebook included,
14:54do have a responsibility.
14:55Just having messages like they've said there
14:58about verification and so on,
15:00it's not enough.
15:01They have to act themselves
15:02and remove this content.
15:04Otherwise, it's going to continue
15:05to be a large part of the problem
15:06many victims are facing.
15:08Anna, you speak to lots of victims,
15:09like Nikki, regularly.
15:11What's your advice for people
15:12who want to meet someone online?
15:14So, it's really important to remember,
15:16firstly, that anyone can be a victim.
15:18It's not, this will never happen to me.
15:21These particular forsters
15:22do have very particular professions
15:24that they stick to
15:25because they know they work.
15:27Military and offshore workers,
15:29oil rig like this,
15:30very, very, very popular.
15:32They will always say
15:33that they're going off to work abroad
15:35or they are already working abroad.
15:37That's how they create a problem.
15:39They will very often try to get you
15:41off of the platform
15:42that they meet you on really quickly,
15:44normally within about 48 hours.
15:46That's because algorithms can pick up
15:49what they know is the chat that's going on.
15:52And the other thing to do,
15:53get someone to look over things with you.
15:55Check it out from a cold view perspective.
15:58So, it's literally going back
15:59to the old adage of head over heart,
16:02if you possibly can.
16:04It is.
16:04And if we can all keep that in mind
16:06every time we make new connections online,
16:08and we do make connections online,
16:09and it's a good thing in its truest form,
16:13but we've got to be wary
16:14of what we're looking for out there.
16:15Gosh, thank you both very much indeed.
16:17And thanks again to Nikki as well.
16:19And later on in the programme,
16:20we're going to be switching our attention
16:22from the victims of romance scammers
16:23to those trying to stop them in their tracks
16:25with an insight into a team at one bank
16:28that has been dubbed the Break the Spell team.
16:31We'll also be joined by the BBC's own scam interceptor,
16:34Nick Stapleton,
16:35to ask him whether that sort of initiative
16:37from the banks will really make a difference.
16:40Thank you both.
16:45Time now for our advice clinic.
16:47And in the expert hot seat today
16:49is tech specialist David McClellan.
16:52And we're also joined by Annette Durden from Oxfordshire.
16:55An avid crocheter
16:57who was targeted by scammers
16:58when trying to sell
16:59some of her beautiful creations on Etsy.
17:04And we've got an example of it here.
17:06Annette, tell me,
17:07I'm somebody who's never mastered the art of crocheting.
17:10Tell me how you got into it.
17:12Well, my brother taught me to knit
17:13when I was about five.
17:15So about six years ago,
17:17I had some lessons
17:18and I've never looked back.
17:20I haven't picked up a pair of middle needles since.
17:22With more crocheted creations
17:25than she could give away,
17:26Annette decided to try and sell some.
17:29So set up a store on Etsy.
17:31And I gather the trouble began
17:33when you got a message
17:35supposedly from Etsy
17:36about your account.
17:38The message said that
17:39in order to get hold of the money
17:40she'd made selling her crochet,
17:42Annette needed to set up
17:44a new bank account.
17:45They said they don't deal
17:47with the bank that I was with.
17:50So they wanted me to open
17:51an account with Revolut
17:52and they asked for my bank balance.
17:55I told them £238.70.
17:59And they said,
17:59well, put that into the account
18:01and you'll get it refunded straight away.
18:04And did that actually happen?
18:06No.
18:06When I looked at the Revolut account,
18:09the money had been withdrawn
18:10by a merchant company.
18:12Annette had fallen for a scammer.
18:15who was pretending to be from Etsy.
18:17That official-looking message
18:19convinced her to set up
18:21a new Revolut account
18:22and share her virtual card details.
18:25The scammer told her
18:26this was to verify her Etsy account.
18:29But instead,
18:30it simply enabled them
18:31to withdraw her cash.
18:34The whole saga is obviously horrible.
18:37David, what's your take on it?
18:39Well, like you say,
18:40it's an awful saga
18:42and sadly not an isolated incident either.
18:45Annette, you've been very good
18:46at providing us with some screenshots
18:48that might just paint
18:49a bit of a picture here.
