This Morning caller scammed out of £2,000 by 'actor' promising a meet and greet

26 May 2022, 14:32 | Updated: 26 May 2022, 14:40

Holly and Phil react as caller tells them she was scammed out of £2,000

By Naomi Bartram

@naomibartram

A woman on This Morning revealed she was scammed out of £2,000 by someone pretending to be an actor.

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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield were shocked this week when a caller revealed she was scammed out of £2,000.

Agony aunt Deidre Sanders appeared on the show to offer some advice to viewers when a woman going by the false name Emma phoned in.

Talking to Deidre and hosts Holly and Phil, Emma said: "I was scammed this weekend."

She continued: "Someone contacted me off of social media, I thought it was an actor that I admired and liked watching, I was totally drawn in, and it wasn't."

Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield spoke to a woman who was scammed. Picture: ITV

Holly, 41, then said: "Oh my God, I'm so sorry,” and Phillip, 60, asked: "So this actor that you admire asked you for money?"

After Emma replied yes, Diedre asked how much money she lost.

Emma then replied: "Well I was led to believe I was gonna have a meet and greet... erm £2,000."

Holly then repeated: "Emma, Emma, Emma..." before Phillip added: "They can come at you from any direction."

As Diedre tried to comfort her, Emma said her son had helped her try to report it to the police but she hadn’t heard anything since.

Holly and Phillip were left shocked on This Morning. Picture: ITV

Phillip reassured her: "Bearing in mind that it may not be a person, it's probably a group of people, a very organised bunch of robbers.”

This comes after consumer watchdog Which? warned of another scam circulating whereby the scammers claim to be associated with the council.

They then ask for your bank details in order to pay out the £150 rebate, which then allows them to take large sums of money from their bank accounts.

There are also variations of this scam being sent by email and text message.

The Local Government Association has urged people in England and Wales to be extra vigilant, confirming councils don’t ask for bank details over the phone.