0:00:03 > 0:00:05We asked you to tell us what's left you feeling ripped off,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08and you contacted us in your thousands.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11You've told us about the companies you think get it wrong
0:00:11 > 0:00:13and the customer service that's simply not up to scratch.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17When you have to call them, it takes ages and somebody else
0:00:17 > 0:00:19answers the phone who pretty much doesn't know what you're saying.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21The customer is not benefitting,
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and, no, I'm not getting value for money.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27You've asked us to track down the scammers who stole your money
0:00:27 > 0:00:31and investigate the extra charges you say are unfair.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34They don't deserve to be in any form of business whatsoever,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36and they just want shutting down.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38And when you've lost out but nobody else is to blame,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42you've come to us to stop others falling into the same trap.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44They took the money out of my account
0:00:44 > 0:00:46and I don't even know who it was that was scamming me.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49So, whether it's a blatant rip-off or a genuine mistake...
0:00:49 > 0:00:52We're here to find out why you're out of pocket,
0:00:52 > 0:00:53and what you can do about it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Your stories, your money.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58This is Rip-Off Britain.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Hello, and welcome to Rip-Off Britain where, today,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04we're on the trail of the scammers
0:01:04 > 0:01:06out to get their hands on your money,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09and as we do our best to stop them in their tracks, we'll be taking
0:01:09 > 0:01:13a closer look at some of the scams that you tell us about the most.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16They can be hard to spot but easy to fall for,
0:01:16 > 0:01:19and could leave you thousands of pounds worse off.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21And what makes some of them especially cynical
0:01:21 > 0:01:24is the way they target people trying to sort out life's necessities,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27like finding a place to live or a job,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30so as to trick them out of money they can't afford to lose.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32But, of course, today's programme isn't just about the people
0:01:32 > 0:01:35who've already fallen foul of the fraudsters,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38it's about arming you with everything you need to know
0:01:38 > 0:01:40to avoid being caught out in the first place.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42So, by the end of this programme,
0:01:42 > 0:01:47you should know exactly how to spot these particular scams
0:01:47 > 0:01:49before handing over a single penny.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Coming up, how ruthless scammers conned this woman
0:01:54 > 0:01:58out of tens of thousands of pounds.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01I've learnt to trust nobody about anything,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05and that's a terrible thing because I always trusted everybody.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10And the fake landlords taking cash for properties they don't even own.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I thought to myself, "I've got the key,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15"I've handed my money to someone that I can physically see,
0:02:15 > 0:02:17"what could go wrong?"
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Now, so many of the scams we feature in this programme
0:02:22 > 0:02:24start with a phone call right out of the blue,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and whether they're trying to talk you into an offer
0:02:27 > 0:02:29that you apparently can't refuse
0:02:29 > 0:02:32or claiming to be from your bank with worries about your account,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34the only way they're going to succeed
0:02:34 > 0:02:37is if they can convince you that their story,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39however far-fetched, is 100% genuine.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Well, I'm afraid the fraudsters we're going to hear about
0:02:43 > 0:02:44were so good at doing that
0:02:44 > 0:02:46that their elaborate lies allowed them
0:02:46 > 0:02:49to walk away with tens of thousands of pounds of one woman's money,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52along with a big chunk of her independence, as well.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54PHONE RINGS
0:02:54 > 0:02:58Hi, Mrs Bell, my name's Kevin. I'm calling from your bank.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01There's been some unusual activity on your account.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05We've become wise to scammers calling up and pretending to be
0:03:05 > 0:03:08from our banks, saying anything to convince us that they're actually
0:03:08 > 0:03:10trying to protect our money.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Please don't worry at all.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We can make sure that the rest of your money is safe.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18We will move it into a new account for you right now.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21So, last year, we reported how fraudsters
0:03:21 > 0:03:23may now try a different tack,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26and when they call, they claim to be from the police.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30This guy was saying that he's a serious fraud officer
0:03:30 > 0:03:32and they were working with the bank.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And that same tactic was at the heart of the scam
0:03:35 > 0:03:39that's conned 84-year-old Joyce Smith out of her life savings.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42But this time, the criminals went one further and convinced her
0:03:42 > 0:03:45that her own banks were in on the con.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I thought I was talking to the police and I believed them.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53And I've always considered the police trustworthy.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Joyce normally hangs up the occasional cold call
0:03:57 > 0:04:00that she receives, and, indeed, that's just what she did
0:04:00 > 0:04:03when she had one in May 2016,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06little knowing that it would instantly be followed by another.
0:04:06 > 0:04:12I received a call out of the blue asking me if I had sent
0:04:12 > 0:04:14for certain things on my computer.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17I said, "No," and put the phone down.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22But it then rang and they said they were from the fraud squad.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27This caller told Joyce that fraudsters were actually working
0:04:27 > 0:04:30inside her local branches of Barclays and NatWest,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33and taking money from customers' accounts.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37And, of course, he wanted to keep her money
0:04:37 > 0:04:39out of the fraudsters' hands.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41And I asked him where he was speaking from,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and he said he belonged to the fraud squad.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I didn't want to lose money, so I believed what he said.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The caller then said that he needed to transfer her to a colleague
0:04:53 > 0:04:56in perhaps the most famous police station in the country.
0:04:56 > 0:05:02He said that he was now going to pass me on to Sergeant Jackson
0:05:02 > 0:05:04who was from Scotland Yard.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09This so-called Sergeant Jackson told Joyce the police had set up
0:05:09 > 0:05:12safe accounts in her name, all ready to protect her money,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15but she'd need to visit her banks to make the transfers.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20They gave me these account numbers and, "Would I go to the bank
0:05:20 > 0:05:23"and put this money into these accounts now?"
0:05:23 > 0:05:27By that time, I was getting very worried, and he said,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30"As soon as this is over, we shall put the money back
0:05:30 > 0:05:32"where it was before."
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Sergeant Jackson told Joyce to keep all of this secret
0:05:36 > 0:05:40so the criminals who infiltrated the banks wouldn't find out
0:05:40 > 0:05:42that they were being watched.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45So, convinced that she was actually helping the police catch the crooks
0:05:45 > 0:05:48red-handed, the next morning, she got ready to go to the banks
0:05:48 > 0:05:50as she'd been asked to do.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53They wanted to know when I left the house,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57how long I was going to be to get to the bank,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01then they could switch the cameras on at the bank and catch the people
0:06:01 > 0:06:04who were doing all the fiddling.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06That's what they said.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09Calling at her local Barclays branch first,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13Joyce transferred nearly ?26,000 to the account numbers
0:06:13 > 0:06:16that she'd been given over the phone.
0:06:16 > 0:06:22When I went to Barclays, the young boy knew me from putting money in,
0:06:22 > 0:06:27and when I took it out, he just brought a form for me to fill in.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32Then, at NatWest, Joyce transferred another ?6,000.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36She didn't ask me any questions whatsoever,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39and it was a very large amount.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42I thought the people at the bank might be the criminals
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and that's why they didn't ask me.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Of course, the fake police on the phone had given her very clear
0:06:48 > 0:06:52instructions to make sure she didn't jeopardise their investigation.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56They said that I wasn't even to tell any family
0:06:56 > 0:06:59because they were going to make an arrest,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and if I told, they couldn't make the arrest.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Joyce went home and, reassured that her money was safe,
0:07:07 > 0:07:11she thought nothing of going on holiday as she'd planned for months.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14While she was away, both her banks did try to get hold of her
0:07:14 > 0:07:18to query the huge sums that she'd asked to be transferred.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20When she didn't answer their calls,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25the transfers totalling almost ?32,000 went through automatically.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29And the scammers didn't stop there.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31When Joyce came back from her holiday,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33the fraudsters were on the phone again,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36telling her that yet more of her savings were at risk.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40So, the whole scenario repeated itself and Joyce once again went
0:07:40 > 0:07:47to her local branch of NatWest where she transferred a further ?58,000.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49This time, there was so much money at stake,
0:07:49 > 0:07:54Joyce started to question whether her money really was safe.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I began to really worry about it,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00but I still didn't say anything to anybody.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05But overnight, Joyce became more concerned, and the next morning,
0:08:05 > 0:08:08she tracked down and called the number for the real Scotland Yard,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11and it was when she asked to speak to the Sergeant Jackson
0:08:11 > 0:08:16she'd been dealing with that the truth was finally revealed.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I got through to Scotland Yard
0:08:18 > 0:08:20and asked them did they know these people?
0:08:20 > 0:08:23And they said they'd never heard of them.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Well, then I was really getting worried.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Very, very worried. But it was too late.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Joyce realised that she'd fallen victim to an intricate scam
0:08:35 > 0:08:38and had been persuaded to transfer a total of ?90,000
0:08:38 > 0:08:41straight into the hands of the criminals.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Within hours, Scotland Yard sent officers from Northumbria Police
0:08:45 > 0:08:47to her home to investigate.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Joyce's daughter Jane, meanwhile,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52had several times tried calling her mum the previous day
0:08:52 > 0:08:54but failed to get through, not knowing, of course,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58that the fraudsters had been keeping Joyce on the phone.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I said, "Why have I not been able to get hold of you?"
0:09:02 > 0:09:05And she said, "I've been on the phone.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06"I can't tell you."
0:09:06 > 0:09:08I said, "What do you mean you can't tell me?"
0:09:08 > 0:09:10She said, "It's a secret."
0:09:10 > 0:09:11I said, "What sort of secret?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13"I'm your daughter. You have to tell me."
0:09:13 > 0:09:15She said, "Well, it's the police."
0:09:15 > 0:09:18So, I went immediately over to her house
0:09:18 > 0:09:21and there was an officer there,
0:09:21 > 0:09:26and that's when I found out all this scamming had begun.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Jane was totally horrified to discover
0:09:28 > 0:09:30how her mother had been conned.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32My mother, at that point, was so distraught,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and actually still is so distraught,
0:09:35 > 0:09:39that she could not even tell us what money she had transferred.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44We took my mother to the two banks and we went through everything with
0:09:44 > 0:09:47the police officer there, and that's where we found the full extent.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53As the scam was discussed with the banks, it became clear that staff
0:09:53 > 0:09:56had been concerned by Joyce's unusual behaviour,
0:09:56 > 0:09:58but not enough to raise the alarm.
0:09:58 > 0:10:05When I went with the police to the bank to find out what had happened,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09the woman teller was in tears.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13And she said to me, "I thought there was something strange,
0:10:13 > 0:10:19"but your mother is so sensible with money, I didn't like to ask."
0:10:19 > 0:10:23And my mother also was uncommonly aggressive with her
0:10:23 > 0:10:26because she thought she was one of the scammers.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31The police have been able to retrieve about ?13,000
0:10:31 > 0:10:33of Joyce's savings,
0:10:33 > 0:10:37but that means the fraudsters have pocketed ?77,000,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and it's money that she'd carefully saved all her life.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43It was not money I could afford to lose.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47If I have to go into a home, there was money there.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51If I need a new roof, there was money there.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56And so, it was my...
