The number of people falling victim to recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages has significantly increased in the past year, with reported losses totaling nearly £1 million. Bella Betterton, an 18-year-old from Devon, became a victim of this type of scam and had £3,000 stolen from her. She had been contacted by scammers who posed as a genuine recruitment company, leading her to believe she was participating in a real job interview. The fraudsters managed to trick her into revealing her card details, which they then used to steal her money. City of London Police warn that these figures may only represent a fraction of the actual number of victims, as this type of fraud is often underreported.

Recruitment scams involve criminals enticing victims with the promise of additional work or income, only to deceive them into providing their bank details or gaining control of their phones to steal money. Bella, who had been working full-time over the summer to save up for her university education, had all her savings stolen. She had hoped to start a biochemistry degree but now faces the challenge of rebuilding her savings. The scammers conducted a sophisticated interview with Bella over the phone, during which they convinced her to use their money to purchase and review products. They then used the information they had obtained from her, along with possible malware on her phone, to make four large card payments to a cryptocurrency exchange.

Bella was devastated by the loss of her hard-earned money and felt overwhelmed by the situation. She had never experienced anything like this before and did not know how to cancel the payments or protect her bank account. The emotional impact of the scam was significant, as she had worked tirelessly for three months to save that money. Bella is now working extra hours as a waitress to try to make up for the stolen funds.

Recruitment scams are a high-volume, multi-stage crime. Fraudsters target a specific number of people, and even if only a few respond, they can obtain valuable data such as personal information and bank details. They may ask victims for small upfront payments, claiming that these will be reimbursed in their first paycheck. Once victims are invested, scammers can continue to exploit them for larger sums of money. Tackling fraud effectively requires a coordinated effort from government, law enforcement, and industry.

Bella’s bank has refused to refund her as a victim of fraud, but she is challenging this decision with the Financial Ombudsman Service. In the meantime, she is working tirelessly to recover the stolen funds. This experience has had a profound impact on her, making her feel more mature and aware of the dangers in the world.

Original news source: I had £3,000 stolen via WhatsApp job scam message’ (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary

Instructions: Have students read the article individually and then write a summary of the main points. Afterward, they can share their summaries in small groups and compare their answers. Finally, as a class, discuss the key details and any important information that may have been missed.

– Opinion Poll

Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Have students discuss their opinions on the topic of recruitment scams, based on the information in the article. Then, each group can create a set of questions for an opinion poll. They should ask questions about people’s experiences, awareness of scams, and opinions on the effectiveness of government and industry efforts to tackle fraud. Students can then conduct the poll by asking other classmates and compiling the results to share with the class.

– Keyword Taboo

Instructions: Write a list of keywords from the article on the board. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and face away from the board. The rest of the class will take turns describing the keyword to their teammate without using the actual word. The first team to guess the keyword wins a point. Continue until all the keywords have been guessed or until time runs out. The team with the most points wins.

– Vocabulary Pictionary

Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper and put them in a hat or container. Divide the class into teams. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and pick a word from the hat. They must then draw a picture to represent the word, while their teammates try to guess what the word is. The team that guesses correctly earns a point. Continue until all the words have been drawn or until time runs out. The team with the most points wins.

– Future Predictions

Instructions: In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about the future of recruitment scams based on the information in the article. They should consider factors such as advancements in technology, increased awareness, and potential measures to combat fraud. Each group can then present their predictions to the class, explaining their reasoning and discussing any potential challenges or solutions.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How much money in total has been reported lost due to recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages?
2. How did the scammers convince Bella to reveal her card details?
3. What type of degree was Bella hoping to pursue before her savings were stolen?
4. How did the scammers use the information they obtained from Bella to steal her money?
5. How did Bella feel after losing her savings to the scam?
6. What are some of the tactics that recruitment scammers use to exploit their victims?
7. What steps does the article suggest are necessary to effectively tackle fraud?
8. What actions is Bella taking to try to recover her stolen funds?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The number of people falling victim to recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages has significantly increased in the past year, with reported losses totaling nearly £1 million. Bella (1)______, an 18-year-old from Devon, became a victim of this type of scam and had £3,000 stolen from her. She had been contacted by (2)______ who posed as a genuine recruitment company, leading her to believe she was participating in a real job interview. The fraudsters (3)______ to trick her into revealing her card details, which they then used to steal her money. City of London Police warn that these (4)______ may only represent a fraction of the actual number of victims, as this type of fraud is often underreported.

Recruitment scams involve criminals (5)______ victims with the promise of additional work or income, only to deceive them into providing their bank details or gaining control of their (6)______s to steal money. Bella, who had been working full-time over the summer to save up for her university (7)______, had all her savings stolen. She had hoped to start a biochemistry degree but now faces the challenge of rebuilding her savings. The scammers conducted a sophisticated interview with Bella over the phone, during which they convinced her to use their money to purchase and review products. They then used the information they had (8)______ from her, along with possible malware on her phone, to make four large card payments to a cryptocurrency exchange.

