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AIBU?

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Original poster

Help!! Elderly mother possibly been scammed.

18 replies

NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 09:29

I know this isn’t AIBU but I need traffic.

Recently widowed elderly mother. Just got a text message as she’s expecting a delivery. It’s a Post Office scam. She had a meltdown because she getting an urgent supply and thought the delivery had been missed.

I went to full in her details on the website linked from the text and got as far as her name address and dob before I got suspicious. It was so convincing!

Is it likely that she’ll be ok? Having huge issues with her mental health and anxiety at the moment due to my father’s recent passing and I don’t want to worry her.

So angry with myself for being caught out!

OP posts:
Iputthetrampintrampoline · 11/03/2022 09:33

No sadly you need to be safer rather than sorry. You need to contact Action Fraud online but firstly you need to contact the bank and speak to them, They will help. The faster you do it the better though. So sorry for your mum and all at such a difficult time too.

FlowerArranger · 11/03/2022 09:33

Can you get power of attorney? And ask her not to respond to any demands for money without talking it through with her?

Elieza · 11/03/2022 09:34

I’m sure there are sites out there that tell you what to do?

Did she provide bank details? Tell the bank what happened, like now, urgently.

Go on another device (not hers) and log into all her accounts and change her password.

Check for spyware?

Tell her that the company will text her a lot now they know she clicked on their link. So never reply to a text or click a link.

Original poster
NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 09:34

I didn’t put in any bank details at all.

OP posts:
GeneLovesJezebel · 11/03/2022 09:35

Ring her bank now

Pyri · 11/03/2022 09:36

What details did you put in and did you submit them?

If you just followed a dodgy link but then closed it you’ll likely be absolutely fine

Original poster
NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 09:37

Put in her name and address and then saw they were asking for card payment and realised it was fraudulent so I closed it.

She has lots of banks

OP posts:
Original poster
NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 09:37

And phone bumber

OP posts:
Original poster
NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 09:38

Sorry for typos, am in a panic

OP posts:
SheWoreYellow · 11/03/2022 09:38

If you didn’t submit any details then it’s fine.

Pyri · 11/03/2022 09:38

I think you’ll be absolutely fine then. I certainly wouldn’t be ringing the bank (they’d give the same advice) or trying to get power of attorney or anything

Original poster
NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 09:41

Phew! I’m usually so savvy with these things but she was having a real freak out. It’s just a few weeks since my father died so it’s all a bit chaotic just now.

OP posts:
SilverDragonfly1 · 11/03/2022 09:47

I'm sorry for your loss.

I'm sure scammers have a way to find out who's been recently bereaved sometimes- my MIL suddenly had a whole lot of scam calls and even a doorstep caller a couple of months after FIL died- none at all previously. It could have been coincidence, but very coincidental if so...

Elieza · 11/03/2022 10:36

If by clicking on a link this has potentially enabled spyware to go on her device it will be able to hack into various accounts and things she’s a member of in that device.

Hence don’t just give up, put anti malware in her device and run checks at the very least. I have Malwarebytes and avast on mine. Free. Quick.

And if she has the same password for multiple accounts or similar like johnjane1 and johnjane2 etc, get her to change them totally.

I’d honestly change her passwords on everything on your laptop or another device that’s not the device she logs into. Common sense. Yes it’s a pain in the arse bit better safe than sorry.

Sorry for your loss Flowers

Original poster
NaiceHamAndHugs · 11/03/2022 16:11

Malware/viruses aren’t a worry as it’s all totally secure with regards to that.

I’m just worried about them having her personal details remotely.

OP posts:
Cheeko69 · 11/03/2022 19:01

I doubt they even save the personal details, that's just to make it more convincing. Those can be obtained easily anyway. This scam is 100% to get the card details.

Only risk here is she may be targeted more now as a good potential "mark" so just double down on educating her.

Ikeptgoing · 11/03/2022 19:23

Oh my DCs and I get the Post office missed delivery scan texts regularly , they send it to random numbers.

Glad you didn't fill out her bank details for her on the scam weblink or DM might have to get POA for you!! 🤪

You can add her details to MPS
https://www.mpsonline.org.uk//

Similar for phone number to the TPS (but it doesn't stop the unregulated scammer type calls)
https://www.tpsonline.org.uk/

And also worth reading up in local Trading standards dept for advice on scams or on Action fraud Website which lists A-Z of frequent scams and frauds and what to do in each circumstance. The second is a link to report to them they can give advice too

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/

Post office also has instructions (again scroll down to near the bottom of page) for what to do in that particular scam

https://www.royalmail.com/help/scam-examples

Ikeptgoing · 11/03/2022 19:49

For anyone interested the national trading standards scams team do a short online (or local awareness session) training for anyone that wants to learn more about scams and how to spot them, to be able to tell their family/ friends, in their Friends against Scams project.

www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/

www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/become-a-friend

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