Vocal Voices

The BBC is running a series of articles and TV programmes on reports of scam victims and the cost to them and the economy - some £3million per day.

What is noticeable about the so-called victims is that they have all played their part in the scams by accepting that callers are who they say they are without checking. They also freely transfer money to a "secure" account. Some even hand over sort codes, account numbers, CVC numbers and PINs and also download software the scammer suggests to their phones to make things secure.

The above software allows the scammer into your phone and all its files / details and then use another (cloned) phone as if it is you. They can see and hear what your every move is. They can even see you!

Of course, when it all goes wrong it is somebody else's fault and the BBC wants us to feel sorry for them.

Then there are calls for a government education campaign to try to avert all this. Well hang on, there have been campaigns for years and TV ads as well as programmes such as Panorama, Tonight, and others on many channels, showing these scams in real-time and how to avoid them. The information is out there! The problem is that we cannot be forced to watch them or listen to advice. And no, it is not only the elderly being scammed, it is those in their 20s, 30s and 40s as well.

These "victims" have scammed themselves.

There is a healthy balance between complete complaisance and outright paranoia but when you are talking about banking details, someone calling you for stuff they should not be asking for or installing software on any computing device, the journey towards paranoia has to be very high.

I have put up plenty of scam scares on VV and the advice is always the same, as it has been for years.

I you get texts or emails do not click links. If you get a call do not engage. Never, ever, give any personal details. If you are unsure then, using a different device, go to your bank, savings, credit card accounts and login via numbers / websites you know to be them, not any of those given to you by the email / phone call. Do not download anything. And it is not always the elderly, Those in their 20s, 30s, and 40s are also caught.

One man lost £165k and another £39k because they were stupid and followed the scammers.

If you are unsure you should report the scam to your banks etc, and also to Action Fraud. People already know all this but they still scam themselves.

No sympathy, it is so damned simple.

I'm quite annoyed with the NHS insisting on sending me links in texts which I have to copy out and put on my PC to get the requisite level of protection on the link.

Clicking that link has started to become the only way to interact with some surgeries.

That is an issue I also have. I have asked Leeds NHS to take me off that system and use email. Even from my laptop some links do not work because I am told that I do not have the app so I end up looking for department numbers or going through my GP surgery, again by phone.