Reality TV Star Warns Public After Losing £40,000 in Crypto Scam
Sam Little, a 35-year-old from Yarm and a former contestant on the BBC program 'The Traitors' (Series 4), has come forward to discuss how he became a victim of a phishing scam. Little disclosed that he lost £40,000 of his life savings, which he had invested in cryptocurrency, describing the incident as 'gut-wrenching.' He stated that these funds were earmarked for when he and his wife planned to start a family, and he has been unable to recover any of the money. His primary motivation for speaking out is to alert others to the prevalence and subtlety of such fraudulent schemes.
The Deceptive Call
Little recounted to the BBC how he received text messages that appeared to be from his bank, notifying him of multiple login attempts on his account and instructing him to call a specific number. During the subsequent phone call, he logged into his online banking platform, but noted that he did not suspect anything amiss because, as he explained, "They didn't ask me for any passwords, they didn't ask me for any verification codes." He believes the scammers were able to gain access to the legitimate web page he typically used. "Before I knew it, the phone went dead and everything had gone," he added, quickly realizing he had been defrauded. He described the emotional impact, saying, "It feels like your world's just collapsing. You work solidly for years to build this up, and it's just gone."
Widespread Problem and Ongoing Investigation
Since the incident in January, Little has dedicated time to researching the commonality of such cybercrimes. Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates that 4.6 million people in the UK are affected by cybercrime and fraud annually, with a 31% rise in reported cases between 2024 and 2025. Little reported his scam to Report Fraud, an agency managed by the City of London Police; however, he noted that an investigation has not yet commenced. A spokesperson for Report Fraud informed the BBC that they are "in the process of exploring this report by carrying out a manual review," acknowledging that "Crypto wallets are a complex area of policing and will take time to resolve."
Despite the lack of resolution, Little hopes that by sharing his personal ordeal, he can help prevent others from experiencing similar financial losses. He remarked, "I like to think I'm savvy, but it can catch anyone. It's really scary."