Bella was devastated by the loss of her hard-earned money and felt overwhelmed by the (9)______. She had never experienced anything like this before and did not know how to cancel the payments or protect her bank account. The (10)______ impact of the scam was significant, as she had worked tirelessly for three months to save that money. Bella is now working extra hours as a waitress to try to make up for the stolen funds.

Recruitment scams are a high-volume, multi-stage crime. (11)______ target a specific number of people, and even if only a few (12)______, they can obtain valuable data such as personal information and bank details. They may ask victims for small upfront payments, (13)______ that these will be reimbursed in their first paycheck. Once victims are invested, scammers can continue to exploit them for larger sums of money. Tackling fraud effectively requires a coordinated effort from government, law enforcement, and (14)______.

Bella’s bank has refused to refund her as a victim of fraud, but she is challenging this decision with the Financial Ombudsman Service. In the meantime, she is working tirelessly to (15)______ the (16)______ funds. This experience has had a profound impact on her, making her feel more mature and aware of the dangers in the world.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a recruitment scam and how does it work?
2. Have you ever received a suspicious text or message? How did you handle it?
3. How would you feel if you were a victim of a recruitment scam and had your savings stolen?
4. Do you think banks should be responsible for refunding victims of fraud? Why or why not?
5. Have you ever been tricked or deceived by someone? How did it make you feel?
6. What steps do you take to protect your personal information and bank details?
7. How do you think the government, law enforcement, and industry can work together to tackle fraud effectively?
8. Do you think recruitment scams are a common problem in your country? Why or why not?
9. How do you think this experience has changed Bella’s perspective on the world?
10. Have you ever had to work extra hours to make up for a financial loss? How did it affect you?
11. What precautions can individuals take to avoid falling victim to recruitment scams?
12. How do you think the emotional impact of the scam affected Bella’s daily life and future plans?
13. Do you think the Financial Ombudsman Service should refund Bella’s stolen funds? Why or why not?
14. Have you ever challenged a decision made by a bank or financial institution? What was the outcome?
15. How can awareness about recruitment scams be increased in order to protect more people from falling victim to them?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. victim
2. recruitment
3. sophisticated
4. fraudsters
5. malware
6. devastated
7. overwhelmed
8. tirelessly
9. waitress
10. multi-stage
11. exploit
12. coordinated
13. ombudsman
14. profound
15. mature

Meanings:
(A) Having reached an advanced stage of mental or emotional development
(B) Criminals who deceive people in order to take money or gain other benefits
(C) Involving the organization and cooperation of different groups or people
(D) A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action
(E) Malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system
(F) The process of enlisting people for jobs or services
(G) Complex and highly developed; advanced
(H) Working with great effort or energy
(I) To take unfair advantage of someone or something for one’s own benefit
(J) Involving multiple phases or steps
(K) A person who serves food and drinks to customers in a restaurant
(L) Feeling like one has too much to deal with; unable to cope
(M) Extremely upset or disappointed
(N) Having a significant or lasting impact
(O) An official appointed to investigate individuals’ complaints against a company or organization
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What type of scam did Bella Betterton fall victim to?
(a) Recruitment scam
(b) Email scam
(c) Phone scam
(d) Lottery scam

2. How much money did Bella have stolen from her?
(a) £1 million
(b) £10,000
(c) £500
(d) £3,000

3. How did the scammers trick Bella into revealing her card details?
(a) They sent her an email
(b) They hacked into her bank account
(c) They posed as a genuine recruitment company
(d) They called her pretending to be her bank

4. What did the scammers use Bella’s card details for?
(a) To make payments to a cryptocurrency exchange
(b) To purchase products for Bella to review
(c) To transfer money to Bella’s bank account
(d) To make small upfront payments to Bella

5. How did Bella feel after losing her money?
(a) Angry and frustrated
(b) Devastated and overwhelmed
(c) Indifferent and unaffected
(d) Relieved and happy

6. What is one way that fraudsters can exploit victims for larger sums of money?
(a) By posing as a genuine recruitment company
(b) By hacking into victims’ bank accounts
(c) By asking for small upfront payments
(d) By sending phishing emails

7. Who does Bella plan to challenge the decision of her bank with?
(a) The police
(b) The government
(c) Her university
(d) The Financial Ombudsman Service

8. What does tackling fraud effectively require?
(a) More victims to report the crimes
(b) A coordinated effort from government, law enforcement, and industry
(c) Stricter laws and regulations
(d) Increased public awareness about scams