0:10:56 > 0:10:57my safeguard.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01On top of this awful financial loss,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05all of this has had a big impact on Joyce's confidence, as well.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07I'll never feel safe again.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It's completely altered my life. Completely.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15To try and make sure that her mum doesn't fall victim to anything
0:11:15 > 0:11:18like this again, Jane has even investigated whether she can be made
0:11:18 > 0:11:22a counter-signatory to some of her mum's bigger spending decisions.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25But the only way to do that would be if she countersigned
0:11:25 > 0:11:29every transaction, something she's unwilling to do.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I can't ask my mother to do that.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36She has to be able to look after herself and have her independence,
0:11:36 > 0:11:37which she's always had.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Detective Inspector Angela Hufton is the genuine police officer
0:11:43 > 0:11:46who oversaw the investigation into Joyce's case.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49In cases such as this, time really is of the essence.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53The fraudsters operate extremely quickly,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55and in many cases, if not all,
0:11:55 > 0:11:57as soon as the victim has transferred the money,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59the same day, if not immediately after,
0:11:59 > 0:12:01the fraudster will withdraw the money,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04so it's often very difficult for us to recover it.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08So, to avoid things getting to that stage,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10the police's advice is simple.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13As soon as anyone who's called you out of the blue starts asking for
0:12:13 > 0:12:17your personal details, however important they say they are,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19just hang up.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23A police officer will never, ever contact a member of the public
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and ask them to transfer money from their bank account to another.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30We've had reported cases in Northumbria where the fraudsters
0:12:30 > 0:12:32have contacted the victim and not only
0:12:32 > 0:12:34purported to be a police officer,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37but have also purported to be an official from another organisation
0:12:37 > 0:12:39such as Trading Standards.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42Because Joyce made the transfers
0:12:42 > 0:12:44into the fraudulent accounts herself,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48neither of the banks is obliged to refund the lost money.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51When we contacted Barclays and NatWest,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53both expressed their sympathies for what had happened,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55with Barclays stressing that
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Joyce WAS questioned about the transaction,
0:12:58 > 0:13:01but the staff were satisfied with the response she gave
0:13:01 > 0:13:04as to where the money was going and why.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07Barclays added that all their staff are trained to ask more questions
0:13:07 > 0:13:10regarding suspicious transactions, but it's...
0:13:17 > 0:13:19NatWest reiterated that...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Adding that if you suspect a fraud is taking place, you should...
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Meanwhile, Joyce is becoming resigned to the loss of her savings,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42but the effects of this particularly nasty scam will last forever.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45I've learnt to trust nobody about anything.
0:13:46 > 0:13:53And that's a terrible thing because I always trusted everybody.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Now I trust nobody.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Over the last decade or so, thanks to rising property prices,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06more people than ever before have turned to renting
0:14:06 > 0:14:08rather than owning their home.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Now, that's made the rentals market fast-moving and competitive,
0:14:11 > 0:14:15but also, I'm sorry to say, very appealing indeed
0:14:15 > 0:14:19to unscrupulous fraudsters preying on those tenants who are desperate
0:14:19 > 0:14:22to secure the property that they really want.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Now, we've looked into some of these rental scams before, but it does now
0:14:26 > 0:14:30seem as though there are more of them than ever and that the people
0:14:30 > 0:14:33behind them are very good at covering their tracks.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's a simple but audacious scam -
0:14:38 > 0:14:43a fraudster places an ad to rent a house or a flat that they don't own,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46perhaps even going as far as to show prospective tenants around.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51They'll promise it's yours providing you pay a cash deposit quickly.
0:14:51 > 0:14:52But when the day comes to move in,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55it turns out that someone else is already living there,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59and that so-called owner has disappeared with your money.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Rental fraud like this has risen over 33% in England and Wales,
0:15:03 > 0:15:08and among those targeted are people moving to the UK from abroad
0:15:08 > 0:15:11who may not be aware of the signs that an ad could be a fake.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Originally from Cameroon, Debra Azange moved to the UK in 2015
0:15:17 > 0:15:20to study advanced nursing at Luton University.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23It was quite stressful. Really stressful.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27I was really anxious about moving, coming to the UK,
0:15:27 > 0:15:28a place I've never been before.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I didn't even know how to go to the shops to buy things.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Debra's brother Divine had been living in the UK for five years,
0:15:36 > 0:15:40so he was able to help her settle in and look for a place of her own.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42And, after searching online,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45they saw an ad for a place that looked ideal.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50This particular property was five minutes away from her university.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Two people sharing, you know, in one flat, so it's not overcrowded.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00?300 in that area of town wasn't too bad.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05With the flat ticking all the boxes, Divine and Debra arranged a viewing.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08But as soon as they got through the front door, it was clear that
0:16:08 > 0:16:12what they were seeing was not the flat they'd seen online.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15It did not look like what the picture said.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18The guy explained to us that this was what was available,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21he had a couple of properties, and, you know,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24we thought it was quite legit.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The man showing them around said he must have mixed up the photos
0:16:27 > 0:16:30of this flat with another one that he owned,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33but in any case, it was this one that he had available.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And with other viewings booked for later that day, if Debra wanted it,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38she'd have to pay the deposit right away.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Divine lent his sister the cash and the person they thought
0:16:42 > 0:16:45was the landlord immediately handed Debra a key,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48telling her to come back in two days' time to sign the contract
0:16:48 > 0:16:52and move in. It all seemed to be going very smoothly.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I thought to myself, "?200, you know, I've got the key, you know,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58"I've handed my money to someone that I can physically see,
0:16:58 > 0:16:59"what could go wrong?"
