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00:00Today, how AI fakes convinced one woman she had found the love of her life.
00:06I wanted her to come here and buy a boat and sail around the world.
00:10I can't tell you how much I wanted it, but it never happened.
00:14Plus, could you convince someone that they're being scammed?
00:17Well, we meet the experts who get paid to do just that.
00:21It's really important that you're honest with us today,
00:23because I need you to make sure that you're not falling victim to a scam.
00:27Keeping you one step ahead of the scammers, this is Rip Off Britain.
00:39Hello and welcome to Rip Off Britain on BBC Scam Safe Week.
00:44Here from our HQ in Salford to supply you with all the advice you need
00:48to keep your money safe in a world fraught with fraudsters.
00:52Now today, takedown, turndown.
00:55The media giants failing to remove scam investment schemes that proliferate on their sites,
01:00leaving users at risk of losing literally thousands of pounds.
01:04You would think for all of the technical capabilities that big tech has,
01:08they could do the proactive stuff as well, but I see very little evidence of it.
01:13We'll have the pointers you need to make sure that you steer well clear.
01:17And in our topic, how one woman's love of crochet,
01:20like this, very talented. Look at that, isn't it?
01:24Led her into a whole other type of entanglement.
01:27When she tried to sell her products online,
01:30she was duped into handing over her bank details and hundreds of pounds to a scammer.
01:35We'll have top-notch advice on how to handle that one.
01:38But first, we're turning to the language of love,
01:42something I'm sure you all are very well versed in.
01:44Well, if there's one group of people who are truly expert at penning heartfelt messages,
01:50it's those low-life romance scammers.
01:54And I'm sad to say this horrible type of scam,
01:56which comes all wrapped up in a beautiful romantic bow,
02:00is catching out more people than ever.
02:02It's truly awful.
02:04Last year, nearly £100 million was lost to romance fraud,
02:08according to Action Fraud.
02:09And the dark art of targeting those looking for love is reaching new lows,
02:14as the con artists harness artificial intelligence
02:17to make their romantic advances even more realistic.
02:22And it's made even worse by just how much of the world of dating is now done online.
02:27Now, shortly, we're going to talk to one expert
02:29who unpicks the methods on these types of scams and advises on how to guard against them.
02:35But first, we're going to hear from former university lecturer, Nicky McLeod.
02:39This time last year, she was listening to Radio Scotland
02:42during BBC's Scam Safe Week,
02:45and she felt absolutely compelled to get in touch and share her own experience.
02:49And we've now picked up the case on the programme.
02:54Nicky McLeod from Edinburgh has endured a tough few years.
02:59After the death of her parents and the ending of a long-term relationship,
03:03she sought comfort online.
03:05I was really, really at rock bottom,
03:08and I started just chatting away to people on the internet
03:10because I was getting very, very lonely when I was using Facebook chat rooms.
03:15Nicky says the chat rooms really helped,
03:18and by the summer of 2024, she was feeling far more optimistic,
03:22not least because someone online had caught her eye.
03:26She was obviously a sailor.
03:27She was wearing a beanie and a big jacket.
03:29It's just a little tiny avatar picture as you get on Facebook.
03:33And I thought, oh, she looks really attractive.
03:36And I just wanted to talk to this woman and find out who she was.
03:39She was called Allah,
03:41and within days of Nicky dropping her a message,
03:43a connection started to form.
03:45We just started blethering to each other.
03:48What we were doing today, what you had for tea,
03:51was kind of everyday conversation you'd have with somebody you know really well.
03:55We got to know each other more and more,
03:57and she started being really sympathetic.
04:00The pair chatted every day, exchanging hundreds of messages,
04:05and they bonded over a joint love of the sea.
04:08She knew I liked to go out sailing,
04:10and she said, yeah, I'm a sailor, let's buy a yacht,
04:13let's sail around the world, let's just do that.
04:16And it just sounded so fantastic.
04:19In fact, Allah spent most of her days at sea.
04:22She told Nicky she was an engineer on an oil rig,
04:26and that to stay in touch,
04:27she needed to buy digital gift cards to pay for an internet connection.
04:32Initially, Nicky was sceptical,
04:34but Allah convinced her that their future relationship
04:37depended on a ready supply of codes from the cards to stay in touch.
04:43Nicky spent hundreds of pounds on them.
04:46But Allah's constant demands for more and more cards started to unsettle Nicky,
04:51so she voiced her concerns.
04:53I started questioning her identity,
04:56and she said, no, it's really real.
04:59And then, because I was getting so sceptical,
05:02she sent me a video.
05:03Well, Nicky, it's Allah Morgan.
05:07I wanted to reach out to reassure you that I am sincere
05:10and have no connection to any scams.
05:12Your trust means a lot to me.
05:14With that, Nicky's creeping doubts vanished.
05:18The couple continued to chat,
05:20with Nicky sharing details of her family life and hobbies.
05:23Allah told Nicky about her well-paid engineering career,
05:26and they started to make plans for the future.
05:29As the bond seemed to get stronger and stronger,
05:32Allah suggested they meet up in Edinburgh.
05:36I was so excited.
05:37She said she was absolutely head over heels in love with me.
05:40I was in love with her.
05:41I mean, it was that simple.
05:45But the visit would come at a cost.
05:49Allah said her employer would need Nicky
05:51to stump up US$2,500, around £1,900,
05:56to pay for a helicopter to bring her
05:59from the oil rig to Edinburgh.
06:01She said, don't worry about it.
06:03I'm so rich.
06:04I'm getting $1.5 million for this contract,
06:08and I'll pay it all back.
06:09So just give them the £2,500.
06:11So I did.
06:13But that was followed by another request for money,
06:16this time for almost £10,000,
06:18supposedly to compensate for Allah's leave.
06:23I didn't pay that because it made me very, very suspicious.
06:27And I thought, I just don't trust this at all.
06:31But just like last time,
06:33as soon as Nicky raised her suspicions,
06:35Allah sent another video.
06:37Good morning, Nicky.
06:38I hope you had a wonderful night.
06:39I want to prove myself to you
06:41and hope this video proves you wrong
06:42with all the negative thoughts.
06:44You can see it's very storming weather outside.
06:48But when it finally came to meeting...
06:53She never turned up at Edinburgh Airport.
