Moira Stuart, renowned for her 34-year tenure with the BBC, recently faced a distressing encounter with scammers that left her devastated, embarrassed, and angry with herself. She received a phone call at 9 a.m. that appeared to be from her bank. Despite her awareness of scams, Stuart was duped and remained on the line with the fraudster as she approached the bank counter. Fortunately, a vigilant cashier intervened, preventing her from losing thousands of pounds.
Moira Stuart, now a presenter at Classic FM, recounted the experience with disbelief.
“I had absolutely no idea I was being scammed. The fraudster stayed on the phone the whole time and told me it was an inside job at my bank they had uncovered.” – Moira Stuart
This experience has inspired her to collaborate with AbilityNet, a charity supported by BT Group, which encourages older individuals to learn new digital skills to stay safe online. The incident underscores the importance of digital literacy in preventing fraud, especially among older demographics.
Authorised push payment fraud, the type of scam Stuart encountered, is alarmingly prevalent. In 2023 alone, this form of fraud led to losses amounting to £459.7 million across 232,429 reported cases. Such figures highlight the need for increased vigilance and education regarding online scams.
Stuart's encounter serves as a cautionary tale about the sophistication of modern fraud tactics. Despite her confidence in being "very aware of scams," she found herself caught in a well-orchestrated ruse. Her story emphasizes that anyone can fall victim to such schemes without proper awareness and safeguarding measures.