Monzo customer scammed out of £5,000 including inheritance from his grandad in ‘number spoofing’ con
A YOUNG chef lost almost £5,000 of his life savings, including inheritance money from his grandad, after falling victim to a sophisticated “number spoofing” scam.
Jamie Haslam, 23, thought he knew the danger signs to watch out for when he received a call from a man claiming to be from Monzo in November 2019.
He Googled the number and was reassured when the same digits were listed on the bank’s official website – and on the back of his card.
But by that evening, he’d had £4,900 stolen from his account, including money from his grandad and cash that he’d been saving up with his girlfriend Rosie Puddephatt, 20, to buy a house.
Jamie was a victim of a convincing “number spoofing” scam where fraudsters mask their real number behind the bank’s official line so that it looks genuine.
“I was bricking it because it was three days after pay day and I had bills to pay,” said Jamie, who lives in Cambridge.
Report suspected fraud
Here's what to do if you think you've been a victim of fraud.
If you suspect that you or a vulnerable or elderly relative has been the victim of this scam or a similar one, you should report it immediately to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via its online fraud reporting tool.
If you believe fraudsters have taken money from your bank or credit card you should also report it immediately to the provider in question.
“My family had to bail me out with some money to tied me over, including my grandma who sent me £700.
“Luckily they were completely understanding about not being able to afford Christmas presents too.
“I spend 90 per cent of my life online and see these scams all the time, so I never thought I’d never fall for one.”
Jamie was told by the scammer that his Monzo account had been hacked, and that he’d need a new sort code and account number.
The fraudster then convinced him to transfer all his money by telling Jamie his cash would be held safe in a separate account.
“I did what they said and he told me they’d call back in half an hour to confirm everything,” said Jamie.
“But I went to the Monzo chat room and told them someone said my account had been breached – they knew then I’d been scammed.”
How to protect yourself from fraudsters
ACTION Fraud recommends taking the following advice to stay safe:
- When making a purchase, be suspicious of any requests to pay by bank transfer or virtual currency instead of safer methods, such as credit card or payment services such as PayPal.
- Listen to your instincts: If something feels wrong then it is usually right to question it. Don’t pay for goods or services unless you know and trust the individual or business.
- Personal information obtained from data breaches is making it increasingly easier for fraudsters to create highly targeted phishing messages and calls – watch out for these.
- You shouldn’t assume the caller is genuine just because they’re able to provide some basic details about you.
- Always be suspicious of unsolicited requests for your personal or financial information.
Worryingly, the scammer called Jamie a further three times after all his money had been stolen to reassure him that the so-called transfer was still being completed.
In total, Jamie transferred £4,900 to the conman – including £3,000 from his grandad, £1,200 from his main Monzo account and £700 from a joint account with his girlfriend.
Jamie reported the fraud to Monzo in late November and was told he’d have to wait at least 20 days for the bank to investigate.
He decided to contact The Sun after spotting a similar story on this website about another Monzo customer who’d lost £2,500 in an identical “number spoofing” con.
He was refunded in full by Monzo two days after this newspaper got in touch with the bank.
Monzo told us they would never call customers without arranging it through their in-app chat first.
Outside of the app, Monzo said it would also never never ask customers to share their PIN, any other passwords or sensitive information.
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A spokesperson added: “Unfortunately, number spoofing is common across the banking industry.
“At Monzo we aim to educate our customers as much as possible about what to look out for and the risks involved.
“In this case, we reimbursed the customer in full, as soon as possible.”