18:51You were initially approached
18:52by someone claiming
18:53to be from support
18:54and then they sent you through
18:56to another website
18:57and it's asking you
18:59about transferring balances
19:00and so on.
19:02A red flag here
19:03for me, unfortunately,
19:05is the web address
19:06that they've sent Annette to.
19:08We would expect that to be
19:10from an Etsy.com domain,
19:13an Etsy.com web address.
19:14It's the scammer's web address
19:17and we know what happens next.
19:20Well, Annette,
19:20actually we did contact Etsy
19:22and make them aware
19:23of your situation
19:24and this is what they told us,
19:26that it takes the safety
19:27and security of its community
19:29extremely seriously
19:30and has expert teams in place
19:33that work constantly
19:34to combat fraudulent activity
19:36on its marketplace.
19:37It said addressing
19:38this kind of scam
19:39is a top priority
19:41and it will continue
19:42to invest in solutions
19:43and work with sellers.
19:45Well, David,
19:46Etsy isn't the only platform
19:47that we've heard about
19:48where this sort of thing
19:49is happening,
19:49where fraudsters pose
19:51as, quotes,
19:52customer service representatives.
19:54So is there any advice
19:55you can give people
19:56so that they can detect
19:57whether or not
19:58they really are talking
19:59to the genuine company?
20:00Yes, these fake customer support
20:02or service support accounts
20:04are unfortunately rife
20:05across a number
20:06of platforms here.
20:07Now, on Etsy,
20:09it does say that
20:10messages from Etsy
20:12appear in a special
20:13from Etsy inbox
20:15and are very clearly
20:16badged with from Etsy
20:18and other platforms
20:18may have similar badges too.
20:20The big red flag for me though,
20:22whatever platform,
20:23whatever message,
20:24is if you're asked
20:24to set up a bank account
20:26and asked to transfer money
20:28into it to, you know,
20:29prove you are
20:30who you say you are
20:31or whatever excuse
20:32they give you,
20:32never, never do that
20:34because it's always
20:35going to be fake.
20:36Annette, you also got in touch
20:38with Revolut, didn't you?
20:39What did they have
20:40to say to you?
20:41They said,
20:42because I confirmed
20:44the transaction,
20:46they couldn't do anything
20:46about it.
20:47They couldn't refund them.
20:48Well, Annette,
20:50we also contacted Revolut
20:51on your behalf
20:52and it told us this.
20:54It works hard
20:55and invests heavily
20:56to protect
20:56and support customers
20:58and in 2024
20:59it prevented
21:00£632 million
21:02of potential fraud
21:04against its customers.
21:05It also added
21:06that it believes
21:07scams like this
21:08need to be tackled
21:09at source
21:10by online marketplaces.
21:12But it did say
21:13it was very sorry
21:14to hear about this case
21:15and knowing the impact
21:16scams like these
21:17can have,
21:17it has issued
21:18a good will payment
21:20of £238.70,
21:22which I believe,
21:23Annette,
21:24is the original amount.
21:25Has that in any way
21:26compensated for all
21:27the stress and hardship
21:28that you went through?
21:30I watched
21:30scams in the sectors,
21:32I watched Ripoff Britain.
21:33I never thought
21:34for one minute
21:35that I would fall
21:36for a scam like this.
21:38But, you know,
21:39it happened.
21:40This made me very nervous.
21:42I'm so sorry
21:42to hear that
21:43and I think
21:43that's a very common
21:44response actually
21:45to being scammed.
21:46I'm very glad
21:47it hasn't made you
21:48stop crocheting
21:49and thank you so much
21:51for telling us
21:52your story
21:53and we will be
21:54returning this
21:55to you
21:56even though
21:56I want to keep it
21:57and I know David's
21:58got his eyes on it
21:59but it will be
22:00returned to you.
22:01Thank you so much,
22:02Annette.
22:09Well, if you've
22:10been scammed
22:10and need advice
22:12on how to get
22:12the whole thing
22:13sorted,
22:13you can email us
22:15just like Annette did.
22:16Ripoffbritain
22:16at bbc.co.uk
22:18If we can help,
22:19we will.
22:20You bet we will.
22:21Or if you prefer,
22:22you can get in touch
22:23via our Facebook page.
