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00:05Scams and fraud are now the UK's most common crimes.
00:09Over the last year, they cost us £2.4 billion.
00:13And 61% of Brits say they've been targeted by a scam at least once a month.
00:20I've got a really sick feeling that I've been scammed.
00:25Tonight, the scammers who sell you fake medication.
00:29I just could not stop being sick.
00:31I was vomiting blood.
00:33Stealed your money.
00:34They've led my mum to the quiet street.
00:3620 years of your life savings, gone.
00:38That's brazen.
00:39And could leave you fighting for your life.
00:42It's putting patients at real risk.
00:44The good news is, it is possible to fight back, if you know how.
00:49It's ridiculous hearing myself say this back, you did what, and then you did what.
00:53Was this one of your passwords?
00:56Yes.
00:57Whether it's safeguarding your private data...
01:00Whatever you put in, the hacker can scrape.
01:03...or spotting bogus cures online.
01:06If it simply says skinny jab or tanning spray, then you really need a little bit more information.
01:12We'll show you how to protect your health and your money too.
01:16Do you have a credit card?
01:18It comes at a sixth of the price and in a jiffy bag...
01:21It's a big red flag.
01:22...with a syringe.
01:23Very big red flag.
01:24We're going to arm you with the tips, the tricks and the techniques to spot the scammers coming and make
01:30sure that you don't get caught out.
01:39Over the last few months, we've been investigating scams hitting people up and down the country.
01:45Some of the most heartless target people who are in the midst of a health crisis.
01:49And these scams can cost victims a lot more than just money.
01:54I've never heard my mum in so much pain, anguish and fear. She didn't understand what happened.
02:01We meet the woman hospitalised after buying black market skinny jabs.
02:05When did you start getting proper worried?
02:0824 hours later, I was just... I was in and out of consciousness. I was just not very well at
02:13all.
02:14And the scammer who tries to scam us over a non-existent exercise bike.
02:18There's three things for sale. One in Cambridge, one in London and one in Reading.
02:25Again, red flag.
02:28Welcome to Scam HQ.
02:31From here, we're going to be launching some very clever tech, speaking to some very clever people
02:35and we're going to be trying to show you how scammers do their dirty work.
02:40The idea being that if you can see how these scams work, you'll be better prepared.
02:45And if you're in a vulnerable state due to illness, watch out.
02:49Because scammers are watching out for you.
02:53One story that has dominated the headlines recently concerns a new breed of drugs
02:58that are used to help you lose weight.
03:01Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy and others are only available to patients who meet strict criteria.
03:09But a legion of influencers have been sharing stories of dramatic weight loss using them,
03:14which has spurred some people to try and get them however they can.
03:18And guess who's there ready and waiting to help those people?
03:23Scammers.
03:25Jodie from North Wales was caught out by one.
03:39I met Jodie in London to hear her story.
03:45What led you down the path of trying to even get hold of these injections?
03:50I've gained a bit of weight due to medication that I'm on for pain relief from my spinal issues.
03:55Over the last few years, I've gained at least three stone.
03:58And I've been struggling to lose it due to my disabilities.
04:01I'm unable to exercise or walk very far.
04:03I've tried dieting.
04:05Nothing seems to have worked.
04:06What was the impact on your life?
04:09Difficult.
04:10Really difficult.
04:11It's caused a lot more pain having this extra weight.
04:14I know I probably look quite well to most, but for me, it's above my average.
04:19And it does knock your confidence and make you feel that you're fat, basically.
04:25And you're so uncomfortable in your own skin and in your own body.
04:28Did you speak to your GP about it?
04:30Yes, I went to the doctors and I did break down a bit with him and sort of discussed my
04:34weight.
04:35And he mentioned maybe getting this injection and referred me to a dietician.
04:41Only certain specialists can prescribe these drugs for weight loss on the NHS.
04:46After waiting for months to see one, Jodie took matters into her own hands.
04:52After speaking to a friend who was on it at the time, she was doing amazing on it.
04:56She was losing weight really well.
04:58She was taking it?
04:59Yeah, she was on the injections.
05:01And had they been prescribed to her by a GP?
05:04No.
05:05No, Jodie's friend got them from a beautician who was selling so-called skinny jabs on social media.
05:13My friend passed me her number, so I WhatsApped the lady who was supposedly selling these injections.
05:20And I was expecting a bit more of a conversation about it really,
05:24but she just messaged me some leaflets on what to expect, what it does.
05:29Sort of copy and paste things off the internet really for what it looked like.
05:32And then I paid and she was ready to deliver the injection.
05:38The vague advice that Jodie received is a red flag.
05:41These injections should come with personalised, detailed information from a health professional.
05:48How much did you pay?
05:49£20 per injection and I bought four.
05:52These are the syringes that arrived at Jodie's house in a padded envelope.
05:57Compare them to how the genuine drugs are packaged and you'll see there's a big difference.
06:02But Jodie didn't realise that, so she took the first of her four weekly injections.
06:09About six hours later, I felt quite nauseated, just a bit sickly.
06:14And then the next day I wasn't really hungry at all all day.
06:18I thought it was brilliant at the time.
06:20You're thinking it's working.
06:21Yeah, I just felt so full.
06:23Like, my stomach felt like I'd just drank a huge McDonald's milkshake or something.
06:28So for a week, it's kind of doing what it's meant to be doing.
06:31Yeah, half a stone I lost in the first week.
06:33Half a stone?
06:34Yeah.
06:34So what happened the second week?
06:36I took the injection at the same time on the following Thursday and about four or five
06:41hours later again, I felt really sick.
06:44All night I was vomiting quite severely.
06:47My son had to look after me.
06:48I just could not stop being sick.
06:51When did you start getting proper worried?
