JENNI MURRAY: I thought I was too savvy to be scammed… until now

I honestly thought I was too smart to get scammed. I have had emails from thieves in Nigeria asking for my bank account details so they could send me the millions of pounds I won in what was clearly a fictitious lottery. I knew none of my sons were lost somewhere abroad with no money, so I didn’t fall for that.

And whenever I’ve received a payment request from Microsoft, for example, I’ve always found a number to call to make sure it was real. It’s surprising how often it is an attempted scam.

Nevertheless, last month I received a text and phone call purporting to be from my bank that showed how vulnerable even the most cautious among us can be.

I was told that the call was from my bank’s fraud department and I was being asked if I recognized a transaction on my credit card of GBP 0.00 to Google. It said ‘*Temporary hold unknown 17.11.2024 06.46.23 APPROVED’.

Of course I didn’t recognize it, as I told the bank. They told me they suspected it was an example of a new type of scam. They would block my card and send me a new one as soon as possible.

This was very difficult. I was about to leave for my cruise to the Canary Islands and there was no way they could get me a new credit card before I left.

They told me not to worry as I could use my debit card instead. I didn’t think about it anymore, grateful that my bank’s fraud department seemed to be doing their best to protect me.

The ship featured a small group of speakers, including financial whiz, Paul Lewis, best known for Radio 4’s Moneybox. I’ve known him for years. He often scared me to death and pointed out to me that I was not smart enough with my money.

We speakers met for dinner one evening and I began to tell my story about the attempted scam and how pleased I was with the care my bank showed.

“Wait a minute, Jenni,” Paul said ominously. “Are you sure it was your bank that called you?”

I paled with shock and fear. Was I sure it was my bank calling me? Not really. I just assumed.

“Right,” said Paulus. “Do you still have the credit card with you?” I did, even though it was blocked and useless to me. “There’s a number on the back,” Paul said. “Call immediately and check to see if it was your bank that contacted you.”

I called and to my great relief I got a call from my bank and the whole thing was absolutely genuine. I wasn’t going to lose any money, but I should have known better.

Paul was, as always, absolutely right. Never assume that a call claiming to be from your bank is genuine. Always check.

Apparently it is one of the most dangerous times to fall victim to scammers. Earlier this week, Santander warned that the period between Christmas Day and January 1 is a busy time for crooks, who obviously won’t take the holiday period off.

Last year, almost £2 million was lost to scams by Santander customers over the festive period. The biggest loss was a shocking £600,000 as part of an investment scam.

Scammers know that we are relaxed at this time of year and may be looking for bargains during the Christmas or New Year sales. Last year there were fake clothing deals on Instagram and fake Taylor Swift tickets on the Facebook marketplace.

I have often teased my husband about his extreme caution when it comes to putting our money at risk on the Internet. He refuses to use internet banking. It’s not safe, he says.

He’s lucky that our house on the south coast isn’t far from one of the few remaining branches of our bank where you can actually go in and talk to someone. Where I am in London that has become increasingly impossible, so I rely on my banking app. But I’m starting to think he’s right.

He is an electronic engineer and understands technology much better than most of us. He would never allow his bank cards to be visible in his phone wallet. I followed his advice on this.

It’s sad to feel like you can’t really trust anyone these days, but money is hard earned and we have to protect ourselves.

I will not abandon my caution during the new year. I don’t buy anything online without checking to make sure it’s real, and I’ll never take a call from my bank and believe it without calling back to make sure it’s them.

We all need to unite and make the scammers’ lives a misery, not ours.

The year ends with glitter for Gio

So happy for Giovanni Pernice who won the Italian version of Strictly, Ballando Con Le Stelle, putting behind him all the unpleasantness he suffered with Amanda Abbington and her bullying accusations. He has fallen for his partner, actress Bianca Guaccero, and plans to propose.

And look at the size of that trophy. It puts our modest glitter ball to shame.

Would you dare to cook lunch for Delia?

My Christmas lunch, cooked by my son and my son-in-law, did not worry them as they knew they were much better at their job than I was.

But how nerve-wracking it must have been for the great Delia Smith’s cousin, now 83. She said she was excited not to have to cook for the festivities for the first time in 52 years, but also admitted it’s hard to watching someone not do well.

I bet that cousin and his wife were terrified.

Hands up if you want a WFH teacher

Can Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson really be serious about letting teachers work from home? Apparently it is intended to make the work more attractive to the next generation.

But if you want to be a teacher, you probably enjoy helping children learn. Teachers must stay at school as long as their students are there. It’s the only way they get to know them.

My mother always received a full report on my work and character, because my teachers knew me inside and out.

“Jennifer needs to learn that she has no right to slide down the school railings. She has to learn the rules and obey them.” I got away with nothing.

Why did the King remove Cadbury from the Royal Warrant list for the first time in 170 years? It was his mother’s favorite chocolate, and I think it was the one most of us preferred.

I hope he’s not trying to lead us hoi polloi to his own Highgrove brand for almost £6 a beam.

I used to hate Brussels sprouts. They were so bitter and cooked to destruction. Not anymore. My two sons knew exactly how to get the best out of them. Lightly fried in butter. Delicious.