The Traitors star Sam Little has revealed he lost £40,000 in a devastating cryptocurrency scam that emptied his account within minutes. The Faithful contestant from the latest series of the BBC hit shared his ordeal in an emotional social media video, explaining how fraudsters tricked him into calling a fake customer service number for his cryptocurrency platform.
Details of the Scam
Little warned others about the increasingly convincing tactics used by scammers, noting that police told him it is no longer a question of if someone will be targeted, but when. “I have a rule that I never answer calls from numbers I don't have saved,” he explained. “But they got me to ring them.”
The scam began when he received several text messages over three days that appeared to come from his cryptocurrency provider, claiming repeated attempts to access his account and urging him to call a UK telephone number. When he rang, he was connected to a “knowledgeable and helpful” adviser who seemed to know details about his account without asking for passwords or verification codes.
Little believes the fraudsters created a convincing fake version of the platform and used fear tactics to pressure him into securing his account, while actually gaining control of it. “It was £40,000 across a number of investments,” he said.
Emotional Aftermath
The reality star described the moment his wife searched the phone number online and discovered it had already been linked to phishing scams as “sickening.” He said: “My heart just fell through the floor. By that point, it was too late. They'd emptied everything.”
The 35-year-old said the money had been set aside for the future, including plans to start a family with his self-employed wife. “You work hard for years to build something up and then it's gone in an instant,” he added.
Speaking to the BBC, Little said: “They didn't ask me for any passwords. They didn't ask me for any verification codes. They were somehow able to hack into the webpage I would normally interact with. Before I knew it, the phone went dead and everything had gone.”
Police Involvement
He reported the incident to Action Fraud, run by the City of London Police, but says the money has not been recovered and no investigation has yet been launched. Little said he decided to speak publicly in the hope of preventing others from falling victim to similar scams, adding: “I like to think I'm savvy, but it can catch anyone.”
