'Mum sent them £140,000': How to spot the signs a loved one is being scammed
Helen discovered her mum was in the grip of a romance scam - here's how she found out and broke her free.
Helen's mother, an 80-year-old woman, fell victim to a romance scam. She met a man online and sent him £140,000, believing he needed money for a life-saving operation. The scam evolved with a new man claiming to have been kidnapped. Helen noticed her mother's behavior changing, like making numerous phone calls but not revealing who she was speaking to.
She also felt emotionally drained trying to understand the situation. Deepfake technology was used by the scammers to deceive Helen's mother. To uncover the truth, Helen tried to be calm and open, but her mother was too deep into the scam and didn't believe her. Helen reached out to her bank, which helped by safeguarding her mother's account and returning £45,000.
To prevent future scams, Jim Winters from Nationwide Bank advises completely resetting a loved one's digital footprint, including changing phone numbers, email addresses, and social media accounts.
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