A mum confused why she could not access her Netflix account quickly realised she had lost “everything”, as scammers accessed her online accounts.
Leanne Cherrie, 36, first realised something was amiss when alarming messages from her friends warned there was activity on her deactivated Facebook account. Panic mode set in when she realised she couldn’t access any of her accounts – including Netflix, Disney+ and her son’s Xbox- and her bank account was emptied.
Speaking to EdinburghLive, she revealed all her passwords had been the same – leaving her vulnerable to cruel scammers online. She said: “It’s just been a complete living nightmare.
“When I woke up on January 2, I put the TV on for my son but I couldn’t access any of my subscriptions. When I tried to log in, it said my email address didn’t have an account but of course I know I did.
“I tried to reset my passwords too but I couldn’t do that since the email had been changed. My little boy gets money after his dad died and they took that as well.
“I know this is my own fault. I have been left with 33p in my bank and had to rely on food banks and apply for a welfare fund through the council.
“I have had to shut down my bank account. It’s been an awful start to the year and I don’t want anyone to experience the same.”
A scotland >Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Friday, 3 January 2025, police in Dalkeith received a report of a woman’s social media and bank accounts having been hacked and money taken from them. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Last year, a pensioner revealed how a “very convincing” telephone scam cost him £4,000 as he issued a warning to others. Harold Richardson, 75, from Kent, was targeted last July when a fraudster called him up and pretended to be from Microsoft.
The scammer falsely told Harold his computer had been infected with malware, and they managed to convince him to give them access to his computer – but this was all part of a play to get steal his personal details.
He said: “They were very convincing, playing on a common issue to get me to grant them access to my computer, which gave them access to all of my personal information, including email passwords and online banking details. The scam cost me £4,000 in total, most of which I did eventually get back, however, this took a lot of time and energy and caused me a great deal of anxiety and stress.”
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