22:24All you have to do
22:25is to search for
22:26BBC Ripoff Britain
22:27or you can send
22:29a message on WhatsApp
22:30and the number
22:30is 033-0678-1321
22:34or if you're
22:35a paper person,
22:37please do write to us.
22:37We are Ripoff Britain,
22:39BBC Media City, UK,
22:41Salford,
22:42M52LH.
22:44And now back to scams
22:46and we're turning
22:47our gaze to some
22:48of the biggest companies
22:49companies in the world,
22:50the online tech giants.
22:53After all,
22:53it's on their platforms
22:54that millions of people
22:56fall victim
22:56to all manner of frauds.
22:58And despite efforts
22:59by authorities
23:00around the world
23:01to hold their feet
23:02to the fire,
23:03it often feels
23:04that we're in a losing battle
23:06trying to get them
23:06to do more
23:07to kick the fraudsters
23:08off their sights.
23:10And one type of fraud
23:11is having a field day,
23:13get-rich-quick schemes,
23:14presented as sure-fire investments.
23:17Whether it's recommended
23:18by a friend
23:19or so-called
23:19Finfluencers,
23:21more on them shortly,
23:22they can appear
23:23very convincing.
23:24But as the person
23:25in this next film
23:26found out,
23:27they can land you
23:28not only seriously
23:29out of pocket,
23:30but even accused
23:31of fraud yourself.
23:37Hi,
23:37my name's Farhan,
23:39I'm 20 years old
23:39and I'm making a video
23:40today about the dangers
23:42of online investing.
23:44In April 2023,
23:47a story on Instagram
23:48caught the eye
23:48of apprentice engineer
23:50Farhan Wasim.
23:51It suggested that he could
23:52make a £10,000 return
23:54with an investment
23:55of just £800.
23:58And for him...
23:59I'm a very sporty car.
24:00I'm in love.
24:01The prospect of that
24:02sort of money
24:03was hard to resist.
24:05A lot of my friends,
24:06they've got new cars,
24:06they're doing their own thing.
24:08They're not dependent
24:08on their families
24:09and their parents
24:10like I am.
24:11It does make me feel
24:12like I'm being
24:12a bit left out.
24:13The post came
24:16from an account
24:16by the name
24:17of Coach Shailax,
24:19a self-styled
24:19financial guru
24:20offering training
24:22in investment schemes.
24:24In recent years,
24:25platforms including
24:26Instagram
24:26have become a haven
24:27for social media
24:28personalities,
24:30offering money tips
24:31and tricks
24:31aimed at a younger audience.
24:34There's even a name
24:35for these financial
24:36influencers
24:36who've become
24:37known as
24:38Finfluencers.
24:39Farhan got in touch
24:41with Shailax.
24:42I go,
24:43I've seen your post
24:44on Instagram.
24:45I'd like to learn
24:45a little bit more.
24:46She said,
24:47I've made millions
24:47from this
24:48and it involves
24:50Bitcoin mining
24:51and it only takes
24:52a few hours.
24:53Farhan was quickly
24:54drawn into
24:55an elaborate series
24:56of transactions
24:57that involved him
24:58buying Bitcoin
24:59online
25:00and being loaned
25:01money by Shailax
25:02to acquire even more.
25:04And after just a few days
25:05and less than
25:06a thousand pounds
25:07of his money
25:08going in,
25:09Shailax told him
25:10his balance stood
25:10at more than
25:1110,000 pounds.
25:13That sort of money,
25:14it would have,
25:15I can say,
25:16it would have
25:17changed our lives.
25:18But to get hold of it,
25:20Shailax told Farhan
25:21he'd have to put in more
25:22to pay for it.
25:24She said she'd lend him
25:25a total of
25:261,200 pounds
25:27and told him
25:28to buy Bitcoin
25:29with it,
25:30which he did.
25:31But then,
25:32Shailax went quiet.
25:37And a few days later,
25:38Farhan got a letter
25:39from his bank.
25:41It says,
25:42we've frozen your account
25:43while we review
25:44recent activity.
25:45That's when then
25:46I started to panic
25:47a little bit.
25:48Then two months later,
25:50both his banks
25:51closed his accounts
25:51for good.
25:53As far as I was aware,
25:54I hadn't done
25:54anything wrong
25:55and I couldn't comprehend
25:56why it was happening
25:57to me.