0:16:59 > 0:17:04Sadly, quite a lot, because when Debra tried to fix an exact time
0:17:04 > 0:17:06to sign the contract and move in,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09the man who'd claimed he was the landlord couldn't be found.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I kept calling and the phone rang and rang and he didn't pick up.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15My brother told me not to worry about it, and I left it.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17In the evening, I called again,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21I sent a voicemail and I thought he was going to reply but he didn't.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25With no answer, Debra and Divine went to the flat
0:17:25 > 0:17:27to see if they could find anyone there to help.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29I came and I walked to the property.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32I knocked at the door and I didn't get any response.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34I tried the key and it didn't work.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Then I was like, "Am I in the wrong place?"
0:17:37 > 0:17:41I tried to call the landlord and tried and tried, but to no avail.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Debra and Divine never heard from the so-called landlord again.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47He ignored their further calls
0:17:47 > 0:17:51and it was clear that he'd made off with that ?200 deposit.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Although how he got access to the flat in the first place
0:17:54 > 0:17:56remains unclear.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00Divine reported what had happened to both the police and Action Fraud,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03but has had to accept that the money is lost.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I really do feel for my sister, you know, for her first experience
0:18:06 > 0:18:09in the UK to fall prey to that kind of scammer.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11You know, we cut our losses,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14you know, we found somewhere else and we got over it.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16You know, we moved on.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20But rental fraudsters don't just prey on unsuspecting tenants
0:18:20 > 0:18:21to make their money.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24They can take advantage of genuine landlords, too,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28as Darian Day discovered last year.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Wow, this is a lovely sitting room.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Lovely, big room. Nice, big window.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Darian owns this London flat
0:18:35 > 0:18:39and rents it out for short breaks through a property website.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42But without her knowing anything about it,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44someone else had been advertising her flat,
0:18:44 > 0:18:48offering it to rent long-term. Darian only discovered the fraud
0:18:48 > 0:18:50when she was e-mailed out of the blue
0:18:50 > 0:18:54by someone called Shelly who'd been talking to the fake landlord
0:18:54 > 0:18:58about renting the flat when she moved to London from Paris.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01She got very excited about it and was trying to rent it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05But I think, over the course of her correspondence with the "landlord",
0:19:05 > 0:19:06she became a little worried.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Shelly had smelt a rat when the man she was dealing with
0:19:10 > 0:19:13wouldn't let her visit the property before paying a deposit.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14So, she got suspicious?
0:19:14 > 0:19:17She got suspicious and her boss, actually,
0:19:17 > 0:19:19in Paris said, "You can do this thing called
0:19:19 > 0:19:22"a Google image reverse search."
0:19:22 > 0:19:25A reverse image search means you can click on a picture
0:19:25 > 0:19:30you see online and find any other web page that uses the same image.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33So, when Shelly searched for other photos of the flat,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37she was sent straight to Darian's own web page.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40It became very clear to her that, actually, this is a holiday let,
0:19:40 > 0:19:43not a long-term let. So, she wrote to me saying she was
0:19:43 > 0:19:47terribly disappointed, but I guess this is not for let,
0:19:47 > 0:19:48and I said, "No, sorry."
0:19:48 > 0:19:53But it alerted you to the fact that someone was trying to scam
0:19:53 > 0:19:56other people, using your flat as a portal for it.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Absolutely. Absolutely.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01Incensed that someone was using photos of her flat
0:20:01 > 0:20:03to try and trick people out of money,
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Darian turned detective to try and catch the fake landlord out.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10She e-mailed him posing as a prospective tenant.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13So, I wrote to him in my husband's name,
0:20:13 > 0:20:17saying that I'd seen the flat advertised and that I loved it,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and I assured him I would be a very good tenant and treat the flat
0:20:20 > 0:20:22as if it was my own. Which it is, of course.
0:20:22 > 0:20:23Which, of course, it is.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26'The fake landlord got back to Darian the same day,
0:20:26 > 0:20:28'explaining that the flat was available
0:20:28 > 0:20:31'and setting out the cost of the rent and deposit.
0:20:31 > 0:20:32'Keen to reel him in,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36'Darian responded saying she was keen to secure the flat
0:20:36 > 0:20:38'and move in as soon as possible.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40'But at this point, it became clear that,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43'before any kind of meeting in person,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46'the scammer was determined to get his cash up front.'
0:20:47 > 0:20:50He explained that he was busy working in Inverness,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53so he couldn't actually show me the flat.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Get all the way down to London. Exactly, but then he did write
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and say, if I was interested,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00he would be willing to fly to London.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01But before he flew to London,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04he needed to know I wasn't a time-waster,
0:21:04 > 0:21:06so I had to pay him a deposit.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08How much was that? ?2,000.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13And not only did he do that, he actually then sent me bank details.
0:21:13 > 0:21:18So, you had a link with a bank that was supposed to be taking these,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20let's be frank about this, ill-gotten gains?
0:21:20 > 0:21:21Absolutely.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25So, then, I got quite excited cos I thought, "Well, now I have him
0:21:25 > 0:21:29"because now he's given me a bank in England."
0:21:29 > 0:21:32I checked the sort code, I checked where the bank was,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36and, indeed, it is a bank - it's in Ilford in Essex -
0:21:36 > 0:21:39and I spoke to them and explained the story to them,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42and they said, of course, with data protection,
0:21:42 > 0:21:44there was nothing they could do about it.
0:21:44 > 0:21:49'So, that's when Darian came to us. After hearing her story,'
0:21:49 > 0:21:51we looked into the person claiming to own her flat,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54who called himself Curtis Owst,
0:21:54 > 0:21:58and we found the same name on ads for five other rental properties
0:21:58 > 0:22:01in London. So, we decided to test one out,
0:22:01 > 0:22:05just as Darian had, and when Mr Owst e-mailed us back,
0:22:05 > 0:22:08we got a similar story to the one he'd sent her.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12He said he couldn't show us the flat because he was nine hours away,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15although, in fact, the place where he claimed to be is only about
0:22:15 > 0:22:17one hour's drive from London.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20And he asked us to send an upfront deposit of ?1,000,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22transferred by Western Union.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Of course, we did no such thing and instead wrote back explaining
0:22:26 > 0:22:30who we really were, and we've not heard anything from him since.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37But with fraudsters' tactics getting ever more convincing,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40not least by copying legitimate rental sites,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43how can you tell the difference between a genuine ad
0:22:43 > 0:22:44and one that's a fake?
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Well, here's a man who's going to make that clear -
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Albin Serviant runs a rental site called easyroommate.com.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56He's got an entire team dedicated to weeding out scam ads,
0:22:56 > 0:23:01and every month, it stops around 2,500 fraudulent ones being posted.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Nothing goes live without a moderation process.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07We have some tricks to spot the scammers,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and we have 15 people who are just dedicated
0:23:11 > 0:23:14at looking at 100% of the ads.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18There are a number of clues that an advert might be fake -
0:23:18 > 0:23:20if it's too cheap for the area, for example,
0:23:20 > 0:23:24or it looks luxurious but comes with a tiny price tag.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27If it says nothing about your potential flatmates, again,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29approach with caution.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32And watch out for bizarre excuses.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37I don't live in the country. Sorry, there is no viewing possible.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39So, that's an alert.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Now, I think I can tell a real advert from a fake,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45but Albin's going to put that to the test.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49He's showing me four different ads, all intended for his website,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52but which ones got through?
0:23:52 > 0:23:54So, we've got one here, which is...
0:23:54 > 0:23:59There's a pretty full description of what it's like.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01"Please tell me about yourself, how long you would like to stay,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04"when you can come for a view."
0:24:04 > 0:24:06I would think that was a genuine one, then,
0:24:06 > 0:24:09inviting you to look at it. The second one, pretty central.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Very central.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Near a good street. They're all a bit random, these photographs,
0:24:14 > 0:24:16aren't they? Who lives there?
0:24:16 > 0:24:18One male, 18 years old, student.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20Everyone welcome.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22That doesn't strike me as being too genuine.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24All right, next one.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27OK. Nice area of Islington.
0:24:27 > 0:24:29Flatmates unknown.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31Everyone welcome.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32All bills included.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Don't think so. The last one?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And the last one, ?650 per calendar month,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39two bedroom, two bathroom.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40Flatmates unknown again.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Everyone welcome.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43I think the first one was genuine.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46I don't think the second two were, but I'm not sure about that one.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48How did I do? Yeah, you've done very well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:49Have I? Yeah, quite.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51On the second one, it's a genuine one.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Is it? It is, yes.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55This one, you know, it's close to...
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Oh, close to the Queen, close to Buckingham Palace.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00And it's only ?650 a calendar month.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Exactly. I'm not sure it's in Buckingham.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04It's not in Buckingham Palace!
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Scammers targeting someone moving from abroad
0:25:08 > 0:25:10or who doesn't know the area
0:25:10 > 0:25:13will often make their ads more tempting by suggesting that
0:25:13 > 0:25:17a property is near a famous landmark or desirable part of town.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19And even on the most rigorous sites,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23a tiny proportion of fake ads will still make it through.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28So, Albin has one golden rule to help you hold on to your money.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31You need to be able to view the flat, to visit the flat,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33and obviously, you don't pay a deposit,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36you don't wire the money before visiting the flat.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38That's the basic rule.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43If you're searching for a new place to rent online, do it with caution.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46As for Debra, well, even viewing the flat wasn't enough
0:25:46 > 0:25:48to stop her from being scammed,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52but she's determined that it won't happen again.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54In the future, I'm going to be very careful.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55I'll make sure I get documentation.
0:25:55 > 0:26:00Then I have proof of any transactions I've made with anyone.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Still to come on Rip-Off Britain, the scam e-mails convincing enough
0:26:09 > 0:26:12to trick any of us into handing over our cash.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16To say I felt devastated doesn't really cover it because...
0:26:17 > 0:26:19..it was something that I had done.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Ever year, we open up Rip-Off Britain's pop-up shop,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32a one-stop advice clinic for anyone who wants to drop in.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Felt great, Angela. THEY LAUGH
0:26:34 > 0:26:37Whether they've a specific dilemma they need help with...
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I've been having some problems returning my son's watch.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41..or are just after some tips
0:26:41 > 0:26:44to make sure they're getting the best deal...
0:26:44 > 0:26:47We're really happy the BBC put this service forward to us. It's great.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50I think more people should use it. It's really good.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55It's a perfect opportunity to catch up with as many of you as we can so
0:26:55 > 0:27:00we can make sure we're investigating the topics that affect you the most.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Promise you'll keep watching.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Oh, I'll keep watching. I definitely will.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09When Maya called in to see our technology whizz David McClelland,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11it was too late to put the situation right,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13but we hope her story means that
0:27:13 > 0:27:16no-one else gets caught the same way.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18David, this is Maya,
0:27:18 > 0:27:21and Maya's got a problem with an online course that she took.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'Maya was looking for a new job, and an online course
0:27:24 > 0:27:27'to train as a private investigator caught her eye.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29'The company promised guaranteed work at the end of it,
0:27:29 > 0:27:31'so she was keen to find out more.'
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I thought, "Oh, well, I will enquire."
0:27:35 > 0:27:38And they sent me back a message which says, "Hi, Maya.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41"I have sent you an e-mail re your job offer..."
