Living in a high-tech world has both its advantages and disadvantages, but one of the most evil things it has produced is an environment where scammers can run amok. It’s gotten to the point for me that I trust almost nothing that has come through my phone or email, and it’s even caused me to make a lapsed medical payment languish because I wasn’t convinced it came from a legitimate source.
But even so, there are tons and tons of scams that are getting more convincing, so much so that even younger crowds are falling for them, according to the New York Post.
Noel Phillips, a 33-year-old Good Morning Britain North America reporter and correspondent, was targeted by scam artists who used phone number spoofing technology that allows users to alter the caller ID information. They reportedly posted as Chase Bank and were able to wipe out his entire $30,000 of life savings.
“It’s devastating,” Phillips told the outlet. “I can still hear the voices of the people who called me, posing as employees of Chase Bank, claiming there had been fraudulent activity on my account. They used fear tactics to basically hypnotize me into handing over all the money I’d worked so hard to earn and save over the last four years.”
Good Morning Britain‘s report had Phillips’ fans rallying around him.
“I’m so sorry this happened. I love Noel, and you appear to have taken precautions. Hope FBI finds them,” wrote one commenter on GMB‘s Facebook video.
“Shows that anybody can fall foul of scammers. Regardless how old, how educated or how tech savvy,” added another empathetic follower.
The Post also reported that Deborah Moss, 65, was robbed of her $162,000 savings in her Chase account in 2020.
The Federal Trade Commission has been inundated with more than 516,000 imposter scam complaints totaling almost $1.7 million in losses between Jan 1, 2025 and June 30, 2025.
And if you think you can’t fall victim to it, think again. Scammers often target victims by contacting them and claiming to represent a trusted company and allege there has been a breach of privacy. They convincingly get a victim to move money fast. The catch, of course, is that they are the ones trying a nefarious move.
According to The UK Sun, Phillips will not be getting his money back. The journalist claimed Chase told him there was “nothing they could do to help recover” his stolen funds. The newspaper reported that the entire ordeal left him “embarrassed, ashamed, and worthless.”
“My only hope is the detectives investigating my case catch the people that ruined my life,” he added.