06:55And I'd filled the house with flowers
06:56because they thought she was going to turn up the next day.
06:59Nicky was upset,
07:01but the pair reconciled
07:02and continued to exchange messages.
07:05And while Nicky was now on her guard,
07:07Allah reassured her
07:08that she was absolutely committed
07:11to their relationship.
07:12It got round to the fact that my daughter,
07:15she was desperate to find somewhere else
07:16to live in Aberdeen.
07:18And Allah promised
07:19that she would just buy my daughter a house.
07:21It was very, very generous,
07:23which is why I asked her
07:24if she really meant it.
07:26Because it was so generous.
07:27She said, I love you so much.
07:29I'm just going to give you this money.
07:31Nicky and her daughter
07:32set about finding a suitable property,
07:35settling on a one-bed flat
07:36costing £65,000.
07:39To get the ball rolling on the purchase,
07:42Allah provided Nicky with login details
07:44for what she said
07:45was her online bank account
07:47with a company called Terrafin Capital.
07:50And when Nicky checked the account,
07:52everything seemed to add up.
07:54Lo and behold,
07:55there was one and a half million dollars
07:56in her bank account.
07:58So I happily transferred £65,000
08:01to my bank account.
08:03But Allah's bank blocked the transaction.
08:09Almost instantly,
08:10Nicky received an email
08:11saying the account had been frozen
08:13and releasing the money
08:15would require a payment
08:16of £8,500.
08:19Baffled, Nicky messaged Allah,
08:22who was as reassuring as ever.
08:24Allah said,
08:25why don't you just pay them
08:26and then I'll give you the money back?
08:29So Nicky did just that,
08:31using her bank and PayPal accounts
08:33to pay the fee to Allah's bank
08:35in installments
08:36of around £1,500 at a time.
08:40But when Nicky's bank
08:41blocked one of those transfers,
08:43she picked up the phone
08:44to find out why.
08:45The bank said,
08:47what's that bank called?
08:49Ah, we know about that bank.
08:50It's not a real bank.
08:53And that person is not a real person.
08:56You've been scammed.
08:59The online bank account
09:01Nicky had viewed had been faked
09:03and the £1.5 million she'd seen
09:06didn't really exist.
09:08Now, Nicky knew that
09:10everything Allah had told her
09:12had been a lie.
09:14I didn't want to believe it at all.
09:16I wanted it all to be real.
09:18I was really involved with this person.
09:21I wanted her to come here
09:23and buy a boat
09:23and sail around the world.
09:24I can't tell you how much I wanted it,
09:27but it never happened.
09:34Nicky believes she spent
09:35around £20,000 on Allah,
09:38though can't be completely sure.
09:40Some of her losses
09:40were reimbursed by her bank,
09:42but the lion's share of the payments
09:44came from her PayPal account.
09:47PayPal refunded around £6,000
09:49through its buyer protection policy,
09:51but roughly £11,000
09:53was transferred
09:54using the platform's
09:56friends and family function,
09:58which comes with no such protection.
10:00But for Nicky,
10:02the biggest loss was emotional.
10:04I feel really stupid.
10:06Completely stupid.
10:08She was one of my best pals for a while.
10:11And, you know, ironically now,
10:13it's like something has kind of disappeared
10:15from my life,
10:16but I'm getting over it.
10:17Something has indeed disappeared
10:21from Nicky's life
10:22because Allah wasn't just words
10:23in a text message
10:24or photos sent via Facebook.
10:27As far as Nicky knew,
10:28this living, breathing,
10:30speaking person
10:30was Allah.
10:32But she wasn't Allah at all.
10:35In fact,
10:36her real name
10:37is Sophie Bavier.
10:39And the woman who uncovered
10:40her true identity,
10:42romance fraud expert
10:43Anna Rowe,
10:44joins me now in HQ,
10:46along with fraud lawyer
10:47Aaron Chohan
10:49to unravel more truths
10:51about how the scam unfolded.
10:54This is a really extraordinary
10:57and upsetting story, actually.
10:59Anna, you, I know,
11:00have been working with Nicky
11:01on uncovering the truth
11:02about her romance fraudster.
11:04So how did you get involved,
11:06find out what was going on?
11:08I started helping victims
11:09of romance fraud back in 2017.
11:12I'd seen Nicky's story
11:14on other platforms
11:15and I actually recognised
11:17Sophie's face.
11:18So Sophie is the real person
11:20behind the pictures
11:21of Ella Morgan.
11:22Sophie is used
11:24particularly for her profession.
11:26So she is a sailor.
11:27She does work on the seas.
11:30And one of the top professions
11:32that these particular fraudsters
11:33like to use
11:34is an oil rig,
11:35worker scam.
11:36So Sophie's pictures
11:37fit very, very well with that.
11:39So what they've done essentially,
11:41you're going to have to explain it to me,
11:42is they've taken those videos
11:43that Sophie has put out
11:44and then they have manipulated them.
11:47So let's play the video
11:48that Nicky was sent.
11:50Good morning, Nicky.
11:51I hope you had a wonderful night.
11:52You know the reason
11:53of sending you this video to you?
11:55Because I want to prove myself to you
11:56and hope this video proves you wrong
11:58with all the negative thoughts.
11:59I find that really convincing.
12:01How would anybody know
12:02that wasn't for real?
12:04It's incredibly difficult.
12:06The only part of that video
12:07that's been manipulated with the AI
12:09is the mouth movements.
12:10So this is software
12:12where they would upload the saved video
12:14and they can choose a voice
12:16and then they type
12:17what they want that voice to say.
12:19And then the AI manipulates it,
12:21lip syncs the lips
12:22to the movements of the speech
12:24that they want it to say.
12:26So what I want to do now
12:27is play the real video
12:28and she says something
12:29completely different.
12:30So let's play that.
12:32It's been a while.
12:33We haven't done any live here.
12:35So go back
12:37and in the bridge.
12:40It's really hard
12:42to tell the difference, isn't it?
12:44And what strikes me
12:44about all of this
12:45is that the effect of it
12:48on anybody who's been affected
12:50by this kind of scam
12:51is devastating, isn't it?
12:53It really is.
12:54I mean, we describe it
12:55as a triple trauma.
12:57So the victim who,
12:59to all intents and purposes,
13:00has been in a real relationship,
13:03even though it was manufactured
13:04for the purpose of fraud.
13:06So they are really
13:07intense relationships.
13:09So the first trauma
13:10is that that relationship
13:12has suddenly ended
13:13and it leaves
13:13a really huge void.
13:15The second trauma
13:16is that that character
13:18that they thought
13:19they were in love with
13:20and that loved them
13:21didn't actually exist at all.
13:23And then, of course,
13:24the third trauma
13:24is the financial loss,
13:26which can leave people
13:27devastated for years as well.
13:29And there's a particularly
13:32cruel element
13:33to the financial side
13:34of things here, too.
13:36If Nikki had been duped
13:37into transferring the money
13:38from the bank,
13:39chances are
13:40she would have been reimbursed.
13:42But most of it
13:43was sent via PayPal
13:44using its friends
13:46and family function,
13:47which comes
13:48with no such protection.
13:49Where do you stand, Aaron?
13:53PayPal have two options.
13:54They have this kind of
13:54friends and family option
13:56or paying for goods
13:57and services.
13:58These payees are set up
13:59as friends and family.
14:00So if you're tricked
14:01to pay these people,
14:03gosh, unfortunately,
14:04PayPal's resolution centre
14:05says we're not going
14:06to cover you
14:07for reimbursement.
14:08So, unfortunately,
14:10not the same protections
14:11as you'd expect
14:12from maybe your
14:13larger retail banks.
14:14PayPal has told us
14:15it's sorry to hear
14:16about what had happened
14:16to Nikki,
14:17advises customers
14:18to be wary of
14:19unusual payment requests,
14:20particularly if it
14:21targets your emotions
14:22and is moving
14:23large amounts of money,
14:25even when the request
14:26appears to come
14:26from someone you know.
14:27Aaron, the other big player
14:29in all of this
14:29is Facebook, isn't it?
14:31Where so-called
14:32Allah targeted Nikki
14:33in the first place.
14:34We shared the details
14:36of this case with Meta,
14:37its parent company,
14:38and it told us
14:38there are tips
14:39on how to avoid
14:40romance scams
14:41on its website.
14:41That advice includes
14:43beware of unsolicited messages,
14:45verify unfamiliar accounts
14:47by checking
14:47when the account
14:48was created
14:48or, for example,
14:49doing a reverse image search
14:51on the photos
14:52to check their authenticity.
14:53Do you think that Facebook
14:54has any responsibilities here?
14:56Yeah, I do think
14:57all social media platforms,
14:58Facebook included,
14:59do have a responsibility
15:00that just having messages
15:01like they've said there
15:03about verification
15:04and so on
15:05is not enough.
15:06They have to act themselves
15:07and remove this content.
15:09Otherwise,
15:09it's going to continue
15:10to be a large part
15:11of the problem
15:11many victims are facing.
15:13Anna, you speak
15:14to lots of victims
15:14like Nikki regularly.
15:16What's your advice
15:17for people who want
15:18to meet someone online?
15:19So, it's really important
15:20to remember, firstly,
15:21that anyone can be a victim.
15:23It's not,
15:24this will never happen to me.
15:26These particular fraudsters
15:27do have very particular
15:29professions
15:29that they stick to
15:30because they know
15:31they work.
15:32Military and offshore workers
15:34are a rig like this.
15:35Very, very, very popular.
15:37They will always say
15:38that they're going off
15:39to work abroad
15:40or they are already
15:41working abroad.
15:42That's how they create
15:43a problem.
15:44They will very often
15:46try to get you
15:47off of the platform
15:47that they meet you
15:48on really quickly,
15:49normally within about
15:5048 hours.
15:52That's because algorithms
15:53can pick up
15:54what they know
15:54is the chat
15:55that's going on.
15:57And the other thing
15:58to do,
15:58get someone
15:59to look over things
16:00with you.
16:00Check it out
16:01from a cold view
16:02perspective.
16:03So, it's literally
16:04going back
16:04to the old adage
16:05of head over heart
16:07if you possibly can.
16:09It is.
16:09And if we can all
16:10keep that in mind
16:11every time we make
16:12new connections online
16:13and we do make
16:14connections online
16:14and it's a good thing
16:15in its truest form
16:18but we've got to be wary
16:19of what we're looking
16:20for out there.
16:21Gosh, thank you both
16:22very much indeed
16:22and thanks again
16:23to Nicky as well.
16:24And later on in the programme
16:25we're going to be
16:26switching our attention
16:27from the victims
16:27of romance scammers
16:28to those trying to
16:29stop them in their tracks
16:31with an insight
16:31into a team
16:32at one bank
16:33that has been dubbed
16:34the Break the Spell team.
16:36We'll also be joined
16:37by the BBC's
16:38own scam interceptor
16:39Nick Stapleton
16:40to ask him
16:41whether that sort
16:42of initiative
16:42from the banks
16:43will really make
16:44a difference.
16:45Thank you both.
16:50Time now for our
16:52advice clinic
16:52and in the expert
16:54hot seat today
16:55is tech specialist
16:56David McClellan
16:57and we're also joined
16:58by Annette Durden
16:59from Oxfordshire
17:00an avid crocheter
17:02who was targeted
17:03by scammers
17:03when trying to sell
17:04some of her
17:05beautiful creations
17:06on Etsy.
17:07and we've got
17:10an example of it
17:11here.
17:11Annette, tell me
17:12I'm somebody
17:13who's never mastered
17:14the art of crocheting.
17:15Tell me how you
17:16got into it.
17:17Well, my brother
17:17taught me to knit
17:18when I was about five.
17:20So about six years ago
17:22I had some lessons
17:23and I've never looked back.
17:25I haven't picked up
17:26a pair of middle needles
17:27since.
17:28With more crocheted
17:29creations than she
17:30could give away
17:31Annette decided
17:32to try and sell some
17:33so set up a store
17:35on Etsy.
17:37I gather
17:37the trouble began
17:38when you got a message
17:40supposedly from Etsy
17:41about your account.
17:43The message said
17:44that in order
17:44to get hold
17:45of the money
17:45she'd made
17:46selling her crochet
17:47Annette needed
17:48to set up
17:49a new bank account.
17:51They said
17:51they don't deal
17:52with the bank
17:53that I was with
17:54so they wanted me
17:56to open an account
17:57with Revolut
17:57and they asked
17:58for my bank balance.