0:27:41 > 0:27:45'The course came with a hefty ?500 price tag,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47'but after being told she could pay in instalments,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51'Maya signed up and she sailed through the modules.'
0:27:51 > 0:27:57So, I passed the course and then they said they will send my ID.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01'The ID was to register Maya as a private investigator,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04'her passport to the job it now appeared she was qualified to do,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07'but it didn't arrive as promised.'
0:28:07 > 0:28:10So, I sent multiple e-mails to them,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I rang, I left multiple voice messages.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16'But after weeks of chasing, the penny dropped.'
0:28:16 > 0:28:20I just thought, "Oh, my God," and then I did some internet research
0:28:20 > 0:28:23and it just became more and more dodgy.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26'Maya realised she'd been scammed and quickly called her bank
0:28:26 > 0:28:28'to cancel the payments to the company,
0:28:28 > 0:28:32'but by this point, she was already ?300 out of pocket.'
0:28:32 > 0:28:34I just thought, "Oh, my God,"
0:28:34 > 0:28:38because I am so trustworthy a person, I just trust people.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41'It's a story David's heard time and time again.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:45The internet is not a place for trusting people so much anyway
0:28:45 > 0:28:47because people will take you in,
0:28:47 > 0:28:51they will try and get your confidence and take money from you.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53'David has checked out the company himself
0:28:53 > 0:28:56'and it's confirmed his suspicions.'
0:28:56 > 0:28:58They started business May 2014.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Less than 18 months later, they are no longer in business any more.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06But in that short period of time, really, they've taken in
0:29:06 > 0:29:09an awful lot of people, and you've had no work out of this. No.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13You know, what you were promised when you signed up for this... Yes.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15..hasn't been delivered.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18'Maya's reported her case to the police via Action Fraud,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20'but David's not hopeful.'
0:29:20 > 0:29:23I can't say whether you'll get any of your money back,
0:29:23 > 0:29:28but hopefully, nobody else will lose their money as a result of this.
0:29:28 > 0:29:29Yeah, I just think it's important
0:29:29 > 0:29:33for people to kind of realise how much scam...
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Well, this is what this programme's about.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39It's about putting the word out. OK, thank you very much.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Thank you very much. Thank you, Maya. Bye. Bye-bye.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45And over our two days in Manchester, you told our experts about
0:29:45 > 0:29:47plenty of other scams to watch out for, as well.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Hi, Sylvia. Hello.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Hello. You seem to have had a crowd round you most of the day.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53Isn't that rewarding?
0:29:53 > 0:29:55It is, but it's also the reassurance we give people.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58People sometimes feel stupid that they've been conned,
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and the point about fraud and scams is that you're not stupid -
0:30:01 > 0:30:03they know what they're doing, the scammers.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06So, the reassurance when people realise they're not alone,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10and that is good, and it's lovely to talk to people face-to-face.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Meanwhile, in our gripe corner,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14keeping your details safe from scammers.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19The thing that annoys me the most is when you get the calls
0:30:19 > 0:30:23coming through claiming that your computer is running slow.
0:30:23 > 0:30:29I hate it how the computers are not protecting us enough.
0:30:29 > 0:30:30We always get viruses.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34People can just connect to the bank account.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36They should protect us a bit more.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38You know full well that there's probably not a problem
0:30:38 > 0:30:40with your computer.
0:30:40 > 0:30:43You'll find plenty of advice to help you avoid getting scammed online
0:30:43 > 0:30:45on our website...
0:30:51 > 0:30:53You know, it seems like only yesterday
0:30:53 > 0:30:57that the sort of scam e-mails that were popping into our inboxes
0:30:57 > 0:31:00were the ones purporting to be from, for instance, an African prince
0:31:00 > 0:31:03who had a million dollars that he needed to transfer
0:31:03 > 0:31:05into a British bank account.
0:31:05 > 0:31:06How many of us got that one?
0:31:06 > 0:31:09But the fraudsters have come a long way since then and,
0:31:09 > 0:31:13while over the years, we've certainly tried to keep you abreast
0:31:13 > 0:31:16of their latest techniques, and also highlighted the telltale signs
0:31:16 > 0:31:19to distinguish between a real and a fake message,
0:31:19 > 0:31:24unfortunately, those telltale signs are getting much harder to spot.
0:31:24 > 0:31:28But don't worry, because they may be full of ingenious new ideas,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30but we're not about to let the scammers win,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34so get ready for everything that you need to know to make sure that,
0:31:34 > 0:31:37however convincing their latest tactics might be,
0:31:37 > 0:31:39it won't be you that's taken in.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Now, would you be able to tell which of these e-mails is real
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and which is fake?
0:31:46 > 0:31:49Both look the real deal, but only one is genuine.
0:31:51 > 0:31:52I'm not quite sure on that.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55No, I'm not sure at all, really.
0:31:55 > 0:31:57Erm, is that one fake?