25:58In search of answers,
26:00Farhan checked his details
26:01on the national fraud
26:02database,
26:03CIFAS.
26:05It all came crashing down
26:06when I opened
26:07that document.
26:08I saw it
26:08filed in June
26:10under misuse
26:11of facility
26:12of third-party
26:14fraud facilitates
26:16filed by
26:17my main bank.
26:20The banks
26:21accuse Farhan
26:22of being a money mule.
26:23It seemed
26:24he'd unwittingly
26:25been laundering
26:25dirty cash.
26:26I'm still scared
26:28that the police
26:29are going to one day
26:30turn up on my door
26:30and I'm facing
26:31this issue
26:32where at the start
26:33of my life
26:33I cannot get
26:34any credit
26:35or anything at all
26:37and I've been
26:38labelled
26:39a fraud facilitator
26:40through no fault
26:41of my own.
26:44Since this film
26:44was first broadcast,
26:46Farhan has appealed
26:47his bank's decision
26:48to put a fraud marker
26:50on his account
26:50but says it's
26:52sticking by its decision
26:53meaning he's still
26:54stuck in financial limbo.
26:56At the same time
26:57concerns have been
26:59growing about the
26:59activities of people
27:00like Shailax,
27:02illegal finfluencers
27:03using social media
27:05platforms to promote
27:06get-rich-quick schemes.
27:08Well joining me
27:09in HQ now
27:10to lift the lid
27:11on what's being called
27:12an international
27:12crackdown on that
27:13activity
27:14is tech expert
27:15David McClelland
27:16and fraud lawyer
27:17Aaron Shohan.
27:20Aaron, I'm coming
27:21to you first.
27:22Finfluencers,
27:23where did that
27:23spring from?
27:24Well it's a relatively
27:24new phrase
27:25but what we're talking
27:26about here
27:26is that you've got
27:27these individuals
27:28who are on social
27:29media platforms
27:30selling what looks
27:31like legitimate
27:32financial advice.
27:35What we're seeing
27:35more of is that
27:36these finfluencers
27:37are selling an
27:38education programme
27:39which will lead to
27:40unique opportunities
27:41for those individuals
27:42who go on the course
27:43and pay the fees
27:44to make themselves
27:45wealthier.
27:46But it's all
27:47smoke and dust.
27:48It doesn't exist
27:49and that's how
27:49they're getting about it.
27:50So David,
27:51in a way,
27:51is there motivation
27:52like selling the dream?
27:53Is that it?
27:54That's absolutely
27:55part of the motivation
27:56and I just want
27:56to make it very clear
27:57that not all finfluencers
27:59are fraudsters.
28:00There are a lot of
28:01great, completely
28:02legitimate finfluencers
28:04out there who play
28:04a really important part
28:06in financial literacy
28:07and education
28:08using social media
28:09as that platform.
28:10However,
28:11as with all walks
28:12of life,
28:12there is a subset
28:13who see an opportunity
28:14to make some money.
28:15And they're capitalising
28:16on social media's speed.
28:18Anyone can sell themselves
28:20as an expert
28:21flying in the face
28:22of the regulations
28:23that would stop them
28:23doing the same thing
28:24on the high street.
28:26Legitimate independent
28:27financial advisors,
28:29they've gone through exams,
28:30they're regulated
28:31with the Financial Conduct Authority.
28:34But what we're seeing now
28:34is people are learning
28:35about financial investments,
28:37pensions,
28:38everything really
28:39around finance
28:40through short,
28:41bite-sized videos
28:42rather than longer articles,
28:43longer programmes
28:44or training.
28:45And that's where
28:46the criminals have seen
28:47the gap.
28:48And that's where we're seeing
28:48more and more
28:49of these scams.
28:50To combat illegal
28:52Finfluencers
28:53pushing scam investments,
28:55in June 2025,
28:56Regulator of the
28:57Financial Conduct Authority,
28:59along with counterpart organisations
29:01in five other countries,
29:03launched a crackdown.
29:05In the UK,
29:06that led to criminal proceedings
29:07against three individuals
29:09and 650 takedown requests
29:12against social media platforms
29:14carrying unauthorised
29:15Finfluencers content.
