Rav Wilding almost scammed
Rav Wilding - who hosts BBC's Scam Interceptors and is a former Metropolitan Police officer - was almost scammed by someone posing as a BT OpenReach worker who called the TV star when Rav was having issues with his internet.
Rav Wilding once narrowly avoided being scammed.
The 47-year-old star - who hosts BBC's Scam Interceptors, a factual programme that sees him, Nick Stapleton, 38, and others monitor and intervene in internet scams in progress - had a "lucky escape" after he realised the person he was on the phone with, claiming to be from BT OpenReach, "hadn't addressed" the TV presenter by his name.
The former Metropolitan Police officer recalled in the new issue of Woman magazine: "A few years ago, I was called by someone claiming to be ringing from the service BT OpenReach.
"I'd been having issues with my internet, so it made sense that someone might be calling.
"But it turned out to be a complete coincidence, and after about 10 minutes on the call, I realised they hadn't addressed me by my name once.
"When he couldn't confirm my name, I knew he was scamming me and hung up the phone immediately."
Rav said if his call with the fraudster continued, the scammer could have accessed all of Rav's personal information.
The Crimewatch host continued: "It was a lucky escape - if the call had continued, I could have downloaded software onto my phone giving him access to all my personal information."
Even if the person had confirmed Rav's name, it could have still been a scam.
Rav said: "There's a chance that even if the caller had known my name, it could have still been a scam, but the fact that they didn't was cause for concern."
The TV star stresses that people must take a moment and ask themselves if something could be a scam before diving into something.
Rav explained: "One of the things scammers rely on is people acting impulsively.
"The first piece of advice I give people is to stop, take a moment and ask yourself, 'Could this be a scam?'
"If in doubt, contact the organisation yourself, even if it means hanging up and redialling.
"If you think you've been targeted, contact Action Fraud in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, Police Scotland in Scotland, and your bank if you've passed on your banking details.
"Most banks have a dedicated line taking you straight to their security department if you call 159.
"You can also forward all text scams to the National Cyber Security Centre at 7726."
