Three number code protects you from scam that cost Love Island's Amy £5,000

A fraud expert has explained how phone number spoofing works after scammers used the tactic to con Love Island star Amy Hart out of £5,000. Criminals use a vast array of techniques to hoodwink victims. Now a new trend has emerged where caller ID information displayed on your phone can be falsified.

And the so-called ‘number spoofing’ recently caught out Amy when devious scammers manipulated a number so it was the same as her bank’s fraud team. Speaking to The Sun about the scam she said: "My phone rang, I didn't recognise the number so I didn't answer it. I went onto Google to search for the number and it came back as my bank's fraud team. They phoned back again, so that time I answered it.

"They knew lots of information about me and they said, 'There's been some dodgy activity on your account' then your heart rate goes up. You're sweaty, you're worried, you're panicking, and you just want to sort it out. They use pressure tactics."

The scammers triucked Amy into clicking on a pop up they sent to her phone - allowing them full access. Once she realised she had been scammed, Amy contacted her bank and they refunded the money.

Amy is now working with O2 as they launch DAIsy, an AI-generated ‘granny’ who keeps fraudsters on the phone via a number of time-wasting ploys, thereby reducing the opportunity for them to scam real people.

Paul Hampson, fraud expert and CEO of CEL Solicitors, has explained how number spoofing works - and how to avoid getting tricked by scammers pretending to be someone else. He said: “Number spoofing is used to make a caller seem legitimate, such as impersonating a bank, government agency or even a local business.

“It’s often employed in scams to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or making payments based on false pretenses. The crooks use software to manipulate caller ID and modify an outgoing phone number displayed to the recipient. They will then use the name or number of a reliable body to gain trust and manipulate the recipient into action.

“A common example of scams involving number spoofing are bank fraud alerts, where they impersonate banks and claim there has been suspicious activity on your account. They will then ask you to move your money to another account to keep it ‘safe’.”

Scammers also mimic government agencies like HMRC, threatening legal action for unpaid taxes, or tech support from major companies - offering to fix your devices or claiming there’s a security risk. CEL Solicitors is a specialist in fraud recovery and handles cases where more than £3,000 has been lost. Its fraud team has seen a sharp rise in the number spoofing cases this year.

Mr Hampson added: “The scammers might tell you to share the numbers on your bank card or ask for info from bank statements. They may also request personal details such as your home address. I would strongly advise people not to share any information until they are sure of the caller’s identity.

“The easiest thing to do is hang up and call back using contact information listed on official websites.”

If it was a call from a bank, Mr Hampson recommends Stop Scams’ new service ‘159’ where you can dial that number and be directed to your bank. "This number is short enough that it can’t be spoofed so it’s a safe way to make contact with your bank,” he said.

“A legitimate caller would understand you wanting to call back, a scammer would use scare tactics and pressure to keep you on the line. Unfortunately, we live in a time where we can no longer trust caller ID and you should verify any calls before sharing personal or financial information.

“Despite advancements in fraud detection, criminals continue to find ways to exploit vulnerabilities. We urge individuals to be vigilant. If you do find yourself a victim of this crime, seek help straight away by speaking to your bank and reporting it to Action Fraud.”