Star Wars & Game of Thrones star loses £50,000 in elaborate cryptocurrency scam – as he issues urgent warning
A STUNTMAN who doubled as Hugh Bonneville in Paddington 2 has warned of a “mafia stronghold” of elaborate cryptocurrency scammers after losing nearly £50,000.
Felix Leech, who also appeared in Star Wars, The Batman, Game of Thrones and Aquaman 2, joined a WhatsApp trading group which he saw advertised on Instagram.
He initially invested £1,000 before transferring thousands more over the following month while being told so-called profits on his bogus account continued to soar.
After trying to withdraw cash, criminals ordered him to pay large fees for fake money laundering regulations, capital gains tax and a £20,000 fine for alleged insider trading.
Mr Leech confided in his uncle who told him it was a scam - after investing £48,000 including all his savings, credit card borrowing and a £10,000 Lloyds loan.
The 34-year-old said: “They had a bit of a mafia stranglehold on me. I was like ‘I have to do what they say because my money’s in there and I can’t get it out’.
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“I was constantly asking the organiser in the WhatsApp group ‘is this the last payment? It better be the last payment’.”
He was duped into believing the scheme to convert his cash into bitcoin with Luno Money Limited was genuine after successfully withdrawing small amounts of £40 and £50.
Mr Leech kept making payments as he was “desperate” and egged on by other fake traders on WhatsApp who were in on the fraud last June.
The social media group disappeared in October as did associated scamming websites - after his “sickening” realisation the sham plot had left him penniless.
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Mr Leech, who helped perform the stunt in Paddington 2 where Bonneville’s character straddled two trains, is being helped by the .
Solicitors managed to recoup back £11,000 from Lloyds and are now trying to recover more losses from the Financial Services Ombudsman.
The stuntman, from Wembley, west London, added: “I’d been in debt for six months and it just consumes you the whole time.
“It’s helped massively, I’ve paid off all the loans and credit card debts and for the first time in six months I’m financially free. If I could get the rest back it would be a mind-blower.
“I’m in a relationship now so I could treat my girlfriend properly, and feel more confident because I would have enough money both to live off and to save if I don’t have immediate work come in.”
Leo McGowan, a lawyer at National Fraud Helpline, said: “This was a particularly nasty scam because the fraudsters tried to frighten Felix into believing that he had done something wrong and may have committed a crime.
“The scammers will use any trick that can to try and get money out of people, including intimidation.”
12 ways to protect yourself from fraud using your credit card
FRAUDSTERS will use every trick in the book to part you from your cash.
Whether it’s fake holiday home listings, romance scams or bogus car deals, anyone can be caught out by their sophisticated ploys.
Research by Barclaycard found that more than half of Sun readers worry they will get caught out by crooks.
If you are unlucky enough to fall for a con your credit card can help protect you.
Use a credit card for big purchases
The big advantage of paying by credit card over a debit card is what’s known as “Section 75” protection. This means that your credit card company is equally liable alongside the retailer if you buy an item over £100 that isn’t delivered or does not match its description. So if you are duped by a sham website when buying a TV, you can ask your card provider for a refund if it doesn’t show up. This is also great protection against retailers or travel companies going bust.
To make a claim under Section 75 you will need to first go to the retailer to try and get a refund. If they refuse you, you’ll need to provide evidence of their refusal to refund when you apply for a refund from your credit company.
Watch out for technicalities
While Section 75 is an amazing protection, there are some caveats. If the retailer you are shopping with uses certain third-party payment processing companies online or the store you're shopping in uses them for their card payments then you might not be covered. You also won’t be refunded for purchases over £30,000.
If it looks too good to be true, it usually is
You will save yourself a lot of hassle if you don’t fall for scams in the first place. If the gadget you are looking to buy is substantially cheaper on one website than all the others, the chances are it’s a scam.