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages have seen a negligible increase in the past year.
2. Reported losses from recruitment scams total less than £1 million.
3. Recruitment scams involve convincing victims to provide bank details or gaining control of their phones to steal money.
4. An 18-year-old from Devon named Bella Betterton had £3,000 stolen from her in a recruitment scam.
5. The City of London Police believe that the reported losses may only represent a fraction of the actual number of victims, as this type of fraud is often underreported.
6. Bella’s bank has agreed to refund her as a victim of fraud, and she is satisfied with this decision from the Financial Ombudsman Service.
7. Scammers posed as a genuine recruitment company to trick Bella into revealing her card details.
8. Bella had been working full-time over the summer to save up for her university education, but all her savings were stolen in the scam.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. How have recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages increased in the past year?
2. How did scammers trick Bella Betterton into revealing her card details?
3. What are recruitment scams and how do they deceive victims?
4. How did the scammers use Bella’s information to steal her money?
5. How has Bella been affected emotionally and financially by the scam?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Nearly £1 million has been reported lost due to recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages.
2. The scammers conducted a sophisticated interview with Bella over the phone, during which they convinced her to use their money to purchase and review products, tricking her into revealing her card details.
3. Bella was hoping to pursue a biochemistry degree before her savings were stolen.
4. The scammers used the information they obtained from Bella, along with possible malware on her phone, to make four large card payments to a cryptocurrency exchange.
5. Bella felt devastated and overwhelmed after losing her savings to the scam.
6. Recruitment scammers may ask victims for small upfront payments, claim that these will be reimbursed in their first paycheck, and continue to exploit them for larger sums of money once they are invested.
7. The article suggests that tackling fraud effectively requires a coordinated effort from government, law enforcement, and industry.
8. Bella is challenging her bank’s decision to refuse her refund as a victim of fraud and is working extra hours as a waitress to try to recover her stolen funds.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Betterton
(2) scammers
(3) managed
(4) figures
(5) enticing
(6) phone
(7) education
(8) obtained
(9) situation
(10) emotional
(11) Fraudsters
(12) respond
(13) claiming
(14) industry
(15) recover
(16) stolen
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. victim
Answer: (D) A person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action

2. recruitment
Answer: (F) The process of enlisting people for jobs or services

3. sophisticated
Answer: (G) Complex and highly developed; advanced

4. fraudsters
Answer: (B) Criminals who deceive people in order to take money or gain other benefits

5. malware
Answer: (E) Malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system

6. devastated
Answer: (M) Extremely upset or disappointed

7. overwhelmed
Answer: (L) Feeling like one has too much to deal with; unable to cope

8. tirelessly
Answer: (H) Working with great effort or energy

9. waitress
Answer: (K) A person who serves food and drinks to customers in a restaurant

10. multi-stage
Answer: (J) Involving multiple phases or steps

11. exploit
Answer: (I) To take unfair advantage of someone or something for one’s own benefit

12. coordinated
Answer: (C) Involving the organization and cooperation of different groups or people

13. ombudsman
Answer: (O) An official appointed to investigate individuals’ complaints against a company or organization

14. profound
Answer: (N) Having a significant or lasting impact

15. mature
Answer: (A) Having reached an advanced stage of mental or emotional development
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What type of scam did Bella Betterton fall victim to?
Answer: (a) Recruitment scam

2. How much money did Bella have stolen from her?
Answer: (d) £3,000

3. How did the scammers trick Bella into revealing her card details?
Answer: (c) They posed as a genuine recruitment company

4. What did the scammers use Bella’s card details for?
Answer: (a) To make payments to a cryptocurrency exchange

5. How did Bella feel after losing her money?
Answer: (b) Devastated and overwhelmed

6. What is one way that fraudsters can exploit victims for larger sums of money?
Answer: (c) By asking for small upfront payments

7. Who does Bella plan to challenge the decision of her bank with?
Answer: (d) The Financial Ombudsman Service

8. What does tackling fraud effectively require?
Answer: (b) A coordinated effort from government, law enforcement, and industry
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Recruitment scams through text and WhatsApp messages have seen a negligible increase in the past year. (Answer: False)
2. Reported losses from recruitment scams total less than £1 million. (Answer: False)
3. Recruitment scams involve convincing victims to provide bank details or gaining control of their phones to steal money. (Answer: False)
4. An 18-year-old from Devon named Bella Betterton had £3,000 stolen from her in a recruitment scam. (Answer: True)
5. The City of London Police believe that the reported losses may only represent a fraction of the actual number of victims, as this type of fraud is often underreported. (Answer: True)
6. Bella’s bank has agreed to refund her as a victim of fraud, and she is satisfied with this decision from the Financial Ombudsman Service. (Answer: False)
7. Scammers posed as a genuine recruitment company to trick Bella into revealing her card details. (Answer: True)
8. Bella had been working full-time over the summer to save up for her university education, but all her savings were stolen in the scam. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