06:5424 hours later, I was just, I was in and out of consciousness.
06:57I was just not very well at all.
06:59I was vomiting blood.
07:00It was just, it was just bile all the time because I wasn't getting anything in me at all.
07:05I had to ring my daughter, my eldest, to come to me because I just, I woke up and I
07:09just
07:09did not feel good at all.
07:10I was very dizzy.
07:11I felt like I was drifting asleep, like almost, but couldn't stay awake.
07:16Right.
07:16She got really worried and phoned an ambulance sort of early hours of Saturday morning.
07:22After more than 48 hours without food or water, Jodie was admitted to hospital where
07:28intravenous fluids staved off a disaster.
07:32What was your diagnosis then for, for, with the doctor?
07:35What did they say and how dangerous was it for your health?
07:39They said I was clinically dehydrated.
07:42Um, quite severely.
07:43So without those fluids, without the children looking after me and getting me to the hospital,
07:48I would have deteriorated quite badly.
07:51Badly enough to be a risk to your life, do you think?
07:53Yeah, dehydration can be very serious, yeah.
07:56I remember the doctor coming and sitting next to me on the Saturday and saying she was convinced
08:00that this was a fake injection because of the way I'd reacted to it and she'd seen it before.
08:05So you took a jab on Thursday afternoon and on Sunday evening you're walking out of hospital.
08:11Well, wheelchaired out of hospital.
08:13I was still very dizzy for a good week afterwards.
08:15I couldn't walk very far at all without holding on to things.
08:20Obviously you didn't take the rest of the jabs.
08:22No.
08:23Did you contact the person that sold them to you?
08:26Yeah, my mum contacted her whilst I was in the hospital because obviously she was very angry
08:30and upset about what had happened.
08:32Um, and unfortunately this lady was very dismissive, very rude, did not want to tell us where they
08:39were bought from, um, what, you know, what pharmacy or whatever she's used.
08:42She wouldn't give any details at all, which was very suspicious.
08:49Suspicious indeed, but a common tactic from scammers everywhere.
08:53When confronted with the truth, the seller simply refused to cooperate or even expressed
08:58the slightest sympathy for Jodie's ordeal.
09:01How do you feel about the whole ordeal now?
09:06I did at first for quite some time feel quite ashamed of myself and angry at myself, but
09:12now I'm trying to turn it into not, not so much of a positive, but in a way of stopping
09:17others, doing it, going down the route that I did.
09:19I'm sure that there are people watching this right now who are in a difficult situation with
09:25their weight management for all sorts of reasons.
09:28Yeah.
09:28What would your message to them be?
09:30It's not a quick fix.
09:31It is a long-term solution that needs to be carried out properly through your GP or a qualified
09:38individual.
09:39And if it comes at a sixth of the price and in a jiffy bag with a syringe.
09:44It's a big red flag.
09:45No, Stephanie, you don't want to be sticking that in yourself.
09:55So if you're looking to buy medication online, it's really important that you only buy from
10:00registered pharmacies.
10:01Now, it's really easy to figure out which ones they are.
10:05Pharmacyregulation.org will have their registrations and they will carry a logo, which looks a little
10:11bit like this.
10:12Never buy prescription or over-the-counter medicines from a website that isn't registered.
10:18But there's a world of lightly regulated supplements and beauty products that are legal to buy from
10:24almost anywhere.
10:25Now, if you do buy medication online, there are three simple steps to follow to make sure
10:31that you save your money and also look after your health.
10:41First up, we've got details.
10:44Try and be precise about what you're buying.
10:46How is it being described?
10:47If it simply says skinny jab or tanning spray, then you really need a little bit more information.
10:53What is the active ingredient?
10:56Try and find out what the side effects might be as well.
11:00Next up, we've got search.
11:03Do a wide search of the active ingredients and the product names.
11:08Also do a search of what you're about to buy and prescription.
11:13And if it requires prescription and you don't have one, please, please walk away.
11:19Lastly, we've got compare.
11:22Do a search online.
11:23Make sure that everything has been spelt correctly.
11:26Make sure the boxes haven't been tampered with.
11:29Does what you've been given look like what you should be getting?
11:33If it's a pill form drug that is usual and you've got liquid, then that should raise some alarm.
11:41Coming up, the doctor who got scammed during her own health crisis.
11:46He then said, I need that six-figure security code that your bank has just texted you.
11:50And I stupidly read it out.
11:53But first, here's a quiz for you.
11:56In the UK, it's completely illegal to buy prescription drugs online.
12:01Is that true or false?
12:09Before the break, I asked you if it was illegal in the UK to buy prescription drugs online.
12:15Well, that's false.
12:17You can buy them online, but only from a chemist that is registered at pharmacyregulation.org,
12:23the official regulator's website.
12:26One common effect of a serious health crisis is that loss of control.
12:32Many diseases result in that loss of autonomy,
12:36where other people suddenly become responsible for your health, your well-being,
12:39and some of your decisions.
12:42And that's exactly the time where scammers are more than happy to step in.
12:48Liz from Suffolk was trying to regain a measure of control after a truly horrific time in her life.
13:07This was me towards the end of chemotherapy.
13:09My husband suggested having a photo shoot done to remember how I looked,
13:12and I said, I never want to remember how I looked.
13:14But we did it, and it was really empowering just to get that emotion out that I'd been hiding in.
13:19In 2015, Liz was a high-flying breast cancer consultant and surgeon,
13:24and also an experienced triathlete.
13:27But that year, everything changed.
13:30When I was 40, I noticed a lump coming out of the shower one day,
13:33and that was a big stage 3 cancer.
13:35And a week later, I was sat in the chemotherapy chair.
13:39Chemotherapy was followed by a mastectomy,
13:41which was followed by a recurrence of the cancer a few years later.
