Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have you ever met anyone who’s been scammed out of money?

257 replies

UhOhhhhh · 24/11/2024 21:02

I’m currently watching Love Rats on Netflix which I know is an old documentary. It’s made me wonder just how many people have been scammed (or close to being scammed) in their lives before. The fact that some of the victims have had £10K, £40K and even £120K taken from them by scammers is crazy!!

Have you ever known anyone that’s been scammed? I luckily don’t think I have

OP posts:
Denim4ever · 28/10/2025 19:15

An elderly neighbour we had years ago was conned by builders. A relative of DH was conned by a woman who made her believe that power lines were sending bad energy into her house.

TheHangingGardensOfBasildon · 28/10/2025 19:58

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 28/10/2025 18:49

Yes, an elderly neighbour, naive enough to believe the person who phoned out of the blue (saying she worked for NatWest!) and that neighbour had won £1m in a lottery she hadn’t even entered, but would have to make payments for ‘tax’ before she could receive it.

Around £100k later….

She didn’t have dementia, was just very naive and trusting. I’m convinced that she was targeted because of her addiction to those Wordsearch ‘competitions’, for which you so conveniently phone in all your details at £7 a minute, or whatever it is.
I believe that so called ‘suckers lists’ are compiled from such sources.

It was all done over the phone, she had no internet. She made the payments via Western Union. Eventually her dcs put a stop to the calls, but neighbour simply refused to believe that these were heartless criminals stealing her money (we tried so hard to convince her!) - they were all ‘so nice’ over the phone!

Anyone with vulnerable relatives addicted to WordSearch. ‘competitions’, do please be aware!

I find those wordsearch competitions really, really creepy indeed. I'm sure the company that does them has had their collar felt before, but have changed their name a few times and managed to wiggle through, just about technically keeping on the right side of the law.

The words are never remotely hidden - they're always horizontal, forwards and in exactly the same place in the grid. The patronising nature of the presenter/voiceover makes it even worse, when they tell you to ignore distractions and really concentrate, so you can 'find' a word that is standing right out to you anyway, even without the giveaway 'clues'. Nobody with all of their faculties intact could genuinely think they have done well in 'finding' the answer.

I reckon you're spot on about the suckers lists. Even though the main company stays legal with their TV adverts and wordsearches, who knows what other dubious companies they could also own or be linked to behind the scenes?

Essentially, everybody who enters those is identifying themselves as almost certainly vulnerable and easily gullible when it comes to getting money out of them. It's an absolute scammers' dream.

looselegs · 29/10/2025 09:16

MulberryMush · 28/10/2025 11:47

Surely this is a safeguarding issue ? How could the police not do something such as getting a pcso involved ?

Show quote history

The police did nothing. Advised the old man about letting people into his house and giving people money but because he had dementia it didn't help.....

looselegs · 29/10/2025 09:18

StokePotteries · 28/10/2025 11:50

How long ago was this? Banks are really wise to this sort of thing now. Both me and DSis have been made to feel like absolute crooks when our dad needed assistance getting money from his bank to pay for work that had genuinely been done on his house. He was interviewed for hours and so were we, with people standing over us and behind us. Really creepy.

Show quote history

Probably about 11 years ago. Hopefully things are better now.He was let down by everyone .

Fourcandleforkhandle · 29/10/2025 09:55

My now 22 yr old Son who was 19 at the time of scam. Seen marketing about social housing. Invest £13k and get £650 rent every month guaranteed for 3 years. They paid for 6 months and then nothing. Son sent a couple of emails to them and they made excuses and payments will resume. Surprise surprise he's not received anything after that!
Still owed about £8k.
This was actually money from a student loan and some employment.
I honestly thought Son wasn't this gullible or naive. I think he's hopefully learned a ( very expensive) lesson for life.

HectorPlasm · 29/10/2025 13:17

Very clever business owner I know fell for the bankruptcy court fees scam

Various people have tried the business account fee and refund scam on me when selling on FB - don't sell on FB any more!

Zanatdy · 29/10/2025 13:20

Yes. Ex colleague of mine paid 5k to some con man who claimed he had sent her some money and it was held at customs. Bank stopped the second transaction, and gave her the money back. She is incredibly naive. Told her if she feels like giving money away, to speak to me.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page