0:31:59 > 0:32:02But as scam e-mails become more convincing than ever,
0:32:02 > 0:32:06you may not instantly be able to tell if something is not right,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and if you fall for one that turns out to be fake,
0:32:09 > 0:32:10it could start a chain of events
0:32:10 > 0:32:13that ends up costing you a lot of money,
0:32:13 > 0:32:17as, unfortunately, was the case for record label manager Sarah Fisher
0:32:17 > 0:32:19and her husband David.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24I have a busy job, I manage lots of budgets, money,
0:32:24 > 0:32:28hundreds of e-mails a day. You know, I have to stay on top of things.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30The couple were adding a major extension
0:32:30 > 0:32:31to their North London home,
0:32:31 > 0:32:35and had agreed to pay the builder in instalments.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37We knew it was a big building job,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41so we made arrangements to move out for eight months and we had
0:32:41 > 0:32:46a schedule of works and a finance plan through that with our builders.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48The build began in July 2015,
0:32:48 > 0:32:52and the builder's accountant e-mailed them an invoice
0:32:52 > 0:32:54every four to six weeks, which they promptly paid.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59But when October's invoice arrived, totalling nearly ?27,500,
0:32:59 > 0:33:03Sarah was tied up at work, so it sat in her inbox for a few days.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06When she got round to paying it the following weekend,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09she noticed another e-mail from the firm's accountant,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12advising her that the company's bank details had changed
0:33:12 > 0:33:16and asking her to make this latest payment into a new account.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about the e-mail at all.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24The e-mail signatures were exactly correct and in the right place,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27the conversational tone was very familiar to us.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29It read and felt exactly like an e-mail
0:33:29 > 0:33:32we were used to seeing from her.
0:33:32 > 0:33:38Sarah transferred ?25,000 - the most her bank would allow in one day.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41But a few days later, before she'd had a chance to pay the rest,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44she was surprised to see that the builder's accountant
0:33:44 > 0:33:49had e-mailed again, chasing the full ?27,500.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53My head was just saying, "No, no, no, this isn't right.
0:33:53 > 0:33:54"It can't be right."
0:33:54 > 0:33:59Sarah immediately rang to explain she'd already paid ?25,000
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and the balance would be transferred later that day
0:34:02 > 0:34:05to the company's new account.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08But when the accountant told her there was no new account,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10the penny dropped -
0:34:10 > 0:34:13she'd been scammed into paying the money to someone else.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15My mind was going out of control. I thought,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18"I've got to solve this so I can work it out and just get
0:34:18 > 0:34:21"my money back and get on with my life." I just needed to fix it.
0:34:21 > 0:34:25The couple first called their bank, then the bank into which
0:34:25 > 0:34:28the money had been paid, and finally, the police.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Like her, all were initially baffled because the e-mail that
0:34:32 > 0:34:35she'd received with the new bank details did seem genuine,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39and identical to the accountant's other e-mails.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43But finally, one tiny difference was spotted between them -
0:34:43 > 0:34:47the second e-mail address was missing one "s".
0:34:47 > 0:34:50It actually took 24 hours for anyone to even notice that,
0:34:50 > 0:34:55so for that period of 24 hours, it didn't look like fraud.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59It seems that somehow fraudsters had been able to hack into the e-mails
0:34:59 > 0:35:01of either Sarah or the building company,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04and they'd then set up a very similar e-mail address
0:35:04 > 0:35:07so that Sarah didn't notice that anything was amiss
0:35:07 > 0:35:11when she received the fatal message with those new bank details.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14But by the time the truth became clear,
0:35:14 > 0:35:19the couple's ?25,000 had already left the fraudster's account.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22To say I felt devastated doesn't really cover it because...
0:35:24 > 0:35:26..it's something that I had done.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29It wasn't that someone had just come into our bank account
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and taken money.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35I'd been party to transferring this cash.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37I hadn't checked.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40I hadn't called the building company to make sure they had changed
0:35:40 > 0:35:42their bank account details.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45Unable to get any of their money back,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49Sarah and David have been left ?25,000 out of pocket,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and their unfinished extension is a constant reminder
0:35:52 > 0:35:56of one simple but understandable mistake.
0:35:56 > 0:36:01It doesn't take a genius to be able to lay some logos on an e-mail
0:36:01 > 0:36:03in a particular way. It doesn't take a genius
0:36:03 > 0:36:06to adopt somebody's conversational tone.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Now I see how simple it is to do it,
0:36:09 > 0:36:11I actually don't think it's that complex a crime.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13It was actually very, very simple.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17You know, if someone has access to your communication,
0:36:17 > 0:36:19they can learn a lot very quickly.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21As Sarah discovered,
0:36:21 > 0:36:26those once blindingly obvious fake e-mails can, these days,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29be almost impossible to distinguish from the real thing,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32which, of course, is what the criminals behind them rely on
0:36:32 > 0:36:35to get the money they're set on stealing from their victims.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38Indeed, so plausible have they become that even
0:36:38 > 0:36:42the savviest among us, with years of experience of spotting a scam,
0:36:42 > 0:36:43may well be fooled.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47It very nearly happened to our own personal finance expert,
0:36:47 > 0:36:48Sarah Pennells.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51You also have been very nearly caught out, haven't you?
0:36:51 > 0:36:55I have. I was actually writing an article about financial fraud
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and I was talking to a fraud expert,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and about 40 minutes before I spoke to him,
0:37:00 > 0:37:05I had an e-mail from one of the social media networking accounts
0:37:05 > 0:37:09I have, asking me to reset my password.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13And, again, I almost clicked on it because it looked so genuine.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17It had addressed me personally and it looked official,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20and I came really, really close,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22and at the last minute, I didn't click on it,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25and when I spoke to this chap a bit later on, he told me he'd sent it.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27He'd been trying to catch you out?
0:37:27 > 0:37:30Yeah. And he said he was doing no more or no less
0:37:30 > 0:37:31than a fraudster would do.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35If I came that close to clicking on an e-mail,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38which would have asked for my personal details,
0:37:38 > 0:37:42then, frankly, what about other people who are online less
0:37:42 > 0:37:45and maybe not quite as cynical as me?