13:46That forced Liz to give up her medical career.
13:49I'm 43. I've lost my income, my status.
13:51I'm a doctor. It's how I describe myself.
13:54And suddenly, I'm home alone with no kids.
13:57Liz now has a new career,
14:00raising awareness and fighting misinformation for fellow patients and their loved ones.
14:05Halfway through chemo, I did a sprint triathlon, very, very slowly,
14:09without feeling of empowerment.
14:10As I crossed the line, I was just Liz.
14:13It was Liz's return to triathlons and the feeling of being herself again
14:18that led this specialist in online misinformation straight to a scammer.
14:24I wanted to get a Peloton bike, but it's a lot of money.
14:28I couldn't quite justify spending it.
14:29And then a friend said,
14:31why don't you look on Facebook Marketplace because they sell them secondhand?
14:34And I thought, great.
14:35And I was browsing around and I found one for sale in my area.
14:39This is the exercise bike that Liz saw for sale.
14:42Brand new, they start from around £1,600.
14:46But the seller, who called herself Louise Chauntry,
14:49said this one was hardly used and was on offer for just £800.
14:54And then her husband called me that evening, no name,
14:57just saying, I gather you want the bike.
14:59He then said, three other people are interested.
15:01But because you contacted my wife first, I'll let you have it.
15:04What I'll do is I'll call you the next morning for a video call.
15:07I can show you the bike and how it works.
15:09And if you're OK with that, we can then sort our payment.
15:11And I knew you're meant to go and see it in person,
15:13just to check it's there, check the goods, check it's not a scam.
15:16But it was like, well, no, I'll do a video call.
15:18That'll save me a trip.
15:20Liz was dead right about going to see the goods in person.
15:24But the scammer talked her out of that crucial step
15:26by offering a video call.
15:29He showed me the bike, he showed it working, he got on it.
15:31It seemed great.
15:33Never knew his name, never saw his face, but it seemed trustworthy.
15:35I could see him on the Peloton bike.
15:37It was obviously for sale.
15:39He told me that he owned a haulage company
15:40so he could just put it in the van and deliver it for free
15:43because they were coming past my area.
15:44He then said, have you got your credit card?
15:46I thought, yes, great.
15:47So I read out my credit card details over the phone
15:49and it was taking a while to go through.
15:51And he then said, I need that six-figure security code
15:54that your bank has just texted you to approve it.
15:56And I stupidly read it out.
15:58It just made sense because I was so desperate to get the bike.
16:02It's one we've seen over and over again.
16:05A scammer talking the victim into giving over a security code.
16:10It allowed the criminals to take control
16:11of Liz's credit card account, but they weren't done yet.
16:16Because then it took a while for that code to come through to me,
16:19he said, that's timed out.
16:20Have you got another card?
16:21I thought, oh, crikey, quick, let me get a card.
16:23The first card I could find was a debit card.
16:25So I read out that and he said, yep, great, that's gone through.
16:28I thought, great, the bike is coming in four days' time.
16:31This is fantastic.
16:32Let's clear a space.
16:34It was a Saturday morning where the bike was meant to be delivered
16:37and I was in the shower and I thought,
16:39I've got a really sick feeling that I've been scammed.
16:43And I got out of the shower and I texted him,
16:45can I just double check what time the bike's coming?
16:47No reply.
16:48And then I called him and it was obviously a dead phone.
16:51It was unlisted.
16:51And I thought, oh God, oh God.
16:53I kept calling and kept texting, thinking, no, this hasn't happened.
16:56And the time of delivery came and went, right,
16:58it's now time to call the credit card company and tell my husband.
17:03The credit card provider broke the bad news.
17:05More than £2,500 had been spent on the account
17:09and £740 had been withdrawn using the debit card too.
17:15Now, knowing she'd been scammed, Liz cancelled the cards,
17:19but the scammers still had one more trick to play.
17:22It was over the next three or four weeks,
17:24three different men called me pretending to be the credit card company
17:28from an unlisted number.
17:30They knew the old card wasn't working
17:32and they assumed I'd have been sent a new one
17:33and they were trying to get the details
17:35so they could carry on spending money.
17:36And they called me saying, you know,
17:38we're just ringing to check your transactions.
17:40Can we check the card came through?
17:41Can we just check it's the right number?
17:42You know, you've not been sent the wrong one, any problems?
17:45Trying to get me to give them details
17:47that would mean they could carry on spending on that credit card.
17:50And the first call I thought was genuine,
17:51but I thought, hang on, this is a bit weird.
17:53With unsolicited calls, always stop and think
17:57before handing out any sensitive details.
18:00Liz had an inkling something was wrong
18:02and saved herself getting scammed again.
18:04But of course, she still had lost more than £3,000
18:08in her haste to grab a bargain.
18:11So naive.
18:12It's ridiculous hearing myself say this back.
18:15You did what?
18:16And then you did what?
18:17And then you did what?
18:18And I get this.
18:19And I know there's going to be people watching this thinking,
18:21how can you be so stupid?
18:23But you get sucked in by that promise of the perfect deal.
18:31Now, as I'm sure that you can imagine,
18:35the listing where Liz saw the bike has disappeared.
18:38It's been taken down.
18:39And we're pretty sure that the profile behind it,
18:43Louise Chauntry was the name, never really existed.
18:46We can't find that name anywhere else on social media platforms.
18:51However, has the listing itself disappeared?
18:55Well.
19:01After speaking to Liz,
19:04we thought we'd just have another look around
19:07on Facebook Marketplace.
19:09And guess what we found?
19:11We found some very familiar looking pictures
19:14of an exercise bike.
19:15In fact, I'll be honest with you,
19:17we found identical pictures
19:19that Liz saw when she was looking for one.
19:23Despite the photos of the bike being identical,
19:26the account selling them is completely different.
19:29This time, it's someone named Lindsay.
19:32And the photo's interesting, really,
19:34because it's a mum and her daughter.
19:35They wouldn't want to scam you.
19:37A couple of red flags joined Facebook in 2024.
19:41A brand new account.
19:42And also, there's three things for sale.
19:45One in Cambridge,
19:46one in London,
19:47and one in Reading.
19:49They're all exercise systems as well,
19:51from the same brand.
19:53Again,
19:55red flag.
19:59Throughout this series,
20:00we'll be using a group of fictional characters
20:03we've created
20:03just for the purpose of engaging with scammers.
20:06They each have a phone,
20:08an AI-generated profile picture,
20:10and a carefully curated online presence.
20:14One of them,
20:15Caitlin Smith,
20:16is going to bid for this bike.
20:19I want to start off the conversation here
20:21and see if Lindsay is up for selling us this bike.
20:26Hi.
20:27Is the bike still available?
20:33Message sent.
20:35See what happens.
20:37No sooner had we messaged this Lindsay
20:40when we discovered another woman,
20:43this time called Katie,
20:44selling the exact same exercise bike
20:46with the exact same pictures.
20:49What a coincidence.
20:52This seller throws up the same red flags,
20:55a brand-new account with no posts,
20:58a profile picture copied from a lady living in Texas,
21:01and multiple exercise systems for sale
21:04all over the country.
21:08Over the course of the next few days,
21:10we contact these sellers several times,
21:13and here's what we learned.
21:16Scam's always the same.
21:17It's always a female account
21:19that is advertising the bike,
21:21but when you show any interest in the bike,
21:24the reply that comes is,
21:26oh, can you speak to my partner?
21:27Here is his number.
21:30Wait, that sounds familiar.
21:33And then her husband called me that evening,
21:35no name,
21:35just saying,
21:36I gather you want the bike.
21:37Ah, yes.
21:38But unlike Dr Liz,
21:40we did get a name.
21:41In fact,
21:42we got something of a life story
21:44from Lindsay's partner.
21:46And from Katie's partner,
21:48who seems to be the same man.
21:52I hope you're keeping up.
21:53His name's always Ian.
21:55He's got 100-plus lorries.
21:57He can offer free delivery
22:00because he has so many lorries.
22:02His partner's pregnant,
22:03which is why he's selling the bike.
22:06He doesn't want us to use PayPal,
22:07but he does want us to use a debit card
22:11because he keeps telling us
22:12that debit cards,
22:13you get the same protections
22:14as you do with PayPal and credit cards,
22:17which, of course,
22:18is not true.
22:20Now it's my turn.
22:22Posing as our fictional character,
22:24Bill Smith,
22:25I'm about to have a call with this chap.
22:27And as we talk,
22:28I'm going to play a little game of
22:29Scammer Bingo.
22:32Oh, hi there.
22:33It's Bill Smith here.
22:35I'm calling about the Peloton bike
22:37that's for sale.
22:39Yes, correct.
22:39How can I help?
22:40Do you mind me asking
22:41why you're selling it?
22:42We are expecting our second child.
22:44So it's more the term of
22:45happy wife, happy life,
22:47to be fully honest.
22:48Congratulations.
22:49Sorry, I forgot to ask your name.
22:51What's your name?
22:52Ian.
22:54Ian, thank you.
22:56Is it easy to transport?
22:59You would definitely need a van
23:00if you wanted to collect it,
23:01only because it's quite large.
23:03If you need it delivered,
23:05delivery isn't too much of an issue.
23:07I own quite a large
23:08haulage and distribution company.
23:09I've got 153 lorries.
23:11Are you saying basically
23:12you can do a free delivery?
23:15Sir, if you're wanting it delivered,
23:17my intention would be
23:18to put it on the back
23:19of another delivery shop
23:20in your area.
23:21That way I wouldn't charge you
23:22anything for this delivery.
23:23I would just charge you for the bike.
23:25Hang on.
23:25I'm getting déjà vu again.
23:27He told me that he owned
23:29a haulage company
23:29so he could just put it in the van
23:31and deliver it for free
23:32because they were coming past my area.
23:34Wow.
23:34Simply uncanny.
23:36Anyway, I wonder how he wants us
23:37to pay him.
23:39You're wanting to pay
23:40by a credit or debit card
23:41through the business.
23:42We take Visa or Mastercard.
23:45We don't take American Express.
23:47I wonder whether I could pay by PayPal.
23:50We don't take PayPal.
23:52We don't have anything.
23:53It's just that I've been warned
23:55by my daughter.
23:56When I use things online,
23:58PayPal will protect me.
24:00Exactly.
24:00So the PayPal does protect you.
24:02However, do you have a credit card?
24:04No, I've got a...
24:05I just have a debit card.
24:07At this point,
24:08Ian tried to bamboozle me
24:10with a load of nonsense
24:11that if I did pay him
24:13by debit card,
24:14I couldn't possibly lose my money.
24:16I wasn't about to fall for that one,
24:18so it's game over.
24:20Ian, thank you so much.
24:22Let me speak to my bank
24:24and then I can send payment.
24:25Oh, thank you.
24:27Cheers, thank you.
24:27Robert.
24:28It's a good story,
24:29but of course,
24:30a completely false one.
24:33Now, here's an interesting thing.
24:35There is a man called Ian
24:36and we got in touch with Ian
24:38and he has nothing to do
24:40with this scam whatsoever
24:42and he's pretty upset
24:43that his name is being used
24:46in this kind of scam.
24:47And you heard this guy here.
24:50What he's done is
24:51he's got this script,
24:52he's got this story
24:53and he's sticking to it.
