A teacher has expressed his shock after discovering that his identity had been stolen and sold on the dark web. In August 2021, Matthew Shaw was vacationing in Cornwall, UK, with his wife when he received a distressing notification on his phone.
The 27-year-old told the PA news agency, “We were having breakfast and preparing to go jet skiing, something we’d always wanted to do. Then I saw a notification saying, ‘£3,500 [$4,500] has been paid to a hotel.’ I was shocked and immediately contacted First Direct, explaining, ‘This wasn’t me.’”
As he spoke with the bank, Matthew became increasingly anxious, thinking, “All our money’s gone.” His account balance had dropped from £3,500 to just £20 ($26).
First Direct informed him that his email had been hacked, and someone in Romania had used his identity to open a bank account, pay for a hotel, and withdraw funds from his account. Matthew explained, “They hacked my email, got my ID, and sold it on the dark web… Apparently, for just $10, someone could access my information.”
This incident cut short their holiday plans, which included visits to a crystal maze and a seal sanctuary. Matthew and his partner were left in shock, with Matthew wondering, “Why us?” and questioning whether he could have done anything differently.
Despite using different passwords for each account and regularly changing his email, Matthew still fell victim to identity theft. Thankfully, First Direct refunded the stolen money, and Matthew praised the bank’s excellent support. He enrolled in a year-long fraud prevention program, noting that while the extra security came with “a million security questions,” he was grateful for the added protection, including two-factor authentication.
Although he still receives frequent alerts about attempts to access his account, Matthew hopes his story raises awareness, stating, “You never think it will happen to you—until it does.”
A spokesperson for First Direct emphasized their commitment to protecting customers from fraud and scams, highlighting their swift action in Matthew’s case and ongoing support to help him secure his account.