A TV presenter has issued a warning after being targeted by scammers pretending to be her daughter, asking for hundreds of pounds of cash.
Loose Women’s Linda Robson, 66, received a message from someone pretending to be her 28-year-old daughter Bobbie.
Scammers mimicked language used by her daughter and referred to her childhood nickname “Bobbie Girl” to make the texts more believable.
Robson told The Mirror: “I was on Loose Women when I got a message from my daughter, saying ‘I’ve dropped my phone down the toilet, can you send me some money?’
“I rang her and then she texted me saying ‘I can’t pick up the phone because it’s gone down the toilet.
“It sounded like it was my daughter, she was saying things we would say to each other, and used her nickname for her – Bobbie Girl.
“I really thought it was true. I would’ve sent the money the scammers wanted – £150 – because I was really worried she didn’t have any.”
She asked the scammers the name of her family dog to test whether it was actually her daughter on the other end of the phone – when they couldn’t name it correctly she realised she had been duped.
Reflecting on the incident, Robson said: “I’m 66 now, so I’m not as savvy as the younger people.
“We need to be really, really careful.”
In September, the National Fraud Helpline reported on the rise of criminals using voice cloning technology to trick relatives by mimicking their loved ones.
According to a Starling Bank survey of 3,000 people, nearly one in ten admitted they would send money as requested, even if the call felt suspicious – leaving millions vulnerable to fraud.
Have you lost money to a scam? Contact National Fraud Helpline. Call 0333 0033218 or fill out our Claim Form.