A West Lothian mum has fallen victim to a scam from a callout individual posing as her daughter.
Sheelagh Stewart, from East Calder, has been left distraught after losing £2,500 to the scammer as she believed that she was speaking to her daughter, Beth, but little did she know, the person on the other end was pulling the wool over her eyes.
In a ploy to con vulnerable people out of money that has been circulating around the country for several months now, the scammer, posing as Beth, 22, messaged Sheelagh to say that 'she' has dropped her phone down the toilet and it was ruined.
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When Sheelagh thought that the unknown number was actually her daughter, the unsuspecting 65-year-old pharmacy worker continued to chat to who she believed to be her daughter, as the Record reports.
The scammer then said that they could not access their bank account due to security policy and that as her old phone has been 'ruined by water damage', she had a bill of £1400 to pay urgently.
Explaining that the grammar and tone that the scammer used was so similar to how her daughter would text, Sheelagh suspected nothing and instantly transferred the cash.
Speaking to the Record the mum said: "I was convinced the messages were from Beth. The grammar was the same, there was no broken English, it didn't seem like an odd message to receive from her.
"It never crossed my mind to question it. To be told about a broken phone and to be asked for some help is definitely the kind of text a child would send to their parent.
"I've since showed the messages to someone who works in a bank and they said if their daughter had sent them they would have sent them money too.
"Like any mum, my initial reaction was to help her."
Sheelagh then went on to send a further sum of "1180.28 to her 'daughter', believing that it was for job equipment that Beth could not afford to pay off in one go.
She added: "Beth is a beautician and the salon she was working in had just been raided, so I thought the money must have been for equipment.
"Beth always pays me back, and on that particular day I was in the middle of taking my friend to visit elderly relative who has dementia, so I had a lot on my mind.
"It just never occurred to me that it could be a scam."
As most would see a distressed message from their daughter and want to help out as soon as possible, taking the time to scan the message or call her daughter wasn't on her mind at the time.
When the scammer continued to ask for more money, this time just shy of £1000, Sheelagh finally tippled and began to suspect something was wrong. She quickly asked her daughter.
After asking the person on the other end of the messages to confirm their identity, the response Sheelagh received hade her suspicion raise to the surface.
She continued: "The reply came in as 'mum, stop freaking out' and 'only I would know your hair is blonde.' That was when I realised what was really going on.
"I called Beth straight away and she confirmed it wasn't her."
Sheelagh now wishes that she just made the call to her daughter as soon as the first message came in, saying that she feels silly for falling for such a scam, especially as the funds were being saved for Beth to take her on a sentimental family holiday.
She said: "I had planned to use that money to take Beth on a really special surprise trip.
"I only earn £9 an hour so that money is a lot of money to me.
"I honestly feel so stupid."
Now, as Sheelagh faces postponing her daughter's dream holiday, the mum's bank Santander has confirmed it has launched a probe into the scam.
A spokesperson said: “We have a great deal of sympathy for the victims of scams and fraud, and we take the protection of our customers and prevention of fraud extremely seriously.
"We are investigating Ms Stewart’s situation and will provide her with an update on her claim shortly.”
Police Scotland also confirmed they are investigating the incident.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.30am on Monday, 9 May, police received a report of a person having been the victim of a banking scam in East Calder.
“Enquiries into the incident are ongoing."
Police Sergeant James Gowling of Livingstone Police Station added: “Scammers are becoming ever more sophisticated in how they target their victims and can be very convincing and persuasive in their methods.
“If you are ever unsure of any calls, texts or emails you receive, always make every effort to ensure that he person is who they claim to be, represent who they claim to represent and are legitimate and reputable.
“It is important to remember that fraudsters do not only target the elderly and vulnerable. Absolutely anyone is at risk of becoming a victim of fraud.
“If anyone has any information or is concerned they may have been a victim of a scam, please contact Police Scotland on 101”
Lisa Webb, Which? Consumer Law Expert, added: “These WhatsApp scams are one of the latest brazen examples of callous fraudsters coming up with new tactics to part innocent victims from their hard-earned cash.
“You should be extremely wary of WhatsApp and text messages requesting money, even if they appear to be coming from loved ones.
"If you’re in any doubt at all, give your family member or friend a quick call to check it’s really them.”