29:18Facebook and other
29:19social media platforms
29:20have a responsibility
29:21under our old friends
29:22the Online Safety Act
29:24to take down
29:25this type of content.
29:27Fraudsters,
29:28they embark in practices
29:29known as
29:30lifeboating
29:31or phoenixing,
29:32it's another way
29:33of putting it,
29:33so that when a company
29:35or an online profile
29:36gets shut down,
29:37you could very quickly
29:38create a dozen more
29:40with an identical profile photo
29:42and, you know,
29:42maybe very, very similar names,
29:44and there's nothing
29:45to stop you
29:46from doing that.
29:47And for me,
29:48this is the proactive
29:49as well as reactive.
29:50They aren't even doing
29:51the reactive thing yet
29:52and you would think
29:53for all of the technical
29:54capabilities
29:55that big tech has,
29:56they could do the proactive
29:57stuff as well,
29:58but I see very little
29:59evidence of it.
30:00We put those points
30:01to Facebook's owner,
30:02Meta,
30:03but it didn't respond.
30:05The FCA says
30:05people should check
30:06its online warning list
30:07before making
30:09any investments.
30:10And Aaron says
30:11there are other ways
30:12that we can all avoid scams.
30:14So what is your advice, Aaron?
30:16Well, I think, firstly,
30:17stand back and look
30:18at the content
30:18you're engaging with.
30:20You need to understand it.
30:21So what are they selling?
30:23Can you get behind
30:24the person who's selling it?
30:25Can you see that
30:26they are on the FCA register
30:27and go on the FCA website
30:28and check that?
30:29Are they not using
30:30emotional language,
30:32language that makes you
30:33want to act quickly
30:34or think you're going
30:35to miss out on the one
30:36opportunity you'll never
30:37get again?
30:38And I think the only thing
30:39I'd build on from
30:40what Aaron says there,
30:41particularly on the
30:42social media platforms,
30:43a lot of these
30:44fraudulent Finfluencers
30:46will hide behind
30:47verified profiles,
30:48the blue tick or whatever.
30:50You cannot trust
30:51if somebody has a blue tick,
30:53they may well have
30:54paid for it.
30:55It's not indicative
30:56of authenticity
30:57or credibility.
30:58And I would add
30:59that all that information
31:01will be in our website.
31:02It's bbc.co.uk
31:03slash ripoffbritain.
31:06Many thanks to the boys
31:07for some great advice.
31:14Earlier in the program,
31:15we brought you the story
31:16of Nikki McLeod,
31:17the former university lecturer
31:18who was ruthlessly exploited
31:21in a romance scam,
31:22rinsing her
31:23of more than 15,000 pounds.
31:25It was only when Nikki's
31:26bank stepped in
31:27and spoke to her directly
31:28that the truth began to dawn.
31:30But breaking the spell
31:32of romance scams like this
31:33is no easy task,
31:34as we found out
31:36after spending time
31:37with one bank team
31:38whose mission it is
31:39to save victims
31:40from the clutches
31:41of the romance scammers.
31:43This unassuming office
31:47in Bootle, Merseyside
31:49is home to a call centre
31:51like no other.
31:52Can I ask,
31:53when did you meet this person?
31:54A specialist team of 24
31:56has been set up
31:57to help victims
31:58of scams see the light.
32:00And how long have you been
32:01speaking to this person online,
32:02can I ask?
32:03This is banking group
32:05Santander's
32:06Break the Spell team.
32:07Hi, I'm Claire.
32:09Good afternoon.
32:10Hi, my name's Caroline.
32:11It's really important
32:13that you're honest
32:13with us today
32:14because I need you
32:15just to make sure
32:16that you're not
32:16falling victim to a scam.
32:21And we've been given
32:23rare access
32:23to see the team in action.
32:26Michelle Pillsworth
32:27is in charge
32:28of the bank's
32:28anti-fraud operation.
32:30So we deal with
32:31all kinds of scams here.
32:32Customers who are victims
32:33of impersonation scams
32:35were HMRC or police
32:36or somebody's pretending
32:37to be somebody else.
32:38But she says
32:39it's romance scams
32:41that present
32:42the biggest challenge.
