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Boom time for scammers

Why lockdown living is making us more vulnerable to financial scams

During the Coronavirus pandemic, people have been spending more time at home, and online, than ever before. This has given online scammers a golden opportunity to find new victims. And it’s worked. We’ll hear from Danielle in Illinois, who was caught up in just such a scam and lost thousands of dollars from her savings. And she’s not the only one. Craig Jones, Director of Cyber Crime at Interpol, describes the rise they’ve seen in all types of online scams during the pandemic. But why does lockdown make us more vulnerable? Dr. Stacey Wood, professor of psychology at Scripps College in California, breaks down how different demographics are made more vulnerable in their own ways. And if you or a loved one do get targeted by a scammer, Amy Nofziger at the American Association of Retired Persons Fraud Watch Network explains what to do.

Presenter: Tamasin Ford.
Producers: Clare Williamson and Frey Lindsay.
(Picture credit: Vasily Pindyurin via Getty Creative)

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18 minutes

Last on

Wed 14 Apr 2021 07:32GMT

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  • Wed 14 Apr 2021 07:32GMT

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