24:57Of course,
24:58we reported
24:59the pretend Ian Temetta
25:00who own Facebook
25:02and all those accounts
25:03we came across
25:03have now been taken down.
25:10Coming up,
25:11scammers using deepfake videos
25:13to harm your health.
25:15This may look like Dr Hillary.
25:17Yes.
25:17But Dr Hillary
25:18never said those words.
25:20No,
25:20and never would.
25:21And never would.
25:22But first,
25:23here's a quiz for you.
25:24How much does fraud
25:26cost the NHS
25:27every year?
25:29Is it
25:29£45 million,
25:32£700 million
25:34or a whopping
25:35£1.27 billion?
25:38Find out
25:39after the break.
25:46Earlier I asked you
25:47about the annual cost
25:48of fraud in the NHS
25:49and the answer
25:50is a shocking
25:52£1.27 billion
25:54each year.
25:56So we thought
25:57in this series
25:57we're going to help you
25:58separate fact from fiction
25:59by asking you
26:01one simple question.
26:02Is it a scam?
26:09So you've seen
26:10something online
26:11or on your social media feed
26:12that promises
26:13to grow your hair back,
26:14help you lose weight,
26:16or make you
26:16healthier and smarter
26:18and younger
26:19and more beautiful,
26:20whatever it is
26:20they're claiming.
26:21Is it a scam?
26:24Well,
26:24that depends.
26:26Hey everybody,
26:27I'm finally going to do it.
26:29I'm going to donate
26:30the Beethoven to you.
26:31One thing it depends on
26:33is whether the celebrity
26:34you're watching
26:34ever said the words
26:36you're hearing.
26:37Musk's new project
26:38opens up great investment
26:39opportunities
26:40for British citizens.
26:42Advances in AI technology
26:43have made it cheap
26:44and easy for scammers
26:46to create truly convincing
26:47fake videos.
26:49One of their favourite targets
26:50are TV doctors.
26:52The link to my article
26:53will be below this video
26:54on social media.
26:55That's making real doctors
26:57like Dr John Cormack,
26:59a GP from Suffolk,
27:00very concerned.
27:02Dr John,
27:02thank you so much
27:03for giving us your time today.
27:05Let's start by finding out
27:06how you got involved
27:07with this subject
27:09of medical misinformation.
27:11It started during the pandemic.
27:13I suddenly started noticing
27:15these advertisements
27:15for products
27:16that clearly
27:17had no evidence base.
27:21In other words,
27:21there was no proof
27:22that they did
27:23what they said they'd do.
27:24and that led me
27:25into finding videos
27:28of doctors
27:29who were talking
27:30absolute rubbish
27:31and it turned out
27:33they were deep faked.
27:34And so I contacted the BMJ
27:35and we worked on
27:37an article together
27:37and it's sort of
27:38taken off from there.
27:39Let's have a look
27:40at what you're now
27:41dealing with.
27:42You will forget
27:43about diabetes forever.
27:45Yes, you have not heard.
27:46This method has already
27:47proven its effectiveness
27:48in the fight
27:50against diabetes
27:51thanks to its composition
27:52maintains normal blood sugar levels
27:54without the use
27:54of medical drugs
27:55or insulin.
27:56Now, we should say
27:57this may look like
27:59Dr Hillary
27:59and this may say
28:01Lorraine
28:01but none of this
28:03has actually happened.
28:04No.
28:05Dr Hillary
28:05never said those words.
28:07No, and never would.
28:08And never would.
28:09So what are we looking at here,
28:11Dr John?
28:11This is a scam.
28:13This is basically a scam.
28:14It's a deep fake scam.
28:15This one's pretty good
28:17because the lip syncing
28:18is believable
28:19and he looks
28:20as if he means
28:21what he says.
28:22So people who
28:23trust Dr Hillary,
28:24people who watch Lorraine regularly
28:26will think,
28:27wow, yeah,
28:28that's great.
28:29Let's do it.
28:30We also need to remember,
28:31I suppose,
28:32that most people
28:33will watch this
28:35on their phone
28:37or their tablet
28:38or on a laptop.
28:40So in a small screen
28:42where you can't really
28:43pay attention
28:43to someone's mouth syncing,
28:45this is quite
28:46a believable video.
28:48Let's look
28:49at another video here.
28:51This is the late,
28:52great Dr Michael
28:54Moseley.
28:55I've been dealing
28:56with heart problems
28:56for 17 years.
28:58I'm tired of repeating
28:59that hypertension
29:00can be cured.
29:01You're constantly
29:02being lied to.
29:03It might be hard
29:04to spot the scam here,
29:05but the person
29:06who made this video
29:07is cashing in
29:08on Dr Moseley's
29:10good name
29:10to encourage people
29:11to stop taking
29:13high blood pressure
29:14medication
29:14and instead
29:15buy a so-called
29:17cure for the condition.
29:20Important to say,
29:21Dr Michael Moseley
29:22never said
29:23any of that
29:25stuff.
29:26But John,
29:27this idea that
29:27you're being lied to,
29:29that's a common theme.
29:30Yes, yes.
29:31Nobody cares about
29:32the patient
29:32except the deep
29:34fake doctor here.
29:35However,
29:36if people stop
29:37their medication
29:37and take something
29:39that is ineffective,
29:40they're likely
29:41to run into problems.
29:42They're likely to
29:43run into some sort
29:44of cardiovascular
29:45catastrophe
29:46like a stroke.
29:47So this is not
29:48just making
29:49a quick buck
29:50out of selling
29:51a product online.
29:52It's also putting
29:54patients at real risk.
30:00Of course,
30:01getting scammed online
30:02by a deep-fade doctor
30:04or a seller
30:05of dodgy health products
30:06or anyone for that matter
30:07is not the only way
30:09to get caught out.
