'Mum sent them £140,000': How to spot the signs a loved one is being scammed
Summary
A woman named Helen discovered her 80-year-old mother had sent £140,000 to scammers posing as romantic partners online. These scammers used fake photos and videos made by artificial intelligence to trick her mother, who believed she was in a real relationship. The article explains signs to recognize if someone is being scammed and how families and banks can help protect victims.Key Facts
- Helen’s mother sent large sums of money to scammers she met on Facebook, totaling £140,000.
- The scammers used AI technology called deepfake to create fake photos and videos during video calls.
- Helen noticed changes in her mother’s behavior, like secrecy and many phone calls.
- Common scam signs include secretiveness, unusual bank activity, and buying gift cards.
- Families should gently question loved ones without being confrontational to help them.
- Helen got permission to speak to the scammer and recognized the deepfake by poor image quality and mismatched voice.
- Helen used her legal power to act for her mother and worked with the bank to protect her money.
- The bank has returned £45,000 so far and can act quickly to safeguard accounts once fraud is detected.
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