Tech Reviewer Tom Honeyands Loses £70,000 to Phone Phishing Scam

Phone Scam Exploits a Creator's Social‑Media Footprint

While traveling for work in Tokyo, Tom Honeyands – known as “The Tech Chap” on YouTube – received a call from someone claiming to be from Lloyds Bank. The caller referenced a non‑existent Singapore transaction, warned that his account was compromised, and demanded a security reset.

• Honeyands has 1.63 million YouTube subscribers.
• The fraudster appeared to have pieced together personal data from Honeyands' publicly posted videos.
• Jet‑lag and a noisy dinner environment contributed to his confusion.

£70,000 Stolen in Twelve Verification Calls

The scammer instructed Honeyands to verify a series of payments. Over a few hours he completed 12 verification steps, which the criminals used to move a total of £70,000 into their accounts.

When the real Lloyds security team finally called back, Honeyands was left holding two lines – one with the fraudsters and one with the bank – and had to decide which was authentic.

Social‑Media‑Based Phishing: A Growing Threat for Influencers

This incident illustrates how attackers can harvest publicly available content to craft highly targeted phone scams. Influencers who regularly share location, device screenshots, or banking icons inadvertently provide a roadmap for fraudsters.

Traditional advice – “don’t share travel plans” – now extends to digital footprints such as screen recordings or app icons visible in videos.

Future Safeguards and Advice for Content Creators

Honeyands recommends:

• Limit exposure of banking apps or icons in any public content.
• Verify any unsolicited bank call by hanging up and dialing the official number on the back of your card.
• Consider a dedicated, offline phone line for business communications while traveling.

Financial institutions are also urged to reinforce education around phone‑based fraud, especially for high‑profile online personalities.