30:10There are still
30:11plenty of scams
30:12that take place
30:13in the real world.
30:15whether you're
30:16parking at the hospital
30:17or just out
30:18for a nice meal.
30:20Our mission
30:21in this show
30:22is to educate you
30:23on what these scams
30:25look like
30:25and we thought
30:26the best way
30:26of actually doing that
30:28is to recruit
30:29a nice bunch of people
30:30and scam them
30:33and then say sorry
30:34and give them
30:35their money back
30:35and buy them
30:37a coffee and a donut.
30:40It's time to pay
30:41a visit to our
30:41scam cafe,
30:42a nice London
30:43coffee house
30:44that we've temporarily
30:45taken over.
30:47Today,
30:47we're using something
30:48that scammers
30:49absolutely love,
30:51dodgy QR codes.
30:53These look like
30:54a convenient way
30:55for customers
30:55to order coffee.
30:57In reality,
30:58they're a convenient way
30:59for ethical hacker
31:00Ken Monroe
31:01to steal people's data.
31:03Not unusual anymore
31:05to get QR codes
31:06where you can sit
31:07and order
31:08but this one's
31:09quite a special one.
31:10This one
31:11is fake.
31:12OK,
31:13let me just
31:13I'll scan it.
31:14I'm not going to give you
31:15any of my money though,
31:16Ken.
31:16I'm sorry.
31:17Oh, go on.
31:18So,
31:18I mean,
31:19this is
31:21almost identical.
31:22In fact,
31:23I think it is identical
31:24to the genuine website.
31:28So,
31:29what have you done here then?
31:30Well,
31:30the only difference is
31:31is the website address
31:32is slightly different.
31:33Right.
31:34We change an X
31:35for an S
31:35in espresso.
31:36So,
31:37instead of espresso,
31:38you've put
31:38expresso.
31:39Yeah.
31:39Which is
31:40how a lot of people
31:41pronounce espresso
31:42as well.
31:43So,
31:43anyone who scans this
31:45will go on
31:46to a website
31:47that looks practically
31:47identical
31:48to this shop's website.
31:50They order their coffee,
31:51you charge them,
31:53the money goes
31:53into your pocket.
31:54I suppose
31:55they don't get
31:56their coffee
31:57because the shop's
31:58not going to
31:59get an order in,
32:00are they?
32:00No coffee,
32:01no money.
32:02What about their data,
32:03name,
32:04email address?
32:05Can we get hold
32:06of that as well?
32:06Whatever you put in,
32:07the hacker can scrape
32:09so they can get
32:10your home address,
32:11they can start
32:11gathering intelligence
32:12about you,
32:13enough to build
32:14a pattern of fraud.
32:16Everyone here
32:17has agreed to take part
32:19in a social experiment
32:20for television.
32:21All they know
32:22is that they should
32:23order some coffee
32:24and make themselves
32:25at home.
32:28Before long,
32:29we have our first
32:30victim.
32:36What's your name?
32:37I'm Cathy.
32:38Cathy, nice to meet you.
32:39I'm Alexis.
32:39Have you got yourself
32:40a coffee?
32:41Yeah, yeah.
32:42Do you often use these
32:43like when you go
32:43on shops and stuff
32:44like that?
32:45Yes.
32:45What if I was
32:46to tell you that
32:47you didn't just
32:48hand over £3.90
32:49but you handed over
32:50a few more
32:52things?
32:53Yeah.
32:56And then we get
32:57our second victim.
32:59Hello.
32:59Did you go on to
33:01this as well?
33:01I did, actually.
33:02To get a free coffee?
33:03It did not work.
33:04It kind of worked
33:05for us.
33:06What happened was
33:07you got onto a website
33:08that was designed
33:09by these guys
33:10and it exists
33:11for one purpose
33:12and one purpose only
33:13which is to
33:13steal your data.
33:15To prove it
33:16I tell these two
33:17very nice women
33:18everything we learnt
33:20about them
33:20in the time it took
33:21to order their coffee.
33:23We haven't met before.
33:24No.
33:26OK.
33:26So here's some
33:28social media accounts
33:29that you have.
33:30You have an account
33:31with Microsoft,
33:32Spotify.
33:34Yeah.
33:35Pinterest you have
33:36an account with?
33:37Yeah, I think so.
33:38Amazon, of course.
33:40Eventbrite.
33:41Have you got my details?
33:43Oh, yes I do.
33:45Oh, no you don't.
33:46That's your name, right?
33:47Yeah.
33:48It's my email.
33:49That's your email?
33:50Yeah.
33:50Is this your password?
33:52Oh!
33:54How did you know?
33:56Was this
33:57one of your passwords?
34:00Yes.
34:01Did you enter
34:02this password
34:03in here?
34:04No.
34:05That password
34:06that you had
34:07that you didn't enter
34:08but we have it
34:09and you're still using?
34:13Just to be clear here,
34:14we didn't do
34:15any kind of
34:16illegal hacking
34:17to get these passwords
34:18but unfortunately
34:19someone else did
34:20possibly months
34:21or years ago
34:22and then posted them
34:24on certain websites
34:25that scammers frequent.
34:29that password
34:30has already
34:30been compromised
34:31so you need
34:33to change that.
34:34How do you feel
34:35right now?
34:37Scared.
34:38Do you?
34:38Yeah.
34:39The question I have
34:40for you is
34:41do you often
34:42scan QR codes?
34:44I do
34:45but only
34:45in trusted places.
34:47Okay.
34:47Like I trusted you.
34:49I trusted this place
34:50so.
34:51Oops.
34:52The issue I have
34:53with QR codes
34:55you don't quite know
34:56where they're going
34:56to take you.
34:57Absolutely.
34:57So that's why
34:58I would say
34:59I won't be using
35:00QR codes ever again.
