‘Fraudsters stole £125 in a scam that looked legitimate – don’t fall for this mistake’

An “embarrassed” mother is warning others after her daughter was tricked into handing over £125 in a convincing social media .

Nicola’s 16-year-old daughter was fooled by a fake advert for the popular clothing brand Lucy & Yak, which claimed all items were just £25. Excited by the apparent deal, she entered her debit card details and placed an order – only for the items never to arrive.

Concerned, Nicola checked her daughter’s banking app and quickly realised that the transaction details did not align with Lucy & Yak, confirming they had been scammed.

She described the experience as a “roller coaster of emotions,” feeling panicked and worried about the lost money and the risk of her daughter’s details being stolen.

The 50-year-old mother-of-four from Glasgow told : “I felt embarrassed that she had been conned and was really worried that the scam would be further reaching than the money taken from her bank account, potentially including compromised personal details.”

However, the scam appeared entirely legitimate, mimicking the well-known brand with familiar logos, product images, and wording. Nicola said: “I saw the advert, it absolutely seemed legitimate. It had all the clothes we expected, the logos we expected.”

The only subtle red flag was a dollar sign instead of a pound symbol, which she only noticed in hindsight.

Fortunately, Nicola’s daughter’s bank was able to intervene and recover the lost funds. Now, she is urging social media users to double-check online ads before making a purchase.

Nicola said: “I feel like such a granny saying this, but if you see an advert and it looks too good to be true, check it out. If my daughter had taken two minutes to go to the Lucy & Yak website, she would have known it wasn’t right.”

New research by showed a quarter of British teens are likely to be lured in by a scam text, with almost half (48%) believing a dodgy deal was real.

It comes as the provider claims to have had to block 168 million suspected fraudulent text messages over the past two years.

Murray Mackenzie, director of fraud prevention at Virgin Media O2, said: “We know how convincing scammers’ messages can be with promises of too-good-to-be-true deals, discounts and job offers from well-known brands that tempt young people into clicking on dodgy links or parting with their money for items that never existed.

“That’s why Virgin Media O2 is doing all it can to stop scammers in their tracks by blocking millions of suspected fraudulent text messages and by arming parents and guardians with advice so they can confidently talk to teens about how to spot fraud attempts and to stay safe online.”

As part of its Find the Right Words campaign with online safety experts, Internet Matters, the organisations provide parents and guardians with four tips to share with teens to help them swerve the scammers.

1. Check the source: Verify links and messages, especially from friends or random users, by using other platforms or search engines to ensure their authenticity.

2. Keep personal information safe: Never share personal details or payment information online unless you know the request is legitimate. Use strong passwords and anti-virus software.

3. Stop! Think fraud: Watch out for signs of scams, such as poor grammar, suspiciously low prices, and negative reviews. Trust your instincts and investigate before acting.

4. Have regular conversations: Engage teens in casual, ongoing discussions about online safety, using real-life examples to ensure they feel comfortable reaching out if they encounter a problem.