A Basildon midwife was scammed out of £2,000 by fraudsters posing as Halifax bank employees.
She had just seen a patient. The caller claimed to be from Halifax bank. They said someone was taking her money. She felt overwhelmed by work at the time. She was dealing with a safeguarding case. She was not in the right state of mind. She panicked and got scammed.
The scammers copied a real Halifax number. They gave her enough account details. This made her believe the call was real. They said someone was moving money from her account. They told her to transfer her money to another account.
This would keep her money safe. She felt anxious, as she had never been scammed before. She transferred £2,000 to the given account. Her Halifax account went nearly £650 overdrawn. Soon after, she got a text from Halifax. It asked her to call about the transaction. The bank then told her she was scammed.
Ann Akinwale, a mother, now has legal help. Solicitors are helping her recover her money. They say the bank should protect clients from scams.
Fraud specialists say scams are increasing. Scammers act like they are from banks. They panic people into sending them money. Solicitors state they take advantage of busy workers. They rush victims into quick decisions. These decisions cause people to lose money.
The scam often copies a bank’s real number. Scammers tell victims their account is at risk. Victims must move all their money quickly. This stops it from being stolen, they claim.
Solicitors offer three key tips to avoid scams. Banks will never ask you to transfer money. This keeps funds safe. Always call back the bank using their official website number. Never rush your decisions. Ask family or friends for advice first.
A lawyer says these scams are increasing. Fraudsters pretend to be from bank fraud departments. They exploit panicked victims who act fast. The lawyer aims to recover Ann Akinwale’s money.