18:00I told them
18:01£238.70
18:03and they said
18:05well put that
18:05into the account
18:06and you'll get it
18:08refunded straight away.
18:09And did that
18:10actually happen?
18:11No.
18:11When I looked
18:12at the Revolut account
18:13the money had been
18:14withdrawn by
18:15a merchant company.
18:18Annette had fallen
18:19for a scammer
18:20who was pretending
18:21to be from Etsy.
18:22That official
18:23looking message
18:24convinced her
18:25to set up
18:26a new Revolut
18:26account
18:27and share
18:28her virtual
18:29card details.
18:30The scammer
18:31told her
18:31this was to
18:32verify her Etsy
18:33account
18:34but instead
18:35it simply
18:35enabled them
18:36to withdraw
18:37her cash.
18:39The whole saga
18:40is obviously
18:41horrible.
18:42David what's
18:43your take on it?
18:44Well like you say
18:45it's an awful
18:46saga and sadly
18:47not an isolated
18:48incident either.
18:50Annette you've
18:50been very good
18:51at providing us
18:52with some screenshots
18:53that might just
18:54paint a bit of
18:55a picture here.
18:56You were initially
18:56approached by
18:57someone claiming
18:58to be from
18:59support and then
19:00they sent you
19:01through to another
19:02website and it's
19:03asking you about
19:04transferring balances
19:05and so on.
19:07A red flag here
19:08for me unfortunately
19:09is the web address
19:11that they've sent
19:12Annette to.
19:13We would expect
19:14that to be
19:15from an
19:16Etsy.com domain
19:18an Etsy.com
19:19web address.
19:19It's the
19:20scammers
19:20web address
19:22and we know
19:23what happens
19:24next.
19:25Well Annette
19:25actually we did
19:26contact Etsy
19:27and make them
19:28aware of your
19:28situation and
19:29this is what
19:30they told us
19:31that it takes
19:32the safety and
19:33security of its
19:33community extremely
19:35seriously and
19:36has expert teams
19:37in place that
19:38work constantly
19:39to combat
19:40fraudulent activity
19:41on its marketplace.
19:42It said addressing
19:43this kind of scam
19:45is a top priority
19:46and it will continue
19:47to invest in
19:48solutions and work
19:49with sellers.
19:50Well David
19:50Etsy isn't the
19:51only platform
19:52that we've heard
19:53about where this
19:54sort of thing is
19:54happening where
19:55fraudsters pose
19:56as quote
19:57customer service
19:58representatives.
19:59So is there any
20:00advice you can give
20:01people so they
20:02can detect whether
20:02or not they really
20:03are talking to
20:04the genuine company?
20:05Yes these fake
20:06customer support
20:07or service support
20:08accounts are
20:09unfortunately rife
20:10across a number
20:11of platforms here.
20:13Now on Etsy
20:14it does say that
20:15messages from Etsy
20:17appear in a special
20:18from Etsy inbox
20:20and are very clearly
20:21badged with
20:22from Etsy
20:23and other platforms
20:23may have similar
20:24badges too.
20:25The big red flag
20:26for me though
20:27whatever platform
20:28whatever message
20:29is if you're asked
20:29to set up a bank
20:31account and asked
20:32to transfer money
20:33into it to you
20:34know prove you are
20:35who you say you are
20:36or whatever excuse
20:37they give you
20:37never never do that
20:39because it's always
20:40going to be fake.
20:41Annette you also
20:42got in touch with
20:43Revolut didn't you?
20:45What did they have
20:45to say to you?
20:46They said because
20:47I confirmed
20:49the transaction
20:50they couldn't do
20:51anything about it
20:52they couldn't refund
20:53them.
20:54Well Annette
20:54we also contacted
20:56Revolut on your
20:57behalf and it told
20:58us this
20:58it works hard
21:00and invests heavily
21:01to protect
21:01and support
21:02customers
21:03and in 2024
21:04it prevented
21:05£632 million
21:07of potential fraud
21:09against its customers
21:10it also added
21:11that it believes
21:12scams like this
21:13need to be tackled
21:14at source
21:15by online
21:16marketplaces
21:17but it did say
21:18it was very sorry
21:19to hear about this
21:20case
21:20and knowing
21:21the impact
21:21scams like
21:22these can have
21:23it has issued
21:23a good will
21:24payment of
21:25£238.70
21:27which I believe
21:28Annette is the
21:29original amount
21:30has that in any
21:31way compensated
21:32for all the stress
21:33and hardship
21:34that you went
21:34through?
