A Scots mum-of-two has been left penniless after scammers hacked into her email and drained her bank account of thousands of pounds.
Leanne Cherrie, 36, from Dalkeith, who now has to rely on welfare support following the fraud, described the ordeal as a “living nightmare,” with just 33p remaining in her account after a four-figure sum was stolen.
Cruelly, her 10-year-old son’s inheritance was taken, along with other funds in her account, after he lost his dad in December 2023.
The cybercriminals first targeted her email address before taking over her social media accounts, streaming service platforms, and other online accounts.
The nightmare began on January 2 when Leanne woke to messages from friends warning her about alarming activity on her Facebook page, despite her deactivating the account a few months prior.
“I went to turn Netflix on for my one-year-old son, but I couldn’t get on,” Leanne explained. “The same thing happened with Disney+. I went into a panic when I realised I couldn’t access any of my subscriptions. They said my email address didn’t match an account.
“My bank account had been wiped, accounts were gone, and I realised that I’d lost everything, including my boy’s money after his dad died.
“It’s sickening, especially for my son. I think he’s been through enough, and now this. I’ve no choice but to rely on food banks and apply for a welfare fund through the council.”
Leanne immediately contacted the police, and her bank accounts were frozen. Inquiries into the fraud are ongoing and her bank have not yet confirmed whether she will be able to recoup the money she lost.
She also received an email from the scammers, threatening to expose all her photos and videos to her contact list unless she sent 1,600 in Bitcoin by a 48 hours deadline.
Leanne fears others also fell victim to the scammers after believing a fake Facebook post from her account advertising Oasis tickets for sale.
The mum suspects she was hacked through public WiFi and has urged others to take cyber security more seriously.
Leanne added: “I can’t pinpoint when the scammers got my details, but my son regularly uses my phone when we’re out and about on public WiFi.
“Police have told me they just watch for people on these open networks. They hacked into my email, got the password, and then managed to access all my other accounts because I used similar passwords for most things.
“They also posted on my Instagram, trying to get people to click on a link, and I even got a notification from JustEat saying my order was on its way to an address in Manchester. So, they might have sold my data.
“It’s all been sent to the police, including the number from the Oasis ticket scam.
“At this point, I don’t know if my bank will be able to recover the funds—it’s just heartbreaking. It’s like someone’s walked into your front door and stolen everything.
“I would warn everybody never to use public WiFi and to tighten up your security. Change your passwords regularly and use different ones.
“I know this is partly my fault. I’ve had to shut down my bank account. It’s been an awful start to the year, and I don’t want anyone else to experience the same.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Friday, 3 January 2025, police in Dalkeith received a report of a woman’s social media and bank accounts being hacked and money stolen. Inquiries are ongoing.”
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