London Underground Phone Snatching Leads to £21,000 Bank App Fraud

While Niall McNamee was using his phone on the London Underground, a perpetrator on the platform seized it from his grasp precisely as the train doors shut. Forty-eight hours subsequent to the incident, the 30-year-old found that approximately £21,000 had been removed from his bank accounts, which encompassed a £7,000 loan acquired under his identity. He informed the BBC, “It used to be people stole a phone so they could sell on a phone. Now it seems they are stealing phones so they can get into all of your data and take money.” Mr. McNamee’s experience is not isolated; British Transport Police (BTP) data indicates that reports of thefts and robberies occurring on trains and at stations throughout Britain increased by 58% between 2018 and 2023. The BTP, responsible for policing the railway and underground systems across England, Wales, and Scotland, issued a warning that December recorded the highest volume of theft and robbery reports in recent memory. Superintendent John Loveless stated that during the autumn and winter periods, criminals exploited the “cover of darkness” to target individuals. He further added, “The nights drawing in earlier, it gives people an opportunity… for offending.” The British Transport Police identifies three primary “gadget-grabbers tactics” that individuals should be aware of: Last year, London accounted for the vast majority of reported thefts and robberies on trains; however, beyond the capital, other high-incidence locations comprised Birmingham, Kent, Essex, and Manchester. Nevertheless, despite the increase in reported incidents, data acquired by the BBC through the Freedom of Information Act indicates a low rate of convictions. Out of the 23,683 thefts and robberies documented in 2023, 98% did not lead to what law enforcement refers to as a “positive outcome” or conviction. Niall, an actor and musician residing in London for 12 years, reported the theft of his phone to the authorities. Yet, he mentioned that he did not promptly consider contacting his bank or deactivating his cards. He stated, “They took everything. My online banking was showing zero… zero… zero.” Niall detailed that the perpetrator had secured a £7,000 loan from HSBC using his identity, moved the entire sum to his Monzo account, and subsequently withdrew all of it. He further noted that transaction records indicated the thief engaged in a “spending spree” at an Apple store. He recounted, “It’s one of those moments where you just in one second feel a bucket of sweat come out of your head and you go red. It was panic stations for two days. I was on the phone pretty non stop… and then pacing up and down the kitchen. Just trying to get to the bottom of it.” He also commented, “I’ve no idea how they’d got into either of my accounts. It’s face ID and password protected. They managed to take out a loan, which is a laugh because I’ve been trying to get a loan for years and I’m not eligible for one – somehow they managed to.” The British Transport Police recommends that individuals: Uma Kumaran, the Labour MP representing Stratford and Bow, informed the BBC that her constituency faced issues with phone thefts and robberies. She stated, “I have had my own phone stolen from me. It can happen in seconds. I had my phone in my hand one minute, put it in my pocket and within 30 seconds someone’s brushed past me and taken it.” She added, “Your whole life is in your phone nowadays. You could class it as a low-level, petty crime, but to the person it happens to… you feel like suddenly your whole life is taken off you.” The BBC documented the operations of a police task force dedicated to apprehending phone snatchers, observing multiple arrests. A particular suspect possessed a valuable phone encased in tinfoil, seemingly to obstruct the device’s signal and prevent tracking. One month following Niall’s report of his phone theft, the British Transport Police declared the investigation concluded due to “no CCTV evidence.” In an official statement, the British Transport Police confirmed receipt of a theft report. “Officers investigated, however after exhausting all available lines of enquiry the case has been closed pending new information.” Niall indicated that Monzo had refunded £14,000 of the funds that were stolen. He informed the BBC that HSBC had not yet cancelled the £7,000 fraudulent loan. “HSBC don’t seem to understand that I don’t have £7,000 to give them back. They’ve still not been able to explain how a loan was taken out in my name. They have not been helpful at all.” An HSBC spokesperson commented, “We’re sorry that Mr McNamee was a victim of fraud after his phone was stolen and appreciate how stressful this situation will have been for him.” The bank stated it had contacted Niall to address the matter. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.