21:35I watched
21:35scam
21:36receptors
21:37I watched
21:37Ripoff Britain
21:38I never thought
21:39for one minute
21:40that I would fall
21:41for a scam
21:42like this
21:42but you know
21:44it happened
21:45this made me
21:46very nervous
21:46I'm so sorry
21:47to hear that
21:48and I think
21:48that's a very
21:49common response
21:50actually
21:50to being scammed
21:51I'm very glad
21:52it hasn't made
21:53you stop crocheting
21:54and thank you
21:56so much
21:56for telling
21:57us your story
21:58and we will
21:59be returning
21:59this to you
22:01even though
22:01I want to keep it
22:02and I know
22:03David's got his
22:03eyes on it
22:04but it will
22:05be returned to
22:06you
22:06thank you so
22:07much Annette
22:07well if you've
22:15been scammed
22:16and need advice
22:17on how to get
22:17the whole thing
22:18sorted
22:18you can email
22:19us just like
22:20Annette did
22:21ripoffbritain
22:21at bbc.co.uk
22:23if we can help
22:24we will
22:25you bet we will
22:26or if you prefer
22:27you can get in touch
22:28via our Facebook page
22:29all you have to do
22:30is to search for
22:31BBC
22:31Ripoff Britain
22:32or
22:33you can send
22:34a message
22:34on WhatsApp
22:35and the number
22:35is 033
22:370678
22:381321
22:39or
22:40if you're
22:41a paper person
22:41please do
22:42write to us
22:43we are
22:43Ripoff Britain
22:44BBC
22:44Media City
22:45UK
22:46Salford
22:47M52LH
22:49and now
22:50back to scams
22:51and we're
22:52turning our gaze
22:53to some of the
22:53biggest companies
22:54in the world
22:55the online
22:56tech giants
22:57after all
22:58it's on their
22:59platforms
23:00that millions
23:00of people
23:01fall victim
23:02to all manner
23:03of frauds
23:03and despite
23:04efforts by
23:05authorities
23:05around the world
23:06to hold their
23:07feet to the fire
23:08it often feels
23:09that we're in a
23:10losing battle
23:11trying to get them
23:12to do more
23:12to kick the fraudsters
23:13off their sights
23:15and one type of fraud
23:16is having a field day
23:18get rich quick
23:19schemes
23:19presented as
23:20sure fire
23:21investments
23:22whether it's
23:23recommended by a
23:23friend
23:24or so called
23:25finfluencers
23:26more on them
23:26shortly
23:27they can appear
23:28very convincing
23:29but as the person
23:30in this next film
23:31found out
23:32they can land you
23:33not only seriously
23:34out of pocket
23:34but even accused
23:36of fraud
23:36yourself
23:37hi
23:42my name's
23:43Farhan
23:44I'm 20 years old
23:44and I'm making
23:45a video today
23:46about the dangers
23:47of online
23:48investing
23:48in April
23:502023
23:51a story on
23:52Instagram
23:53caught the eye
23:54of appendix
23:54engineer
23:55Farhan Wasim
23:56it suggested
23:57that he could
23:57make a £10,000
23:59return
23:59with an investment
24:00of just £800
24:01and for him
24:04I'm a very sporty
24:05car
24:05I'm in love
24:06the prospect
24:07of that sort
24:08of money
24:08was hard to resist
24:09a lot of my friends
24:10they've got new cars
24:11they're doing
24:12their own thing
24:13they're not
24:13dependent on their
24:14families and their
24:14parents like I am
24:15it does make me feel
24:17like I'm being
24:17a bit left out
24:18the post came
24:21from an account
24:21by the name
24:22of Coach
24:23Shalax
24:23a South-style
24:24financial guru
24:25offering training
24:27in investment schemes
24:28in recent years
24:30platforms including
24:31Instagram
24:31have become a haven
24:32for social media
24:33personalities
24:34offering money tips
24:36and tricks
24:36aimed at a younger
24:38audience
24:38there's even a name
24:40for these financial
24:41influencers
24:41who've become
24:42known as
24:43Finfluencers
24:44Farhan got in touch
24:46with Shalax
24:46I go
24:48I've seen your post
24:49on Instagram
24:49I'd like to learn
24:50a little bit more
24:51she said
24:52I've made millions
24:53from this
24:53and it involves
24:55Bitcoin mining
24:56and it only takes
24:57a few hours
24:57Farhan was quickly
24:59drawn into an
25:00elaborate series
25:01of transactions
25:02that involved him
25:03buying Bitcoin
25:04online
25:05and being loaned
25:06money by Shalax
25:07to acquire even more
25:09and after just a few
25:10days
25:11and less than
25:11a thousand pounds
25:12of his money
25:13going in
25:14Shalax told him
25:15his balance stood
25:16at more than
25:16ten thousand pounds
25:18that sort of money
25:19it would have
25:20I can say
25:21it would have
25:22changed our lives
25:23but to get hold
25:24of it
25:25Shalax told Farhan
25:26he'd have to put
25:27in more
25:27to pay for it
25:29she said she'd
25:30lend him a total
25:31of twelve hundred
25:32pounds
25:32and told him
25:33to buy Bitcoin
25:34with it
25:35which he did
25:35but then
25:37Shalax went quiet
25:38and a few days
25:43later
25:43Farhan got a letter
25:44from his bank
25:45and it says
25:47we've frozen your account
25:48while we review
25:49recent activity
25:50that's when then
25:51I started to panic
25:52a little bit
25:53then two months later
25:55both his banks
25:56closed his accounts
25:57for good
25:57as far as I was aware
25:59I hadn't done
25:59anything wrong
26:00and I couldn't
26:01comprehend
26:01why it was
26:02happening to me
26:03in search of answers
26:04Farhan checked
26:06his details
26:06on the national
26:07fraud database
26:08CFAS
26:09it all came
26:10crashing down
26:11when I opened
26:12that document
26:12I saw it
26:13filed in June
26:15under misuse
26:16of facility
26:17a third party
26:19fraud facilitator
26:21filed by
26:22my main bank
26:24the banks
26:26accused Farhan
26:27of being a money mule
26:28it seemed
26:29he'd unwittingly
26:30been laundering
26:30dirty cash
26:31I'm still scared
26:33that the police
26:34are going to
26:34one day
26:35turn up on my door
26:35and I'm facing
26:36this issue
26:37where at the start
26:38of my life
26:38I cannot get
26:39any credit
26:40or anything
26:42at all
26:42and I've been
26:43labelled
26:44a fraud facilitator
26:45through no fault
26:46of my own
26:47since this film
26:50was first broadcast
26:51Farhan has appealed
26:52his bank's decision
26:53to put a fraud
26:54marker on his account
26:55but says it's
26:57sticking by its
26:57decision
26:58meaning he's still
26:59stuck in financial
27:00limbo
27:01at the same time
27:02concerns have been
27:04growing about the
27:04activities of people
27:05like Shalax
27:06illegal fin
27:08fluencers
27:08using social media
27:10platforms to promote
27:11get rich quick schemes
27:12well joining me
27:14in HQ now
27:15to lift the lid
27:16on what's being called
27:17an international
27:18crackdown
27:18on that activity
27:19is tech expert
27:20David McClelland
27:21and fraud lawyer
27:22Aaron Shohan
27:23Aaron I'm coming to you first
27:26fin fluencers
27:28where did that spring from
27:29it's a relatively new phrase
27:30but what we're talking
27:31about here
27:31is that you've got
27:32these individuals
27:33who are on social media
27:34platforms
27:35selling what looks like
27:37legitimate financial
27:38advice
27:39what we're seeing
27:41more of
27:41is that these
27:42fin fluencers
27:42are selling
27:43an education program
27:44which will lead to
27:45unique opportunities
27:46for those individuals
27:47who go on the course
27:48and pay the fees
27:49to make themselves
27:50wealthier
27:51but it's all
27:52smoke and dust
27:52it doesn't exist
27:54and that's how
