A midwife in Essex was scammed out of £2,000 after fraudsters impersonated her bank, urging a quick money transfer.
Ann Akinwale, a midwife, got tricked. Scammers faked a Halifax bank number. They called her while she worked. The crooks said her account was at risk and wanted her to transfer all her funds.
Ms. Akinwale worked a lot that day and had a tough case to think about. The phone call stressed her out a lot. She panicked and truly believed them.
The scammers knew enough to seem real. She sent £2,000 to their account. This over-drew her Halifax account by almost £650. Halifax then texted her about the money leaving.
She called Halifax immediately after seeing the text. The bank told her she was scammed. The scam really hurt Ms. Akinwale, who had never experienced fraud before.
Now, she struggles to handle her finances. She asked fraud lawyers for assistance. She hopes to get her money from the bank.
The law firm gave three tips: Banks won’t ask you to just transfer money; always call the bank back yourself using the official number from their website; and don’t feel rushed, ask someone for help.
Fiona Bresnen works at the law firm. She said these scams are becoming common, exploiting panic to rush your choices.