UK woman racks up $50K debt in 'Martin Lewis' bitcoin scam
A woman in Somerset lost £40,000 ($50,800) in a bitcoin investment scam that used the likeness of financial guru Martin Lewis. The anonymous victim, referred to as Lisa by the BBC, invested £200 in bitcoin after coming across a Facebook ad for what appeared to be a legitimate business. Scammers called her daily for two months, grooming her into letting them take out several loans in her own name. Lisa told the BBC, “Before I knew it, he’d opened an Experian account on my behalf and applied for approximately 11 loans using false details about my income.” In one instance, £55,000 ($69,800) was deposited into her account by the scammers. Angered by the ordeal, she asked the scammers where the money had come from. However, this prompted the scammer to become abusive over the phone. Lisa said, “If I didn’t comply then I would lose all the money I’d made.” She subsequently sent the money to the scammer’s bank account. She said, “He tol...