An Edinburgh man lost £250 in a banking app scam and is warning others in Scotland of the fraud.
This transfer appears to give victims security. Victims withdraw money for the “traveller,” but the transfer never shows up in the victim’s account. Scammers blame delays on international transfer times.
Barry Will, 28, was a victim in Edinburgh. He was at the Gyle Shopping Centre and lost £250 in the scam.
Barry said the man spoke to someone else first, then asked Barry for help. The man said he was visiting from Ireland and needed ferry money to drive back, but his bank card wasn’t working that day, even for fuel at the Gyle.
Barry was suspicious but related to the situation, as his card stopped working in Italy before and people helped him transfer money for cash. He decided to assist the man.
The mobile banking app made it seem real. The man showed Barry a €300 transfer, and Barry thought the ferry could cost a lot. The app matched Barry’s name and details like his bank app, and it showed old transactions, so it seemed legitimate at the time.
The app looked modern, like Monzo. They went to an ATM, and when Barry mentioned the money hadn’t arrived yet, the man said it was Sunday and an international transfer, which seemed like a plausible explanation.
Barry gave him £250. The man offered his phone number first and called Barry, showing an Irish number. Barry trusted him at that point, gave him the money, and they said goodbye.
The scammer said, “Do you believe in karma?” It was strangely ironic, and Barry felt disappointed in society because of the scam. He feels bad for those with genuine needs, as scammers ruin it for them.
He will still help people in the future, saying everyone needs help sometimes, and thinks it’s sad people scam their neighbors.
Barry wants the police to do more. He contacted them after checking with a friend, who found online articles about the banking app. He feels the police aren’t taking it seriously enough, knowing they have budget issues.
He thinks they should patrol stations and warn shopping centers about the issue. Notifying centers doesn’t take long, he says, and can stop many people from being scammed.
Someone else reported a similar scam attempt in Glasgow. A well-dressed man needed £10 for the bus home, claiming he spent his money on clothes and a job interview. He showed 90p in his account, which is easily faked.
The person offered to buy the bus ticket directly, but the man refused and left. The person told their flatmate, who gave the same man money previously, but felt embarrassed and didn’t report it.
Another Glasgow scam victim didn’t report it, learning not to trust everyone and saying that is city life.
Police Scotland was asked for a comment about these concerning scams.