Retired NHS worker lost £40k life savings to scammers pretending to be from NatWest
Jo Wilson, 61, from Middlesex, had her bank account emptied by fraudsters who pretended to be from the bank using a 'number spoofing' scam
A FORMER NHS worker who has been scammed out of £40,000 blames Natwest for not doing more to protect her cash.
Jo Wilson, 61, from Middlesex, had her bank account emptied by fraudsters after they called her using what appeared to be the bank's phone number.
The scammers then transferred the money in two huge lump sums, worth £19,500 and £19,600, over two days after tricking her into handing over a code generated by the card reader she had at home.
Even though the ex-NHS scientist immediately alerted the bank to the fraud it was too late for bank to get her life savings back.
"I've lost everything I had," Jo told The Sun Online. "I've haven't touched that money in over 20 years.
"It's like I've been burgled. I feel violated. Someone has been looking at my account.
"When I was made redundant I put it all into my savings account. It was my retirement fund but now I've lost it all.
"I have no idea how I'm going to survive until I get my pension."
Jo, who has four children and four grandchildren, was conned out of the money almost a month ago on May 29.
She Googled the phone number to make sure it was genuine before picking up the call, and it matched the number on the back of her debit card too.
But the thieves were actually using a "number spoofing" scam which masks the real phone digits and instead shows a fake one on a person's caller ID.
She answered the call and the scammers told her that someone had tried to make two "unusual transactions" of around £1,800 from her account.
They told Jo that to protect her money they needed to move the cash to a secure account, but it was actually one they controlled.
Panicked, she followed their instructions and handed over the code generated by the card reader she uses for online banking.
The scammers then used this to transfer her cash.
The following evening, the fraudsters tried their luck again and convinced Jo to hand over a second code.
She added: "I felt that something wasn’t right but what do you do when the call is coming from the bank’s number?
"I told them that I didn’t believe who they were and said I wasn’t going to talk to them any more.
"I hung up and checked my bank account online and that’s when I noticed that my daughter’s account, who I am a signatory for, was reading minus numbers and that half of my money was missing."
How to protect yourself from scams
HERE are some tips from Action Fraud about how you can protect yourself from these type of scams.
Don’t assume it’s authentic – professional-looking websites, adverts or social media posts don’t indicate that an investment opportunity is genuine. Criminals can exploit the names of well-known brands or individuals to make their scams appear legitimate.
Don’t be rushed or pressured into making a decision – a genuine bank or financial organisation won’t force you to make a financial transaction on the spot. Always be wary if you’re pressured to invest quickly or promised returns that sound too good to be true.
Stay in control – avoid unsolicited investment offers, especially those over cold calls. If you’re thinking about making an investment, get impartial advice from an independent financial adviser – never use an adviser from the company that contacted you, as this may be part of the scam.
Every Report Matters – If you have been a victim of fraud or cyber crime, report it to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040.
Alarmed and confused, Jo called Natwest within 20 minutes of hanging up from the scammers to tell them to block the second transaction.
"I tried to explain to them what happened but I had to call the same number that the scammers had called me from," she said.
"I didn’t trust the people on the phone but I told them to stop the transaction and that I’d given my code to them.
"I just kept telling them it was fraud. I felt sick.
"They kept asking me details to prove who I was but I didn’t want to tell them anything because I couldn’t be 100 per cent sure they were actually from Natwest."
The bank have a record of this call, and Jo says they reassured her that her money was safe and that no more of her cash had been moved.
But when Jo logged in the check her balance the next morning, another £19,600 was missing.
She said: "I completely feel betrayed by the bank. They should take more responsibility for this kind of thing.
"I know that it was partly my fault because I shouldn’t have handed over the codes but how can you tell it wasn't the bank?
"The scammers made the payment about 8:30 in the evening and I'd called them by 9pm.
How to spot a fake Natwest call
HERE'S some advice from NatWest on how customers can keep themselves protected from scammers:
At NatWest we would never ask a customer to move money to another account to keep it safe from either scams or fraud.
If a customer receives such a request, they should decline this and report it to their bank immediately on a phone number they can trust.
We would also recommend that they call back from a different device or wait 30 seconds before using the device they received the original call on, if they do not have a different device.
"The money didn’t leave my account until the next morning so why couldn’t they block it?
"They say that I didn’t make myself clear but how can I trust it was them on the phone? They were asking me for ways to prove I was actually who I said I was but customers should be able to ask banks to identify them too.
"I have no idea how they got into my account in the first place because they didn't ask me for anything other than the code and I hadn't clicked on any links or anything.
"I want people to know how these scammers do it and that the banks won’t protect you.
"Two of my children are getting married in the next year and now I can’t help them pay for their weddings.
"Some of it I’d put aside to be able to pay for my 96-year-old mum’s funeral.
LATEST ON FRAUD AND SCAMS
"I am distraught and hurt and I don’t know what I’m going to do. I will never get that money back."
A Natwest spokesperson said: "We sympathise with Mrs Wilson and appreciate that this has been a very distressing experience for her.
"We take our responsibilities to preventing scams very seriously and would remind customers to remain vigilant against any type of scam.
"Customers should never make a payment or divulge full security credentials at the request of someone over the phone purporting to be from their bank."
Jo is now taking the case to the Financial Ombudsman.
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