A UK report says scams took about £3.2 billion from victims in one year, and fake celebrity romances and an ATM trick are among the methods named.
Scams in the UK reportedly cost victims about £3.2 billion in a single year, according to The Sun. The report names two tricks: fake celebrity love cons and an ATM trick. The number is large, and it shows that ordinary people with a phone, a bank card or a dating profile can be targeted.
The Sun describes a new scam epidemic. In the report, scammers pose as famous people or as trusted contacts. They build a bond with the victim first. Only after that do they ask for money. A love con works this way: the person on the other end seems caring and real, but the identity is made up.
Anyone who uses online dating, social media, text messages, bank cards or cash machines could be a target. People who are lonely or less used to online fraud may be at higher risk. If none of that describes your life, you are less exposed to the love cons, but the cash machine trick can reach anyone who uses an ATM.
The material gives only the headline figure and the names of two tricks. It does not explain how the ATM trick works, how many people were hit, or which period the £3.2 billion covers. Those details would help readers judge their own risk.
The alert box above lists the steps. The short version: be slow to trust anyone you only know online, and be wary of anyone who rushes you. If you think you were scammed, contact your bank right away.
Do not send money to someone you have only met online, however famous or friendly they seem, and call your bank at once if you suspect a scam.
Morristown police say scammers posing as bank staff are pushing people to withdraw cash, which is very hard to get back once it is handed over.
Read more: Morristown police warn of scam where fake bank staff ask for cashA viral ChatGPT prompt turns what the chatbot remembers about you into a room image. Posting it publicly could give scammers clues to target you.
Read more: Viral ChatGPT room image could hand scammers clues about youA message saying your Amazon account was hacked is often the scam itself. Checking in the Amazon app first can protect your card, gift balance and phone.
Read more: If Amazon says your account was hacked, check before you call