0:37:45 > 0:37:48Now, in the past, we've always recommended that checking
0:37:48 > 0:37:52the sender's address is a good way to see if an e-mail has really come
0:37:52 > 0:37:54from whoever appears to be sending it.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57But even that's no longer foolproof.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Sarah's recently had some suspicious e-mails that pass that test,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03like this one, which you really would think
0:38:03 > 0:38:05came from a well-known bank.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07If you sort of hover over the e-mail address,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09so you can check where it's coming from,
0:38:09 > 0:38:13it's actually got an address that looks like it could be plausible.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17It just demonstrates yet again how very cautious we all have to be.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20I think that's absolutely right. These e-mails are so sophisticated
0:38:20 > 0:38:22and they can seem to come from companies that you do have
0:38:22 > 0:38:24a genuine relationship with.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26They can know stuff about you - they may know your name,
0:38:26 > 0:38:30they may include your address, but that is not enough.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33That shouldn't convince you that it's from the company.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37In 2015, Action Fraud received 8,000 reports
0:38:37 > 0:38:41of so-called phishing e-mails like this every month,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44many of them from people who'd fallen for the scam
0:38:44 > 0:38:46behind the phony message.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48So, while we all know to be on our guard,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52as digital forensic specialist Keith Cottenden knows,
0:38:52 > 0:38:54that's not as simple as it used to be.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59The traditional phishing e-mail scam was always, back in the day,
0:38:59 > 0:39:00easy to spot.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03English was usually appalling,
0:39:03 > 0:39:07it was full of spelling and grammatical errors,
0:39:07 > 0:39:11and quite obviously, just by its design,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14a phishing e-mail trying to get details -
0:39:14 > 0:39:17valuable details - about the user.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21But they have become more sophisticated.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25Even so, Keith believes the telltale signs that an e-mail
0:39:25 > 0:39:27shouldn't be trusted are still there.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30So, to find out if people know what to look for,
0:39:30 > 0:39:34he's showing some real and fake e-mails to shoppers in Manchester,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37and we'll see if they can tell which is which.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I think I'd say that was genuine.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Sorry, you think...? That one. That one's genuine?
0:39:43 > 0:39:45I think I'd go for that one. You think that one.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47So, we've got a difference of opinion.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49OK, well, only one of them is genuine
0:39:49 > 0:39:52and I can tell you it's that one that's the genuine one.
0:39:52 > 0:39:53In this type of e-mail,
0:39:53 > 0:39:57it would never be addressed so generically like that.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Out of the two, I think that's more genuine than that one.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02OK, and can I ask why you think that?
0:40:02 > 0:40:05Well, only because, "Confirm your account information
0:40:05 > 0:40:09"within one hours". That tends to put me off
0:40:09 > 0:40:11that somebody would want the information within one hour.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Yeah, absolutely. Spot-on.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Can I ask you why you chose that one?
0:40:15 > 0:40:18This just sounds quite informal, whereas the other one's...
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It just sounds more professional, I suppose.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Yes, that is the fake e-mail message,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25and they're absolutely correct reasons.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30The shoppers that Keith spoke to clearly had their eye on the ball,
0:40:30 > 0:40:32as 10 out of 12 got it right.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35You're quite correct, this is a fake e-mail.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38But they had been told that some of these were not genuine,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41so they were already on the lookout for signs,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44which Keith says just is not the way that most of us will typically
0:40:44 > 0:40:45approach our e-mails.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49So, the best way to avoid being caught out is to check any request
0:40:49 > 0:40:53for money, especially to an account that you haven't used before.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58Query anything that is asking for payment by e-mail.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01E-mail is not secure, yeah?
0:41:01 > 0:41:06And even if you use a secure e-mail,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09it doesn't mean that the supplier is using a secure e-mail.
0:41:09 > 0:41:15So, conduct financial transactions by other means.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Of course, Sarah wishes that she'd made a call to check the message
0:41:18 > 0:41:21that she received, but with her money gone for good,
0:41:21 > 0:41:25she'll never take any e-mail she receives at face value again.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29The bottom line of it is that ?25,000 is gone.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31It makes me very angry.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40If you've got a story you'd like us to investigate,
0:41:40 > 0:41:42then you can get in touch with us via our Facebook page -
0:41:42 > 0:41:45BBC Rip Off Britain,
0:41:45 > 0:41:49our website - that's bbc.co.uk/ripoffbritain,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52or, if you'd like to send us an e-mail, our address is...
0:41:56 > 0:41:59And, of course, you can send a letter to our postal address...
0:42:12 > 0:42:14You know, very often in this series,
0:42:14 > 0:42:16someone who features in one of our films
0:42:16 > 0:42:18will at least get some of the money back
0:42:18 > 0:42:20or have their situation resolved.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24But one of the reasons why we all hate these scams so much is that,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26most of the time, the people caught out by them will never,
0:42:26 > 0:42:29ever see a penny of their cash ever again.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Which makes it all the more important
0:42:31 > 0:42:33that the rest of us keep our guard up
0:42:33 > 0:42:35and learn from what happened in such situations
0:42:35 > 0:42:38so that we don't come a cropper in the same way.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41And it's why we're so grateful to all the people who are prepared
0:42:41 > 0:42:43to share their experiences with us.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Absolutely, because we may not be able to get their money back
0:42:46 > 0:42:49from the scammers, but what we can do
0:42:49 > 0:42:52is make sure that some good comes out of their stories,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55so that you can be sure that we will always be keeping an eye
0:42:55 > 0:42:56on the very latest scams,
0:42:56 > 0:42:59and telling you about them as soon as we possibly can.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03For now, though, I'm afraid we've just run out of time, but as always,
0:43:03 > 0:43:06thanks for joining us and, until the next time, bye-bye.
0:43:06 > 0:43:07Bye. Bye.