![\"Scammers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3_JS245706818.jpg\")
Scammers are preparing to target customers ahead of a busy weekend of online shopping(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n\u201cWhen I realised what had happened, I felt so ashamed, I was mortified.\u201dScammers are preparing to target customers ahead of a busy weekend of online shopping(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A Belfast woman is urging people to speak out after she was scammed out of thousands of pounds from someone impersonating her bank.<\/p>\n
Retailers are ready for Black Friday later this week on November 28 but sadly, scammers are also prepared to target customers ahead of a busy weekend of online shopping.<\/p>\n
Sam from Belfast <\/a>is urging people not to stay quiet if they\u2019ve lost money to a scam, as new research from the Money and Pensions Service finds more than a third of people in Northern Ireland<\/a> admitted to feeling uncomfortable telling their friends they\u2019ve been scammed.<\/p>\n READ MORE: PSNI officer’s HIV scare after blood sprayed into her face and eyes<\/a>READ MORE: New draft byelaws for Belfast City Centre will forbid buskers and preachers going above 70 decibels<\/a><\/p>\n As Sam knows only too well, scams can happen to anyone. She was scammed out of \u00a36,000 and is now encouraging people to report it and speak up.<\/p>\n The 51-year-old said: \u201cI thought falling for a scam was something that only happened to older or more vulnerable people. I\u2019m very good with money <\/a>and check my bank every day.<\/p>\n \u201cI did everything you shouldn\u2019t do \u2013 I gave him codes he asked for and even thanked him, as he warned me of fraudulent activity on my account. When I realised what had happened, I felt so ashamed, I was mortified.<\/p>\n \u201cI got help from the police and Victim Support and told close colleagues and friends. I would urge other people affected by scams to tell someone they trust, report it, and get support from MoneyHelper.\u201d<\/p>\n In the run-up to Black Friday<\/a> and Cyber Monday, the Money and Pensions Service is urging people not to stay quiet on scams, as new research finds more than a third of people in Northern Ireland (34%) would be uncomfortable telling their friends they\u2019ve been scammed.<\/p>\n Additionally, less than half of people (48%) said they would be comfortable telling their families if they had lost money to a scam.<\/p>\n People were concerned that speaking up would make them feel embarrassed, stupid, or foolish. They also feared being judged and didn\u2019t want to worry others.<\/p>\n MaPS is encouraging people who have been affected by scams to talk to an expert at MoneyHelper <\/a>for free, non-judgemental, confidential support.<\/p>\n MoneyHelper can help by understanding the situation, warning about the risks of secondary scamming, and providing a route to recovery. Make sure you also report the scam to Action Fraud.<\/p>\n Janine Maher, Northern Ireland Manager at the Money and Pensions Service said:<\/p>\n \u201cIf you’re planning on shopping for online deals, be vigilant around scams. Don\u2019t rush into purchases and only shop from trusted retailers.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you believe you have lost money to a scam, there\u2019s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. You are the victim of a crime<\/a>,, and you are not to blame.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first step is to report the scam. It can also be helpful to talk to someone you trust or contact MoneyHelper for free and confidential support.\u201d<\/p>\n Visit the MoneyHelper website<\/a> for more information about scams and how to protect yourself.<\/p>\n For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here<\/a> and sign up to our daily newsletter<\/a> here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWhen I realised what had happened, I felt so ashamed, I was mortified.\u201dScammers are preparing to target customers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280055,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[73079,84,924,87938,59,2212,1647,1758,56,54,55,2932],"class_list":{"0":"post-280054","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business","8":"tag-black-friday","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-crime","11":"tag-cyber-monday","12":"tag-gb","13":"tag-in-the-know","14":"tag-northern-ireland","15":"tag-shopping","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-unitedkingdom","19":"tag-your-money"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}