27:54they're getting about it
27:55so David
27:55in a way
27:56is there motivation
27:57like selling the dream
27:58is that it
27:59that's absolutely
28:00part of the motivation
28:01and I just want to
28:02make it very clear
28:02that not all
28:03fin fluencers
28:04are fraudsters
28:05there are a lot of
28:06great
28:06completely legitimate
28:08fin fluencers
28:09out there
28:09who play a really
28:10important part
28:11in financial literacy
28:12and education
28:13using social media
28:14as that platform
28:15however
28:16as with all walks
28:17of life
28:17there is a subset
28:18who's seen opportunity
28:19to make some money
28:20and they're capitalising
28:21on social media's speed
28:23anyone can sell
28:24themselves as an expert
28:26flying in the face
28:27of the regulations
28:28that would stop them
28:29doing the same thing
28:30on the high street
28:30legitimate independent
28:33financial advisors
28:33they've gone through exams
28:35they're regulated
28:36with the
28:37financial conduct authority
28:38but what we're seeing now
28:40is people are learning
28:41about financial investments
28:42pensions
28:43everything really
28:44around finance
28:45through short
28:46bite-sized videos
28:47rather than longer articles
28:48longer programs
28:49or training
28:50and that's where
28:51the criminals
28:52have seen the gap
28:53and that's where
28:53we're seeing more
28:54and more of these scams
28:55to combat illegal
28:57Finfluencers
28:58pushing scam investments
28:59in June 2025
29:01regulator of the
29:02Financial Conduct Authority
29:04along with counterpart
29:05organisations
29:06in five other countries
29:08launched a crackdown
29:09in the UK
29:11that led to criminal
29:12proceedings
29:13against three individuals
29:14and 650 takedown requests
29:17against social media platforms
29:19carrying unauthorised
29:20Finfluencers content
29:22Facebook and other
29:24social media platforms
29:25have a responsibility
29:26under our old friends
29:27the Online Safety Act
29:29to take down
29:30this type of content
29:32fraudsters
29:32they embark in practices
29:34known as
29:35lifeboating
29:36or phoenixing
29:37it's another way
29:38of putting it
29:38so that when a company
29:40or an online profile
29:41gets shut down
29:42you could very quickly
29:44create a dozen more
29:45with an identical profile photo
29:47and you know
29:48maybe very very similar names
29:49and there's nothing
29:50to stop you
29:51from doing that
29:52and for me
29:52this is the proactive
29:54as well as reactive
29:55they aren't even doing
29:56the reactive thing yet
29:57and you would think
29:58for all of the technical
29:59capabilities
30:00that big tech has
30:01they could do the proactive
30:02stuff as well
30:03but I see very little
30:04evidence of it
30:05we put those points
30:06to Facebook's owner
30:07Meta
30:08but it didn't respond
30:09the FCA says
30:10people should check
30:11its online warning list
30:13before making
30:14any investments
30:15and Aaron says
30:16there are other ways
30:17that we can all
30:18avoid scams
30:18so what is your advice
30:20Aaron
30:21well I think firstly
30:22stand back and look
30:23at the content
30:23you're engaging with
30:25you need to understand it
30:26so what are they selling
30:27can you get behind
30:29the person who's selling
30:30can you see that
30:31they are on the FCA
30:32register
30:32and go on the FCA website
30:34and check that
30:34are they not using
30:36emotional language
30:37language that makes you
30:38want to act quickly
30:39or think you're going to
30:40miss out on the one
30:41opportunity you'll never
30:42get again
30:42and I think the only thing
30:44I'd build on
30:45from what Aaron says
30:46there
30:46particularly on the
30:47social media platforms
30:48a lot of these
30:49fraudulent
30:50finfluencers
30:51will hide behind
30:52verified profiles
30:53the blue tick
30:54or whatever
30:55you cannot trust
30:56if somebody has
30:57a blue tick
30:58they may well
30:59have paid for it
31:00it's not indicative
31:01of authenticity
31:02or credibility
31:03and I would add
31:04that all that
31:05information will be
31:06in our website
31:07it's bbc.co.uk
31:08slash ripoffbritain
31:11many thanks to the boys
31:12for some great advice
31:13earlier in the program
31:20we brought you the story
31:21of Nikki McLeod
31:22the former university
31:23lecturer
31:24who was ruthlessly
31:25exploited in a romance
31:27scam
31:27rinsing her
31:28of more than
31:28£15,000
31:29it was only when
31:31Nikki's bank
31:32stepped in
31:32and spoke to her
31:33directly
31:33that the truth
31:34began to dawn
31:35but breaking the spell
31:37of romance scams
31:38like this
31:38is no easy task
31:39as we found out
31:41after spending time
31:42with one bank team
31:43whose mission it is
31:44to save victims
31:46from the clutches
31:46of the romance scammers
31:48This unassuming office
31:52in Bootle, Merseyside
31:54is home to a call centre
31:56like no other
31:57Can I ask
31:58when did you meet
31:58this person?
31:59A specialist team
32:00of 24
32:01has been set up
32:02to help victims
32:03of scams
32:04see the light
32:05And how long
32:06have you been
32:06speaking to this
32:07person online
32:07can I ask?
32:08This is banking group
32:10Santander's
32:11Break the Spell team
32:12Hi
32:13I'm Claire
32:14Good afternoon
32:15Hi
32:15My name's Caroline
32:16It's really important
32:18It's really important
32:18that you're honest
32:18with us today
32:19because I need you
32:20just to make sure
32:21that you're not
32:22falling victim
32:22to a scam
32:23And we've been given
32:28rare access
32:29to see the team
32:30in action
32:30Michelle Pillsworth
32:32is in charge
32:33of the bank's
32:33anti-fraud operation
32:35So we deal
32:36with all kinds
32:36of scams here
32:37customers who are
32:38victims of impersonation
32:39scams
32:40where HMRC
32:41or police
32:41or somebody's
32:42pretending to be
32:42somebody else
32:43But she says
32:45it's romance scams
32:46that present
32:47the biggest challenge
32:48These are the
32:50hardest type of scams
32:51because these are
32:51where customers
32:52truly believe
32:53they're in a relationship
32:54and they need to
32:55send money
32:55to keep them safe
32:56All the leading
33:00UK high street banks
33:01have fraud prevention
33:02measures in place
33:03often involving
33:04a combination
33:05of technology
33:06and anti-scam
33:07education for customers
33:09But Santander
33:10says its initiative
33:11is unique
33:12because of the
33:13in-depth training
33:14of its team
33:14that specialises
33:15in highly complex
33:17and emotionally
33:17involved cases
33:19Every call
33:20has been put through
33:21from other parts
33:22of the bank
33:23where colleagues
33:23have become concerned
33:24that a customer's
33:26activity could indicate
33:27that they're a victim
33:28of a scam
33:29What happened
33:30is the criminal
33:31invests many
33:31many days
33:32weeks
33:33months
33:34in socially
33:35engineer a customer
33:36to make them
33:37believe their story
33:38So they tell them
33:40not to trust the bank
33:41not to trust their family
33:42not to trust their friend
33:42keep it a secret
33:43so we need to try
33:44and ensure our customer
33:46trust us
33:46and then we can work
33:47with them to realise
33:49that they are a victim
33:50of a crime
33:50Hello
33:52Is now a convenient time
33:53for me to speak to you?
