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Episode details

Radio 4,20 Nov 2025,28 mins

The Winter Fuel Text

Scam Secrets

Available for over a year

You've probably got the scam Winter Fuel Payment text at least once. You might well have ignored it. But what happens when the criminals hit the jackpot, the circumstances fit, and you try to take up the offer? That's what happened to Peggy - and in this episode her experience is analysed by Scam Secrets regulars Shari Vahl, Dr Lis Carter and Alex Wood. With the help of a convincing but very fake website, a one time passcode trick and the mind games that scammers deploy, the criminals wanted to go on a shopping spree on Peggy. But just as they were getting ready to splash her cash, an unexpected plot twist scuppered them. PRESENTER: SHARI VAHL PRODUCER: TOM MOSELEY

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