Scots Mum Loses Thousands After Heartless Hacker Targets Her Accounts
A Dalkeith mother is devastated after a hacker drained her bank account, leaving her with just 33p and relying on welfare support
Dalkeith, Scotland, Hacker, Scam, Bank Fraud, Cybersecurity
Dalkeith: A mum of two, Leanne Cherrie, is in a tough spot after scammers hacked her email and wiped out her bank account. She’s now left with just 33p and has to rely on welfare support.
Leanne, 36, described this whole situation as a “living nightmare.” It’s even worse because the hackers took her son’s inheritance, which he was supposed to get after losing his dad last December.
The trouble started on January 2 when Leanne woke up to friends messaging her about strange activity on her Facebook. She had even deactivated her account months ago!
When she tried to watch Netflix for her one-year-old, she couldn’t log in. Panic set in when she realized she couldn’t access any of her streaming services. Her email didn’t match any accounts anymore.
She said, “My bank account was wiped clean, and I lost everything, including my boy’s money.” It’s heartbreaking, especially for her son, who’s already been through so much.
Leanne quickly contacted the police, and her bank accounts were frozen. Investigations are still ongoing, and her bank hasn’t confirmed if she’ll get her money back.
To make matters worse, she received a threatening email from the scammers, demanding 1,600 in Bitcoin or they’d expose her personal photos. It’s just cruel.
Leanne worries that others might have fallen for the scam too, especially after a fake post from her account tried to sell Oasis tickets.
She suspects the hackers got her details through public WiFi. Leanne urges everyone to take cybersecurity seriously. “I can’t remember when they got my info, but my son often uses my phone on public networks,” she said.
“The police told me they watch for people on these open networks. They hacked my email, got my password, and accessed all my other accounts since I used similar passwords.”
She even got a notification from JustEat about an order going to an address in Manchester. It seems like they might have sold her data.
Leanne has reported everything to the police, including the scam linked to the Oasis tickets. She’s just heartbroken and doesn’t know if her bank can recover her lost funds.
“It feels like someone broke into my home and stole everything,” she said. She warns everyone to avoid public WiFi and to change passwords regularly.
“I know I should have been more careful. I’ve had to shut down my bank account. It’s been a rough start to the year, and I don’t want anyone else to go through this.”
A spokesperson from Police Scotland said they received a report on January 3 about the hacking and theft, and inquiries are ongoing.