Rip Off Britain’s Gloria Hunniford scammed out of £120,000
Rip Off Britain presenter has since questioned how bank could have been fooled by impostor, claiming they look nothing like each other.
TV star Gloria Hunniford has been defrauded by a ‘lookalike’ who drained her bank account, according to court reports.
The 76-year-old Rip Off Britain presenter lost £120,000 when an impostor walked into a branch of Santander in south London with two accomplices who she claimed were her daughter and grandson.
She told the personal banker behind the counter, Aysha Davis, that she was ill and wanted to add her “grandson” as a signatory on her account, handing over ID and a bank card that carried the TV presenter’s real full name, Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford.
The banker duly carried out the fraudster’s request, even taking photocopies of their driving licences, the Old Baily heard.
‘We look nothing alike’
Speaking to the Mirror, Hunniford questioned how the fraudster had succeeded, adding they looked nothing like each other.
“If you looked at my driving licence, you would certainly know it was not the same person,” she said.
“If they were checking that, where were her eyes? She should have gone to Specsavers because there was no similarity.
“[The impostor] could at least have bought a wig the same colour as my hair and tried to make it look the part.
“I do not understand how this was allowed to happen at the bank.”
It's unclear how the scammers got hold of the bank card and driving licence.
Pictured: Gloria Hunniford (left) and the unidentified fraudster (right)
Image: Shutterstock and FFA
When giving evidence, personal banker Davis told the court she had no idea who Hunniford was.
“The name on the ID card was Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford, and sorry to be stereotypical but this lady looked like a Mary," she said.
"I had to Google Gloria Hunniford and even if I passed her on the street I wouldn't recognise her because she's not from my time.”
Still on the run
The “grandson”, 18-year-old Alan Dowie, was caught and has been handed a suspended sentence. However, police are still searching for the impostor and her “daughter”.
A spokesperson for Financial Fraud Action UK, an organisation set up by the UK payments industry to tackle fraud, told loveMONEY: “We would like to hear from anyone who has information which could identify them – please could they contact City of London Police control room on 101.”
Santander has reimbursed the £120,000 stolen from Hunniford’s account.
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