Peter Levy’s Experience of Being Scammed
Peter Levy fell victim to a fraudster, who took a significant amount of his money. The BBC presenter bravely spoke about the experience and how it impacted his life.
The Traumatic Experience
Peter, 68, who is a weekday presenter of the BBC regional news programme Look North, recounted the ‘traumatic’ experience that took place in February. He told host Richard Stead that there were two or three days where he ‘literally hadn’t been to sleep’ due to the stressful nature of the crime.
The Emotional Impact
‘It’s the most horrific feeling. It is absolutely awful. You feel stupid. You feel thick,’ he recalled. ‘It is so traumatising and upsetting. It was awful. You can’t sleep, you can’t do anything, you feel helpless.’
Falling for the Scam
Peter said that despite interviewing people throughout his career about fraudulent activity, he still ‘got caught’. ‘I fell for something at about 20 past seven in the evening. They ring up and they say – I’ll have to change the names on this – but they say: “This is the fraud department of Richead Stead bank and we’ve noticed some unusual activity. We’ve noticed some unusual activity on your card. Have you spent £500 in the last hour?”‘
Aftermath and Advice
Three months later, Peter is still trying to rectify the situation. He now wants to urge others to be careful and to make changes such as ensuring you use different passwords for different accounts.
About Peter Levy
Peter joined BBC in 1987, having previously worked in commercial radio. The local news host is known for his quirky moments on air.
