Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Zoe Wood and Rupert Jones

‘I couldn’t sleep’: victims of UK fraud epidemic tell their story

A dark mystery hand typing on a laptop
In 2023, there were 252,626 reported cases of APP scams totalling almost £341m, according to the latest official data. That is 692 cases a day, almost 29 an hour. Photograph: Andrew Brookes/Getty Images/Image Source

“I couldn’t sleep. I was waking constantly thinking about it,” says Stephen of the trauma he felt after discovering he had been scammed out of £70,000 by fraudsters who tricked him into buying a fake high-interest savings bond.

“I felt stupid – as a former solicitor, I thought: what was I thinking? But at the same time it was sophisticated.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.