32:44These are the hardest
32:45type of scams
32:45because these are
32:46where customers
32:47truly believe
32:48they're in a relationship
32:49and they need to send money
32:50to keep them safe.
32:53All the leading
32:54UK high street banks
32:56have fraud prevention
32:57measures in place,
32:58often involving
32:59a combination of technology
33:01and anti-scam education
33:03for customers.
33:04But Santander says
33:05its initiative is unique
33:07because of the
33:08in-depth training
33:08of its team
33:09that specializes
33:10in highly complex
33:12and emotionally involved cases.
33:14Every call
33:15has been put through
33:16from other parts of the bank
33:17where colleagues
33:18have become concerned
33:19that a customer's activity
33:21could indicate
33:22that they're a victim
33:23of a scam.
33:24What happened
33:25is the criminal
33:25invests many, many
33:26days, weeks, months
33:29in socially engineer
33:30a customer
33:31to make them believe
33:32their story.
33:33So they tell them
33:35not to trust the bank,
33:36not to trust their family,
33:37not to trust their friend,
33:37keep it a secret.
33:38So we need to try
33:39and ensure our customer
33:40trusts us
33:41and then we can work
33:42with them to realize
33:44that they are a victim
33:45of a crime.
33:46Hello, it's now a convenient
33:48time for me to speak to you.
33:50Christy Dobson
33:51oversees the team.
33:52We get around
33:5330 to 50 referrals a day
33:55from our fraud
33:56prevention colleagues.
33:57It is quite difficult
33:58to manage a team
33:59where the conversations
34:01are so emotional.
34:02The customer really
34:03doesn't want to believe
34:04that that person
34:04they're speaking to
34:05isn't there
34:06for their best interest
34:07and that can be
34:08really upsetting
34:09for the customer
34:10and the colleague.
34:11One of the spellbreakers
34:12is Eleanor.
34:14So I'm just giving you
34:15a call.
34:15It's in regards to
34:16a payment that you
34:17tried to make.
34:18We did have some
34:19slight concerns over it.
34:21So this call
34:22is just to try
34:22and alleviate these concerns
34:24so we can get it
34:24all sorted for you.
34:25Is that OK?
34:27The customer
34:28Eleanor is speaking to
34:29has been targeted
34:30by what's known
34:31as the Keanu Reeves scam
34:33where a criminal
34:34posing as the
34:35Hollywood actor
34:36builds up a relationship
34:37with a victim
34:38before defrauding them.
34:40Can I just ask
34:40are you in a relationship
34:41with Keanu
34:42or is it just a friendship?
34:44But like many
34:45scam victims
34:46the customer
34:47is in denial
34:48and Eleanor
34:49needs to gain her trust.
34:51A lot of the time
34:52customers will be told
34:54or made to feel
34:55like they can't
34:55trust their own bank
34:56and they'll say things
34:57to us that are just
34:58not true.
34:58I can assure you
34:59that it's completely
35:00safe for you
35:01to be honest
35:01with us, OK?
35:02The bank's fraud
35:03detection system
35:04has previously
35:05identified a suspicious
35:07payment being made
35:08by the customer
35:09and blocked it.
35:10His bank details
35:12don't match his name
35:13and often when
35:14the account details
35:15do not match
35:16it is because
35:17who you're paying
35:17does not exist.
35:20Satisfied
35:20that the customer
35:21is being manipulated
35:22by a scammer
35:23she tries to
35:25break the spell.
35:25Is this payment
35:27anything to do
35:28with Keanu?
35:28Like for example
35:29is it his manager?
35:32Is it friends
35:32of Keanu?
35:33Do you know?
35:34The customer opens up
35:35revealing the payee
35:37as someone claiming
35:38to be part of the
35:39actor's management team
35:40prompting a reality
35:42check from Eleanor.
35:43It sounds amazing
35:44who wouldn't want
35:45to be friends
35:45with a celebrity
35:46but unfortunately
35:47that's how they
35:48manage to trick you.
35:49You can even search
35:50into Google
35:51Keanu Reeves
35:52romance scam.
35:54But before the spell
35:55is fully broken
35:56the customer
35:57ends the call.
35:59Eleanor was keen
35:59to call her back
36:00later that day
36:01but the caller said
36:02she wanted to check
36:03some further details
36:04first.
36:05So we'll waste
36:06a few days
36:07then we're going
36:07to give her a call
36:08back and then
36:09hopefully then
36:10we can fully break it.
36:13The team can have
36:14as many as two calls
36:15a week over several
36:16weeks or even months
36:17with one individual
36:19customer.
36:19as they slowly
36:21help them come to
36:22terms with what's
36:23been going on.
36:25Across the office
36:25Claire has just
36:27come off her third
36:28call with one man
36:29she suspects of
36:30being embroiled
36:30in a romance scam
36:31and she's taking
36:32colleague Sean
36:33through the results
36:34of her investigation.
36:36She's discovered
36:37that the man's
36:37girlfriend has told
36:38him she has to
36:39travel abroad to
36:40tend to a
36:41critically ill relative.
36:43He's provided me
36:44with a few images
36:45which I have done
36:47a reverse image
36:48search on it
36:49and it has come back
36:50with a number of
36:51images getting used
36:52of that person
36:53and he's also
36:54provided me with
36:55documentation and
36:56that's coming up
36:57as you know
36:57it's a scam.
36:59Have we talked
37:00through the red flags
37:00regarding that
37:01documentation?
37:02yeah so I've spoken
37:03all about it
37:04so I'm going to give
37:05him some time
37:06to go through it
37:07because obviously
37:07I've told him how
37:09these romance scams
37:10work.
37:11He's obviously upset
37:12but I think he's
37:13understanding
37:14the more I'm going
37:15through it.
37:16It's good that the
37:16customer's been
37:17cooperative with
37:18sharing that information
37:19and hopefully once we
37:20speak to him again
37:21we'll be able to
37:22pull them apart a little
37:23bit more and walk
37:24them through them.
37:25Yeah.
37:26Are you all okay
37:26yourself yeah?
37:27Yeah I'll be alright
37:28once I've spoken to him
37:30and he's done his own
37:31checks I think we'll
37:32get him sorted and
37:33get him supported as
37:34well.
37:35For Claire romance
37:38scams can be some of
37:39the hardest to deal
37:40with.
37:41You can't say to
37:42someone you know
37:43first call you're
37:44speaking to a scammer
37:45you need to stop
37:46you can't do that
37:47because especially
37:49romance scams so
37:50they just continue
37:51you know these texts
37:53this love bombing
37:53as they call it to
37:55make them think that
37:57it is all above
37:57boards.
37:59Regardless of the
38:00money whether it's
38:01small or big it's
38:02still a massive effect
38:04on that customer.
38:06A few days after we
38:07filmed the customer
38:08that Eleanor had been
38:09speaking to went into
38:10their local branch and
38:12confirmed to staff
38:13they'd been scammed.
38:15As for Claire's case
38:16after five calls from
38:18the team the man
38:19accepted that he'd
38:20been targeted by a
38:21romance scammer when
38:22he saw the same photos
38:23being used with
38:24multiple aliases online.
38:27Thankfully the bank's
38:28fraud detection system
38:29intercepted payments
38:30before either victim
38:32lost any money.
38:33So that's a romance
38:35scam from the bank's
38:36point of view.
38:37But how do the
38:37scammers actually
38:38enact the crime?
38:40To lift the lid on
38:41that I'm joined in
38:42HQ now by scam
38:44interceptor's Nick
38:45Stapleton.
38:47Nick, these scammers
38:49seem to be
38:50increasingly prolific.
38:51Can you explain how
38:52the operation works?
38:54It all starts very
38:55often with groups on
38:57social media.
38:58What scammers will
38:58all do is they'll just
38:59join kind of groups
39:00where people are
39:01reminiscing about old
39:02times for example
39:03because then they know
39:03that they're getting a
39:04particular demographic.
39:06We even see it on the
39:07rip-off Britain and the
39:08morning live Facebook
39:09pages.
39:10So scammers join those
39:11groups because they can
39:12then target people in
39:13the comments.
39:14If they see a picture
39:14they like they'll send
39:15them a comment and say
39:16hey be my friend and
39:17they'll try and start a
39:19conversation by direct
39:20message after that.
39:21And are the scammers
39:21working as individuals?
39:23No.
39:24Generally speaking I would
39:25say romance scammers now
39:26work in teams and there's
39:27a good reason for that.
39:29They have these things
39:30called hustle kingdoms
39:31which are basically like
39:33scam universities where
39:34if you're a low-level
39:35romance scammer and you're
39:36just starting out you
39:38take maybe 30% of what
39:39you make from your
39:40romance scams and you
39:41pay 70% of your take to
39:44the hustle kingdom.
39:44Now the hustle kingdom is
39:46like a roof over your
39:47head but it's also a
39:48place that's going to
39:49give you a laptop, it's
39:50going to give you a
39:50phone, so essentially
39:52provide you the tools
39:53that you need to be able
39:54to run romance scams.
39:55On top of that it's going
39:56to give you colleagues.
39:58Now why are colleagues
39:59useful to a romance
39:59scammer?
40:00It lets them call on a
40:01cast of characters.
40:03So when they're running
40:04their scam if they need
40:05to make their story more
40:05believable they can say
40:07oh yeah I was injured at
40:08work you know I can
40:09introduce you to the
40:09doctor so he can explain
40:11to you what happened to
40:11me.
40:12You might even have
40:12people who have
40:13different specialisms
40:14within the hustle
40:15kingdom so you'll have
40:15one person who's good
40:16at fake documentation,
40:18one person who knows
40:18how to make a deep
40:19fake video as we saw
40:20in Nikki's case and
40:21that means of course
40:22there's just all these
40:22more tools that allow
40:23them to extract money
40:24from their target.
40:25And if someone has
40:26a suspicion that they
40:28might be being targeted
40:29in that way what
40:30should they do?
40:31I think the really
40:32important thing is if
40:33you've got a relationship
40:34with somebody online and
40:35you're not sure about it
40:36have a chat with your
40:37family about it, have a
40:39chat with some trusted
40:39friends about it and see
40:41what they think.
40:42Equally you can talk to
40:43charities who deal with
40:44romance fraud, there's
40:45plenty of those out there
40:45but most importantly if you
40:47have exchanged money and
40:48you now think it's a scam
40:49get onto your bank, report
40:50it to them.
40:51Good advice there Nick,
40:52thanks very much indeed.
40:53Thanks for having me.
40:54It's time now to grill
40:59our expert David and
41:01Aaron on more scam
41:02related cases from the
41:03Ripoff Britain inbox and
41:05I'm sad to say we do get
41:06plenty of different cases.
41:08David this one is for you
41:09Vanessa Hunter says
41:10we're constantly told not
41:11to click on any links
41:13received on a text message
41:14yet her doctors and
41:16hospital send text
41:17messages asking to click
41:18on the link.
41:19She says this is so
41:20confusing for older
41:21people who don't know
41:22whether to click the link
41:23or not.
41:24I entirely agree.
41:25How can she know which is
41:27genuine and which is a scam?
41:28I entirely agree as well.
41:30So to check the
41:32authenticity of a text
41:34message that you've
41:34received, one tip that I've
41:36got is if it's from like a
41:38government body or the
41:39HMRC or maybe one of these
41:40delivery firms then go to
41:43their website because and I've
41:45checked they have pages
41:46especially about the
41:48messages that they will send
41:50to you saying this is what we
41:51will send we will never send
41:53one of these.
41:54Have a double check there
41:55before you click through on
41:56any link.
41:57Good advice.
41:58Okay Aaron we're back to
41:59investment again because
42:00Sylvia Jackson says a year
42:02ago she invested 250 pounds
42:04of what she thought was
42:06cryptocurrency.
42:07Now the company has tried to
42:08pest her to invest more
42:10money and most recently that
42:12her current investment is
42:14worth 90,000 pounds which
42:15they say is held in a safe
42:17wallet and to transfer it out
42:18she needs to buy refundable
42:20insurance of around 8,000
42:21pounds so she has refused so
42:23far.
42:24Does it sound like a scam?
42:26I think yes and I think
42:27Sylvia probably knows it
42:28sounds like a scam.
42:29It's such a common technique
42:30to say look pay us some money
42:32and we'll release this money
42:34that we can show you you've
42:35got on a cloned website or
42:37some documents to make you
42:38believe the money's there.
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