35:02That's a bit extreme
35:03but yeah
35:04okay fine.
35:04Good for me.
35:05Thank you so much
35:06for helping us today.
35:07No we're going
35:08to reimburse you
35:08for your coffee.
35:09Don't worry.
35:10These guys will pay for it.
35:12No they weren't actually.
35:21Coming up
35:22the scam that steals
35:24people's valuables
35:25right out of their hands.
35:27Oh well there's
35:27the swap there.
35:28Yeah.
35:28Yeah it's done.
35:30Wow.
35:31That's brazen.
35:33But first
35:34do you know
35:35the answer to this?
35:36How many rogue websites
35:38are selling counterfeit drugs
35:39in the UK?
35:41Is it
35:42113,000
35:43220,000
35:45or 4,500?
35:48Find out
35:49after the break.
35:56Before the break
35:58we asked you
35:58how many websites
35:59sell counterfeit drugs
36:00in the UK
36:01and the answer is
36:03an astounding
36:04113,000.
36:07Now there are scams
36:08out there
36:09that don't involve
36:10computers
36:11or smartphones
36:12and they run
36:12the old fashioned way
36:14face to face.
36:15Now if the scammer
36:16knows what you look like
36:18and also knows
36:19where to find you
36:20if you dare
36:21to speak out
36:22that can be
36:23pretty frightening.
36:24Even worse
36:25if you both live
36:26in a close-knit community
36:27that very few
36:28outsiders understand
36:29well that can be terrifying.
36:38I met 2A
36:40at a busy market
36:41in East London
36:41to learn about
36:42a scam
36:43that preys
36:43on victims' fears
36:44over their well-being.
36:46In May 2024
36:48it hit her mum
36:49who is too afraid
36:50to appear
36:51on camera.
36:52It started
36:53when two women
36:54approached
36:55speaking in her
36:56native language
36:57claiming
36:58she was cursed.
37:00She was approached
37:01by a Chinese woman
37:04who spoke Cantonese.
37:05The first woman
37:05approaches within the market
37:07gains trust
37:08by speaking
37:08the same language
37:09concocting the story
37:10about an evil spirit
37:12being attached to her.
37:13Then through some kind
37:14of signal
37:14a second woman
37:15comes in
37:16and feeds
37:17into that narrative.
37:18So these women
37:18didn't know each other?
37:20Those two women
37:20worked together
37:21but to the victim
37:22they don't know each other.
37:23They're all unconnected.
37:24Exactly.
37:25I see.
37:25So your mother
37:26sort of innocently
37:27doing her grocery shopping
37:29and someone
37:30bumps into her
37:31and says
37:31oh I can
37:32send something
37:33around you
37:34that's off.
37:35Yes.
37:35And then somebody else
37:36goes oh
37:37I can send
37:38something to each other.
37:38Exactly.
37:39Yeah.
37:40At this point
37:40a third woman
37:41pretends to overhear
37:43the conversation
37:43and steps in
37:45with a miraculous solution.
37:46She claims
37:48that her grandfather
37:48or relative
37:49is a doctor
37:50who can perform
37:51a ritual
37:52to lift a curse.
37:53Get rid of the
37:54bad spirits.
37:55Yeah.
37:55And from there
37:56they say to the victim
37:57that for this to work
37:59you have to get
38:00all of your valuables
38:01everything that's
38:02close to them
38:03so cash
38:04heirlooms
38:05jewellery.
38:06It sounds exotic
38:08but this tactic
38:09is used in many scams.
38:11The scammers
38:11invent a crisis
38:13anything from
38:14a compromised
38:14bank account
38:15to an ancient curse.
38:17Then they claim
38:18that they alone
38:19can fix it.
38:22And then
38:22where does the
38:23scam go
38:24from there?
38:25They would
38:25persuade the victim
38:26to go home
38:27or go to their
38:28bank account
38:28and withdraw
38:29all the money
38:30take all the cash
38:31from their home
38:31their jewellery
38:32and take it
38:33back to the market
38:34where they first met
38:35but they go
38:35to a quiet street
38:36and then the three
38:38of them
38:38talk for a little while
38:39but then they
38:40get the victim
38:40to take the bag
38:41of all the valuables
38:42and cash
38:43and they perform
38:44a ritual
38:45or a blessing
38:46and with their
38:47nimble hands
38:47they swap the bags.
38:49It's a criminal technique
38:50as old as time
38:52distract the victim
38:53and then switch out
38:54the valuables
38:55with something worthless.
39:02Incredibly
39:032A found
39:04some CCTV footage
39:05of the precise moment
39:07the bait
39:08and switch
39:08occurred.
39:09So what are we
39:10looking at here?
39:11This is actually
39:11the final part
39:12of the crime
39:13where they've led
39:14my mum to the
39:14quiet street
39:15beyond Upton Park
39:16market.
39:192A's mum
39:19is the lady
39:20all in black
39:21surrounded on all
39:23sides by scammers.
39:25They ask to see
39:26the valuables
39:27she's brought
39:27for the blessing.
39:29She's showing them
39:30what's inside the bag.
39:31Exactly
39:31and I guess
39:32the three of them
39:33are surrounding her
39:34and talking to her
39:35distracting her
39:36performing whatever
39:37the ritual is
39:39and then
39:40swapping the bags.
39:44Oh well there's
39:45the swap there.
39:46Yeah.
39:46Yeah it's done.
39:48The scammers
39:49persuade 2A's mum
39:50to put her valuables
39:51in a carrier bag.
39:54Then
39:54while one of them
39:55talks to her
39:56another takes the bag
39:58behind the wall
39:59to do the swap.
40:00The mum looks
40:02at the lady
40:02who's grabbing
40:03her attention
40:04the bag's gone.
