'Ashamed' Good Morning Britain star scammed out of entire life savings - admitting they were left 'lying numb on the kitchen floor in excruciating pain and mental trauma' by ordeal

Daily Mail​

a day ago

An 'ashamed' Good Morning Britain star has been scammed out of his entire life savings - and admitted that he was left 'lying numb on the kitchen floor in excruciating pain and mental trauma' by the ordeal.
North America Correspondent for the ITV show, Noel Phillips, appeared on the programme to chat to Ed Balls, 58, and Kate Garraway, also 58, about what happened to him when he became a victim of fraud.
Noel lost $30,000 after scammers called him up pretending to be from Chase Bank and told him that his account had been compromised.
After hanging up, he called back the number and it connected him to his actual bank's customer service to make it look like a legitimate call.
When the scammers called him back, he received a notification from his banking app about a payment which had locked him out.
So he rushed to the bank, all while on the phone to the fraudsters, and made a payment with them, which meant he lost his entire life savings.
The North America Correspondent appeared on the programme to chat to Ed Balls, 58, and Kate Garraway, also 58, (pictured) about what happened to him when he became a victim of fraud
Speaking during a pre-recorded segment, Noel said: 'The fraudsters convinced me that I needed to transfer my money into a separate account which they said had my name on it.
'They then persuaded me that the staff were responsible for the fraud. So therefore I should avoid informing them of what was happening.'
Kate asked him: 'How are you feeling about it now?'
Noel said: 'To be honest Kate, I'm still in disbelief. I remember two weeks ago I was lying here in my kitchen on the floor, numb and just refusing to except that I did something so stupid.
'I felt embarrassed I felt ashamed, I felt worthless.
'On top of that, the excruciating pain of all of this is the mental trauma.
'The fact that I for the last couple of days wake up in the middle of the night, pick up my phone and open my banking app in hopes that this was all a twisted reality.
'How could someone like me who reports stories like this fall a victim?
'How could I fall a victim? How could this happen to me?'
Ed then asked if he could put to him what Chase Bank has put to them as he read out: 'These type of scams are heartbreaking.
'We urge all consumers to ignore all phone, texts or internet requests to move money or gain access to their computer or bank accounts.
'Banks and legitimate companies won't make these requests that scammers will.'
He asked: 'How do you react to their statement?'
Noel said: 'The most painful part of that statement is the fact that the bank have turned their back on me.
'They've said "look listen, you've made that stupid mistake", which was an honest mistake, "and we can't do anything to help you at all".
He said they have the account details, the two individuals where the money was transferred to.
Noel added: 'I think it's outrageous that hundreds of people who fall victims to these sort of scams are left to pick up the pieces.
'There are elderly people who I have spoken to, young people, we often have the perception it's our parents or grandparents are the victims to these scams.
'Scammers don't discriminate.'