33:55Christy Dobson
33:56oversees the team
33:57We get around
33:5830 to 50 referrals
33:59a day
34:00from our fraud
34:01prevention colleagues
34:02It is quite difficult
34:03to manage a team
34:04where the conversations
34:06are so emotional
34:07the customer
34:08the customer really
34:08doesn't want to believe
34:09that that person
34:10they're speaking to
34:10isn't there
34:11for their best interest
34:12and that can be
34:13really upsetting
34:14for the customer
34:15and the colleague
34:15One of the spellbreakers
34:18is Eleanor
34:18So I'm just giving you
34:20a call
34:20it's in regards to
34:21a payment
34:22that you tried to make
34:23We did have some
34:24slight concerns over it
34:26so this call
34:27is just to try
34:27and alleviate
34:28these concerns
34:29so we can get it
34:29all sorted for you
34:30is that okay?
34:32The customer
34:33Eleanor is speaking to
34:34has been targeted
34:35by what's known
34:36as the Keanu Reeves scam
34:38where a criminal
34:39posing as the Hollywood actor
34:41builds up a relationship
34:42with a victim
34:43before defrauding them
34:44Can I just ask
34:45are you in a relationship
34:46with Keanu
34:47or is it just a friendship?
34:49But like many scam victims
34:51the customer
34:52is in denial
34:53and Eleanor
34:54needs to gain her trust
34:56A lot of the time
34:57customers will be told
34:59or made to feel
35:00like they can't trust
35:01their own bank
35:01and they'll say things
35:02to us that are just not true
35:03I can assure you
35:04that it's completely safe
35:06for you to be honest
35:06with us, okay?
35:08The bank's fraud
35:08detection system
35:09has previously identified
35:11a suspicious payment
35:12being made by the customer
35:14and blocked it
35:15His bank details
35:17don't match his name
35:18and often when
35:19the account details
35:20do not match
35:21it is because
35:22who you're paying
35:22does not exist
35:24Satisfied that the customer
35:26is being manipulated
35:27by a scammer
35:28she tries to break the spell
35:30Is this payment
35:32anything to do with Keanu?
35:33Like for example
35:34is it his manager?
35:37Is it friends of Keanu?
35:38Do you know?
35:39The customer opens up
35:41revealing the payee
35:42is someone claiming
35:43to be part of the actor's
35:44management team
35:45prompting a reality check
35:47from Eleanor
35:48It sounds amazing
35:49who wouldn't want
35:50to be friends
35:50with a celebrity?
35:51But unfortunately
35:52that's how they manage
35:53to trick you
35:54You can even search
35:55into Google
35:56Keanu Reeves
35:57romance scam
35:58But before the spell
36:00is fully broken
36:01the customer
36:02ends the call
36:03Eleanor was keen
36:04to call her back
36:05later that day
36:06but the caller said
36:07she wanted to check
36:08some further details first
36:10So we'll
36:11waste a few days
36:12then we're going
36:12to give her a call back
36:13and then hopefully
36:14then we can
36:15fully break it
36:16The team can have
36:19as many as
36:19two calls a week
36:20over several weeks
36:21or even months
36:22with one individual customer
36:24as they slowly
36:26help them
36:26come to terms
36:27with what's been going on
36:29Across the office
36:30Claire has just come off
36:32her third call
36:33with one man
36:34she suspects
36:35of being embroiled
36:35in a romance scam
36:37and she's taking
36:37colleague Sean
36:38through the results
36:39of her investigation
36:40She's discovered
36:42that the man's girlfriend
36:43has told him
36:44she has to travel abroad
36:45to tend to a
36:46critically ill relative
36:47He's provided me
36:49with a few images
36:50which I have done
36:52a reverse image
36:53search on it
36:54and it has come back
36:55with a number of images
36:56getting used
36:57of that person
36:58and he's also provided me
37:00with documentation
37:01and that's coming up
37:02as you know
37:03it's a scam
37:04Have we talked through
37:05the red flags
37:06of the Supreme
37:06regarding that documentation?
37:07Yeah
37:08So I've spoken all about it
37:09so I'm going to give him
37:11some time to go through it
37:12because obviously
37:12I've told him how
37:14these romance scams work
37:15he's obviously upset
37:17but I think he's understanding
37:19the more I'm going through it
37:20It's good that the customer's
37:22being cooperative
37:23with sharing that information
37:24and hopefully
37:25once we speak to him again
37:26we'll be able to
37:27pull them apart
37:28a little bit more
37:29and walk them through them
37:30Yeah
37:30Are you all okay yourself?
37:32Yeah
37:32Yeah
37:32I'll be alright
37:33once I've spoken to him
37:35and he's done his own checks
37:36I think we'll
37:37get him sorted
37:38and get him supported
37:39as well
37:40For Claire
37:42romance scams
37:43can be some of the hardest
37:45to deal with
37:45You can't say to someone
37:47you know
37:48first call
37:49you're speaking to a scammer
37:50you need to stop
37:51you can't do that
37:52because
37:53especially romance scams
37:55so they just continue
37:56you know
37:57these texts
37:58this love bombing
37:59as they call it
38:00to make them think
38:01that it is
38:02all above boards
38:03regardless of the money
38:06whether it's small or big
38:07it's still
38:08a massive effect
38:09on that customer
38:10A few days after
38:12we filmed
38:12the customer that
38:13Eleanor had been
38:14speaking to
38:15went into their
38:16local branch
38:17and confirmed to staff
38:18they'd been scammed
38:19As for Claire's case
38:21after five calls
38:23from the team
38:23the man accepted
38:24that he'd been targeted
38:26by a romance scammer
38:27when he saw
38:28the same photos
38:29being used
38:29with multiple
38:30aliases online
38:31Thankfully
38:32the bank's
38:33fraud detection system
38:34intercepted payments
38:35before either victim
38:37lost any money
38:38So that's a romance scam
38:40from the bank's
38:41point of view
38:41But how do the scammers
38:43actually enact the crime?
38:45To lift the lid on that
38:47I'm joined in HQ now
38:48by scam interceptors
38:50Nick Stapleton
38:51Nick
38:53these scammers
38:54seem to be
38:55increasingly prolific
38:56Can you explain
38:57how the operation works?
38:59It all starts
39:00very often
39:01with groups
39:02on social media
39:03What scammers will all do
39:04is they'll just join
39:05kind of groups
39:05where people are
39:06reminiscing about
39:07old times
39:07for example
39:08because then they know
39:09that they're getting
39:09a particular demographic
39:10We even see it
39:12on the Ripoff Britain
39:13and the Morning Live
39:14Facebook pages
39:15So scammers join
39:16those groups
39:16because they can then
39:17target people
39:18in the comments
39:18If they see a picture
39:19they like
39:20they'll send them
39:21a comment and say
39:21hey be my friend
39:22and they'll try
39:23and start a conversation
39:24by direct message
39:25after that
39:25And are the scammers
39:27working as individuals?
39:28No
39:28Generally speaking
39:29I would say
39:30romance scammers
39:31now work in teams
39:32and there's a good
39:33reason for that
39:34They have these things
39:35called hustle kingdoms
39:36which are basically
39:38like scam universities
39:39where if you're
39:40a low level
39:40romance scammer
39:41and you're just
39:42starting out
39:42you take maybe
39:4330% of what you make
39:45from your romance scams
39:46and you pay
39:4770% of your take
39:48to the hustle kingdom
39:49Now the hustle kingdom
39:50is like a roof
39:52over your head
39:52but it's also a place
39:53that's going to give you
39:54a laptop
39:54it's going to give you
39:55a phone
39:56so essentially
39:57provide you the tools
39:58that you need
39:58to be able to run
39:59romance scams
40:00On top of that
40:01it's going to give you
40:02colleagues
40:02Now why are colleagues
40:04useful to a romance scammer?
40:05It lets them call
40:06on a cast of characters
40:07So when they're running
40:09their scam
40:09if they need to make
40:10their story more believable
40:11they can say
40:12oh yeah I was injured
40:13at work
40:13I can introduce you
40:14to the doctor
40:15so he can explain
40:16to you what happened
40:16to me
40:17You might even have
40:17people who have
40:18different specialisms
40:19within the hustle kingdom
40:20So you'll have
40:20one person who's good
40:21at fake documentation
40:22one person who knows
40:23how to make a deep
40:24fake video
40:25as we saw in Nicky's case
40:26and that means of course
40:27there's just all these
40:27more tools that allow
40:29them to extract money
40:29from their targets
40:30And if someone has
40:32a suspicion that they
40:33might be being targeted
40:34in that way
40:35what should they do?
40:36I think the really
40:37important thing is
40:38if you've got a
40:39relationship with
40:39somebody online
40:40and you're not sure
40:41about it
40:41have a chat with
40:42your family about it
40:43have a chat with
40:44some trusted friends
40:45about it
40:45and see what they think
40:47Equally you can talk
40:48to charities who deal
40:49with romance fraud
40:49there's plenty of those
40:50out there
40:51but most importantly
40:51if you have exchanged
40:52money and you now
40:53think it's a scam
40:54get onto your bank
40:55report it to them
40:55Good advice there Nick
40:57Thanks very much indeed
40:58Thanks for having me
40:59It's time now to grill
41:04our expert David and
41:06Aaron on more scam
41:07related cases from the
41:08Ripoff Britain inbox
41:10and I'm sad to say we do
41:11get plenty of different
41:12cases
41:13David this one is for you
41:14Vanessa Hunter says
41:15we're constantly told not
41:17to click on any links
41:18received on a text message
41:19yet her doctors and
41:21hospital send text
41:22messages asking to click
41:24on the link
41:24she says this is so
41:25confusing for older
41:26people who don't know
41:27whether to click the link
41:29or not
41:29I entirely agree
41:30how can she know which
41:32is genuine and which is a
41:33scam
41:33I entirely agree as well
41:35so to check the
41:37authenticity of a text
41:39message that you've
41:40received
41:40one tip that I've got
41:42is if it's from like a
41:43government body or the
41:44HMRC or maybe one of
41:45these delivery firms
41:47then go to their website
41:49because and I've checked
41:50they have pages especially
41:52about the messages that
41:54they will send to you
41:55saying this is what we
41:56will send we will never
41:57send one of these
41:59have a double check there
42:00before you click through
42:01on any link
42:02good advice thank you
42:03okay Aaron we're back to
42:05investment again because
42:06Sylvia Jackson says a year
42:07ago she invested 250
42:09pounds of what she thought
42:10was cryptocurrency
42:11now the company has tried
42:13to pest her to invest
42:15more money and most
42:16recently that her current
42:18investment is worth
42:1990,000 pounds which they
42:21say is held in a safe
42:22wallet and to transfer it
42:23out she needs to buy
42:24refundable insurance of
42:25around 8,000 pounds so
42:27she has refused so far
42:29does it sound like a scam
42:30I think yes and I think
42:32Sylvia probably knows it
42:33sounds like a scam it's
42:34such a common technique to
42:36say look pay us some money
42:37and we'll release this money
42:39that we can show you you've
42:40got on a cloned website or
42:42some documents to make you
42:43believe the money's there
42:45yeah so please like go
43:04and give it to the
43:05sort of the secret
43:06and you will influence the
43:07써 gehört that you did
43:08however it could be
43:08far ладно so for you
43:09to see if will not remain
43:09good alarms into the
43:10that makes you think so
43:10well I'll see it
43:11Wel Magda's appreciate it
43:12and I've been so scared
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