40:06Yeah I mean
40:07it's hidden by the wall
40:08they could have
40:09just swapped the bag
40:10immediately
40:11they put it down
40:11on the floor
40:12repacked it.
40:13It all happens
40:15in a matter of seconds.
40:19It's so fast.
40:22Wow.
40:23It was very hard
40:24to watch that.
40:25Wow.
40:26Wow.
40:28Out in the open
40:29in broad daylight.
40:31I mean there's
40:31nobody walking past
40:33but that's brazen.
40:35Like many
40:36in her community
40:372A's mum
40:38kept her life savings
40:39in the form
40:40of gold
40:40and jewels
40:41at home
40:42and it had all
40:43just been stolen
40:44but she didn't
40:46know that
40:46yet.
40:48So
40:49the blessing happens.
40:51Yes.
40:51Your mum
40:52goes home
40:52with a bag.
40:53What did she do?
40:54Well
40:55actually when she
40:56left those guys
40:57she went to the bus stop
40:58and she said
41:00that she kind of
41:00woke up from a trance.
41:02Whatever was going on
41:03it kind of
41:03left her in a state
41:04where she didn't know
41:05what she was doing.
41:06Yeah.
41:06So she did open
41:07the bag
41:07when she was
41:08at the bus stop
41:09and she panicked
41:09because she saw
41:10a bottle of water
41:11and loads of newspaper
41:12in her bag
41:12instead of her stuff.
41:13She actually ran
41:14back to the road
41:15but they'd already
41:15scarpered.
41:16So she came back
41:17went home
41:17and she didn't
41:19call us
41:19for two days
41:20to tell us
41:21so we didn't
41:21actually know.
41:22Because she was
41:23afraid or?
41:24Well the call
41:25that I got
41:26two days later
41:26was really scary
41:27like I've never
41:28heard my mum
41:29in so much pain
41:30anguish
41:31and fear
41:32because she didn't
41:33understand what
41:33had happened.
41:33You can imagine
41:35if you lost
41:3620 years of your
41:37life savings
41:37all of the gold
41:38that you have
41:39jewellery
41:40heirlooms
41:41gone.
41:42How's she doing
41:43now?
41:43She's better.
41:45It's been
41:45almost six months
41:46now so the
41:47initial two weeks
41:48she wasn't
41:48eating or sleeping
41:49she's sleeping
41:50better now
41:50but there's
41:51still nights
41:51where she don't
41:52and she
41:53still hasn't
41:54left the house
41:54alone.
41:55She has not
41:55left the house
41:56alone?
41:56No she's
41:57too scared.
41:59I know you've
42:00done a lot of
42:01work in sort
42:01of raising
42:02awareness
42:02but how do
42:03you feel
42:03about what
42:04happened to
42:04your mum?
42:05Really angry.
42:05I feel
42:06extremely angry
42:07that this has
42:08happened and
42:09it's still
42:09happening and
42:10I feel that
42:12I have some
42:13kind of duty
42:14to try and
42:15raise more
42:15awareness to
42:16prevent it.
42:17It's a really
42:18old trick,
42:18an old crime
42:19that's been
42:19going on in
42:20many different
42:20iterations and
42:22yeah I just
42:23feel angry that
42:24it's still
42:24happening.
42:262A continues to
42:27investigate and
42:28spread the word
42:29about these
42:29brazen scammers
42:30but as far as
42:31she knows they're
42:32still out there
42:33doing their
42:34dirty work.
42:42but what about
42:43the other people
42:43we've featured
42:44in this episode?
42:46Jodie is out
42:48of pocket to
42:49the tune of
42:49about £80
42:49which is the
42:50amount that
42:51she spent on
42:52those jabs.
42:53However, the
42:54story could have
42:54been very
42:55different had
42:56she not made
42:57it to hospital
42:57in time.
42:58So I'm glad
42:59to say that
43:00she is
43:00recovering.
43:01She is still
43:02struggling with
43:03some health
43:04issues but at
43:05least she is
43:06going to be
43:06very wary from
43:07now on of
43:08buying any
43:09sort of
43:09medication
43:10online.
43:11Liz is still
43:13out of pocket.
43:14She used
43:15two cards.
43:16One was a
43:16credit card
43:17which she spent
43:18£2,500.
43:20That has all
43:21been recovered
43:22but on a
43:22debit card
43:23about £750
43:24that is
43:26money that
43:26she has not
43:27been able to
43:28recover.
43:28So she's
43:29down by £750.
43:31However, when
43:32she spoke
43:33online and
43:34social media
43:34about her
43:35quest to
43:36get an
43:36exercise bike
43:38well something
43:39rather wonderful
43:39happened.
43:40After I poured
43:41my heart out
43:42on Twitter and
43:42Instagram saying
43:43just how angry
43:44and stupid I
43:45felt I'd been
43:46one of my
43:47followers with
43:47breast cancer
43:48down in
43:48Brighton said
43:49she had
43:49Peloton in
43:49her office
43:50that she
43:50wasn't using
43:50and she
43:52offered to
43:52give it to
43:52me for free
43:53as long as
43:53I paid for
43:54a man with
43:54a van and
43:55said if I
43:55ever stop
43:56using it
43:56then pass it
43:57on to
43:57free for
43:57another
43:57cancer patient.
43:58And I am
43:59so grateful
43:59to her.
44:04Have you
44:05been scammed?
44:06Do you have
44:06a tip for
44:07us?
44:07Then please
44:08go to
44:08channel5.com
44:10take part.
44:11That's
44:11channel5.com
44:13forward slash
44:14take dash
44:15part and
44:16get in touch.
44:31go to
44:32.
44:32.
44:32.
44:33.
44:40.
44:41.
44:41.
44:41.
44:41Transcription by CastingWords
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