Faithful to a fault: The Traitors star Sam Little cleared out by digital backstabbers

According to media reports, a former contestant of the TV show Traitors has fallen victim to a crypto scam, resulting in the loss of his life savings.

Sam Little, who appeared on season 4 of Traitors, told ITV’s This Morning that he had received a series of text messages in relation to his crypto account, from a verified number that he had received messages from previously. On this occasion, the messages requested that Sam get in contact urgently as someone had attempted to access his account and steps needed to be taken to prevent any potential fraud. In a panic, Sam contacted what he thought was the crypto platform using the UK landline number provided, who Sam claimed were “super helpful” in his time of crisis.

Whilst on the call, Sam was directed to log into his account on the online crypto platform and file an insurance claim to cover any potential losses as a result of the ‘attempted hacking’. Sam believed that he was transferring his crypto assets to a protected hardware wallet to prevent any further fraud. In actual fact, Sam was transferring his crypto directly to a crypto wallet held by the fraudsters. Within moments, Sam’s life savings were gone.

What is a crypto scam?

This is an example of a phishing scam, in which fraudsters impersonate a seemingly trustworthy source, such as a bank or crypto platform, to gain access to your account and drain it.

Typically, fraudsters send an email or text message masquerading as the victim's bank / crypto platform, claiming that the victim’s account has been hacked by an unknown party and requesting that the victim take urgent action in order to protect their account. The aim is to incite fear and to force the victim to act quickly and without the usual precautions.

This often involves the fraudsters directing the victim to click a link or log into their account from their device.  Fraudsters are then able to access the victim’s account and transfer the crypto assets to a wallet within the fraudsters’ control.  

The stolen crypto assets are often divided across several wallets held by the fraudsters and moved quickly from platform to platform. This makes any chance of recovery extremely difficult, particularly given that crypto platforms are often outside of the jurisdiction (i.e. are not based within England or Wales).

We have outlined other increasingly prevalent crypto scams to be aware of in a previous blog, which you can read here - Crypto scam red flags.

How to protect yourself from crypto scams and fraud

Unfortunately, fraud is rife in the UK, with over £600million stolen in the first half of 2025 alone.

This is worsened by the fact that crypto and banking fraud scams are becoming more and more sophisticated. The best tip is to think before you click. If you are contacted by anyone purporting to be a bank or other trusted source, do not click on any link provided to you. Rather, log on to your account in the way you would usually, independently of the text message or email (i.e. via the relevant app or website).

If you have any doubt to the validity of any correspondence, always contact your bank / crypto platform directly via details found on their website, as opposed to any contact details provided to you by an unknown source.

Another important tip is to pause before taking any action in a panic. Fraudsters will often contact a victim with a sense of urgency, demanding that action be taken immediately. This prevents you from questioning the veracity of what you are being told. Take a few moments to think through what might be happening, and if you have any concerns, block the email or mobile number that has contacted you and reach out to the bank / crypto platform via verified routes (as detailed above).

The City of London Police recently warned consumers about ‘spoofing’ software, which allows fraudsters to contact victims using the details of a legitimate organisation, for example using your bank’s telephone number. This makes it even more difficult to spot potential fraud.

Even if the call or text appears to be from a trusted source, it might be a spoof.

What legal options are available after a crypto scam?

We act in complex, high-value crypto fraud cases in an attempt to retrieve clients’ stolen crypto assets.

By obtaining disclosure orders from the court, we have previously been able to identify the individuals behind the fraud. Further, we have successfully secured worldwide freezing orders that freeze the crypto wallets held by the fraudsters to prevent further dissipation of our clients’ assets.

However, it is important to note that, even if you successfully obtain court orders in an attempt to recover stolen crypto assets, fraudsters move quickly. Once the stolen crypto assets have been divided up across several wallets held by the fraudsters, it becomes increasingly difficult to recover all of the stolen assets. These cases are known as ‘hot pursuits,’ and the trail can quickly go cold. Time is of the essence here.

In addition to the fraudsters, it may be possible to pursue those who have facilitated the fraud i.e. a bank that has allowed a fraudulent transaction to be processed or anyone who has held the stolen assets for the fraudsters.

Can you recover money lost to banking fraud?

If you believe that you have been the victim of fraud, it is crucial that you contact your bank immediately. As of 7 October 2024, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has put in place fraud reimbursement protections. These protections allow for victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud to potentially be reimbursed up to £85,000 by their bank. In the first year of this regime, banks reimbursed £173million to victims of APP fraud. 

Whilst the introduction of the PSR’s regime is a positive step for victims of APP fraud, banks are becoming increasingly robust at warning customers about potentially fraudulent transactions. If customers ignore this advice and are subsequently defrauded, they may not qualify for reimbursement.

If you are in need of assistance, please contact Graham Small or Lily Paterson.

With thanks to co-author Cameron Mackenzie-Price, Paralegal in the Commercial Litigation team.