Scots Apprentice star Mike Soutar duped in 'shameful' online gift card scam
Scots Apprentice star Mike Soutar has admitted to being caught out in a "shameful" gift card scam.
The Dundee-born businessman, known for his forensic interrogation of candidates on BBC's The Apprentice, was stung by crooks online. Writing about the con on LinkedIn, Mr Soutar told his followers that although he got his money back, he was left with an overwhelming sense of shame.
The entrepreneur believed he was being emailed by Tim Allan CBE, who requested him to buy a £450 iTunes voucher. After attempting to contact the fellow businessman with no success, he quickly snapped up £150 worth of vouchers.
But when his bank spotted a second transaction, it blocked the initial payment - sparking the star's scam concerns.
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He wrote online: "When Tim Allan CBE asks you to take on an assignment you snap to it. Not only is he my inspiring Chairman on the board of the V&A Museum in Scotland, he is also an ex-tank commander.
"So when he emails a request for me to take on a 'special assignment' early on Saturday morning I am intrigued. Can you buy some vouchers for some of the members of the team to recognise their hard work over and above the call of duty?'
"This is typical Tim. Brilliant at knowing the right time to make a personal gesture. And he's right: the team have been working overtime to put on an epic new Garden Design exhibition.
"We exchange emails. Tim says he knows he can trust me to keep it all confidential. And then: "Can you get the vouchers in the next 20-30 minutes?' Erm, OK, I reply, but it'll have to be online. That's fine, he says: 'just get iTune gift cards, do £450-worth, send me the PINs and keep the cards in an envelope for me.'
"He sounds a bit stressed and impatient so I try to call him. I get no answer but, pressed for time myself, I buy £150 of vouchers.
"My credit card flags the second transaction and blocks it. I curse the overcautious fraud filter, and… oh hang on. I tap on Tim's name at the top of the email address.
"It is not his email address. I message him. He phones me back. 'What's all this about vouchers?'
Mr Soutar went on to warn his followers how crooks "don't prey on stupidity" but rather on timing, stress and distraction.
He continued: "I've been scammed. And this is the part that stings. Not the money. (I get that back.) Not the perceived loss of face explaining it all to Tim. It's the sense of shame.
"The stomach-punch to your self-worth. The voice in your head saying: 'You absolute mug, Mike. How did you fall for it?'
"The irony is not lost on me. I'm the man who catches unwitting candidates out on The Apprentice! But scams don't prey on stupidity. They prey on timing. On stress. On distraction. They exploit trust.
"That's why so many victims don't talk about it. Because it feels personal. It shakes something deeper than your bank balance. So here I am, not staying silent.
" Fraud can happen to anyone. Even me. Even you."
It comes as figures revealed Scots lost nearly £1m to cyber criminals in the last 12 months.
The stats, from Advice Direct Scotland, showed how digital cons rocketed from only 94 in 2021/22 to 1,119 this year - an astonishing rise of 1,090 per cent.
The national consumer advice service reported crooks using social media to target individuals, with scams soaring by 847 per cent in the last year - underscoring the vulnerability of users on platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Email-based scams also rose sharply, climbing from 24 to 88 over the same period, while SMS scams plummeted by 75 per cent – down from 102 in 2021/22 to just 25 this year, as criminals switch tactics.
Phone scams, meanwhile, remained steady, with 200 reported in 2021/22 and 202 this year.
The financial impact of such cons reported to Advice Direct Scotland reached £861,384 over the past 12 months, with £338,758 lost in the past six months alone.
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