‘I’ve £80k in the account, here’s my pin’: turning the tables on the scammers
Plagued by bank impersonation scams, one Guardian Money reader got even by stringing the fraudsters along … for hours “A couple of Sundays ago at just past 11am my mobile rang. An automated message purported to be from Barclays Bank, querying a payment to Argos for more than £1,000. Not only had I not made a payment to Argos recently, nor do I bank with Barclays. I am plagued with these kinds of…
A Guardian Money reader shared their experience with bank impersonation scams, ultimately turning the tables on the fraudsters. It began on a Sunday morning when an automated call, claiming to be from Barclays Bank, alerted the reader to a suspicious payment. Despite having no ties to Barclays or Argos, the caller continued to pressure the reader for sensitive information, including their current account balance.
Impressed by the reader's ability to provide fabricated details, the scammer insisted on a courier to collect the reader's debit card. The reader, however, struggled to find their credit card and ultimately exposed the fraudster's incompetence, hanging up on him.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
