While the pandemic ruined many livelihoods, it provided a boom for criminals

A retired teacher who lost £120,000 to an Instagram scam has told ITV News she has been left claiming Universal Credit as a result of the loss.

63-year-old Teresa Jackson, from Portishead, is one of 36 million adults to have been targeted by scammers since January, according to Citizens Advice.Ms Jackson, a retired teacher, signed up to the fake investment scheme after responding to a social media advert. The post alleged that adventurer and presenter Bear Grylls had became rich by investing in Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency.

After registering her interest, Ms Jackson received a call from a man posing as a financial adviser.

Ms Jackson explains exactly how much the £120,000 she lost meant to her

“He just knew everything there was to know about Bitcoin and investments. I used to go and check everything he said – everything seemed genuine,” she explained.

By the time she realised the…

Read more…

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR