British father issues scam warning after common Google search almost costs him £30k

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

A father has revealed how he nearly had tens of thousands of pounds drained from his bank account after an innocent phone call to Sky ended up being a terrifying scam.
Lee Beard said his 'defences were completely down' because he was the one making the call rather than being targeted by fraudsters.
Issuing a warning on his TikTok account, Mr Beard revealed how his attempt to contact Sky's customer service about the speed of their broadband almost turned into a devastating scam that could have lost him as much as £30,000.
Rather than going through his My Sky app, the father called what he thought was a genuine customers service number and was reassured by security checks and the professionalism of the call handler.
But soon after giving over his Sky account details and bank card he was locked out and the scammers quickly started buying phones and sim cards.
Now Mr Beard is warning others to be extra vigilant to avoid being out of pocket.
In the video posted to TikTok the scam victim told his followers he had always considered himself 'pretty switched on when it comes to online banking and fraud', but due to the elaborate nature of the scam he got 'absolutely slapped silly'.
He explained that it had taken some time for his broadband to be set up and Mr Beard felt he wasn't experiencing the speed he had signed up for.
He added that his call was answered quickly and handler appeared to follow normal Sky protocol which left his defences down
But instead of contacting Sky's customer services through the My Sky app, he decided to call them, searching their number online and ringing the first result.
He said: 'Rather going through my My Sky app I googled Sky customer services. Number come up that started with an 0208 number so I rang it.'
He added that his call was answered quickly and the handler appeared to follow normal Sky protocol which left his defences down.
Mr Beard added: 'Answered fairly quickly which I supposed should have been a red flag. Normally you end up on hold for a while.
'I spoke to a lady, an Asian lady. She took me through security.
'It all felt and seemed so legit, my defences were completely down because I'd rang them and they answered.
'They said "this is Sky how can I help you?", they had all the right spiel, the script they'd take you through.'
The father went on to reveal that their professional demeanor led him to reveal all his personal Sky information to the woman on the end of the phone.
@leebeard73
As much as I thought it would never happen to me, I got scammed bad last week. I managed to escape it unharmed, but it happened, my details are out there, and I now need to watch my account like a hawk. Watch the video, dont be next. Huge warning, I hope it helps #fraud #scam #scammers #theft #online #security #onlinesecurity #dont #fyp #foryoupage #important #message #staysafe #safe #becareful #sobad #banking #password #gotme #fellforit #beaware #alert #emergency @vonnie b-sen mum 🩷 #sky #skybroadband @SkyUK
♬ original sound - Lee Beard
'I ended up unwinding my entire security on Sky,' he said, 'they ultimately overtook control of my account, changed my password, locked me out, ordered mobile phones, ordered sim cards.'
Mr Beard also inadvertently handed over his bank information too when they asked for his card details to 'purchase a new router' which almost resulted in £30,000 being taken from his account.
He said: 'In the process of that, they very convincingly told me I needed to buy a new router.
'I complained and said "I'm not buying a new router, you should've told me I needed a new one at the time".
'She said "it's Sky's fault not yours, we will give you a router for free but we have to charge you for delivery. it's a one off payment on your card".
'Then I ended up giving them my card details which in hindsight now is ridiculous. Is it ridiculous? When you ring someone and they answer you assume it's them.
Luckily Mr Beard managed to freeze his Sky account and his bank card but it didn't stop the scammers from trying to steal thousands of pounds from him.
He said: 'Because i gave them my card details to pay for postage for a router, I luckily managed to change my online banking details and froze the card.
'I got message yesterday from my bank saying authorise payment to which I obviously rejected. They were trying to spend £30,000 on bloody Temu.
'I don't know who they think I am. I didn't have £30,000 in that account for a tart. It just shows how quickly your life can get out of control if you're not careful.'
He finished off his video by warning others to be vigilant, saying: 'My warning to everyone is be really vigilant be really careful. If you are going through Sky go through your My Sky app and double check it's sky that answers the phone and not someone else because I got absolutely pants down.'
A spokesman for Sky said: 'Sky is committed to protecting our customers from fraud and takes this issue extremely seriously.
'Sadly, cases like Mr Beards' highlight how high-profile brands such as Sky are common targets for criminal activity, with scammers using calls, emails, texts, and online impersonation to deceive individuals.
We urge all customers to stay vigilant and visit Sky Help via Sky.com for trusted advice on how to protect themselves and report suspicious activity.
'We strongly advise against using search engines or clicking on unsolicited links, as these can sometimes lead to fraudulent websites.'