127: Saving with Steve with Steve Sexton - Episode 127127: Saving with Steve with Steve Sexton - Episode 127
UK Health Radio Podcast
Steve Sexton talks with fraud specialist Simon Horswell about the most common and fast-evolving money scams of 2026, from deepfakes to romance cons. Together they outline simple habits and warning signs that may help people protect their savings and support vulnerable loved ones.
44:58•25 Apr 2026
Scams, Deepfakes and Money Traps: Steve Sexton and Simon Horswell on Staying Safe in 2026
Episode Overview
- Treat any urgent demand for money, even from someone who sounds familiar, as a major warning sign and pause before acting.
- Use a known phone number or channel to contact banks, government bodies or family members to confirm any unexpected request.
- Banks do not ask customers to move funds into a separate “safe account”; such requests strongly indicate a scam.
- Be wary of online marketplace, ticket and job offers that push for quick payment, ask you to send money back, or route money through your personal account.
- In online relationships, be cautious of early intense affection, secrecy and sudden money or investment requests, especially tied to “too good to be true” returns.
“"Always, if there is that sense of urgency to pay something, that should be your first kind of red flag."”
What can we learn from those who have battled addiction to fraud and financial scams instead of substances? This edition of Saving with Steve shifts the focus from growing savings to protecting them, zeroing in on how easily everyday people can be conned in 2026. Host Steve Sexton chats with returning guest Simon Horswell, senior fraud specialist at Entrust, who lays out seven to eight common scams that are catching people off guard.
From deepfake phone calls using cloned voices of loved ones, to fake tax and government demands, to fraudsters spoofing your bank’s number, the message is blunt: "If someone's pressuring you to make some kind of financial transaction immediately, there's a big sense of urgency...
this is most likely going to be a scam." The conversation is fast-paced, practical, and full of real stories: a 90-year-old almost tricked by a fake grandson, employees abusing company phones to run scams, and heartbreaking tales of retirement accounts wiped out by romance and “pig butchering” investment schemes. You’ll also hear about online marketplace cons, fake job offers that turn people into money mules, and why criminals love targeting kind, trusting people.
Simon keeps things simple with recurring advice: pause, "stop and verify," call organisations back on numbers you already trust, and treat any urgent request for money as a giant red flag. Steve adds relatable anecdotes and light humour, making complex fraud tactics easy to grasp for anyone who manages money, supports elderly relatives, or is rebuilding life after financial or alcohol-related chaos.
If you're aiming for a healthier relationship with money as part of wider life recovery, this episode lays out exactly what to watch for so fear and shame don’t cost you your future. Which of these red flags have you already seen in your own inbox or call log?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.