The 'Money Back' Scam

Being scammed once can be a devastating, life-changing experience. But the criminals we hear about on Scam Secrets don't care about that. They'll often come back for more, with bogus offers to help you get your money back. It's known as recovery fraud, and its impact can be worse than the original crime. Often the criminals will be the same ones that stole your money in the first place.

More than £200 million was stolen like this last year, according to Report Fraud. Sometimes it'll be an official looking letter, perhaps pretending to be a genuine company, offering assistance. Sometimes it'll be a phonecall out of the blue, asking you to pay 'tax' on your refund before it's released. That's what happened to Jane, who tells Scam Secrets how criminals bombarded her with calls, and preyed on her desperate desire to recover from a crypto investment scam.

Joining Shari, Lis and Alex is Beth Harris, head of financial crime at the Financial Conduct Authority, who highlights a crucial red flag - nobody legimitate will ask you to pay up front to get your money back.

PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL

PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY