This Morning’s Eamonn Holmes has opened up about his ordeal after falling victim to a scam that lost him £60k.
The TV presenter has revealed he was robbed of the five-figure sum by con artist Jay Cartmill in 2014.
Now, he has confessed that it left him feeling “vulnerable” and “suspicious” of people around him.
The 59-year-old told The Sun’s Bizarre column: “The effect it has on you is that it makes you suspicious of everyone and everything and you feel very, very vulnerable.”
Conman Jay spent two weeks posing as the star in a hotel after obtaining his details. He then managed to run up huge bills, including £25k on a marble fireplace.
Eamonn explained that his attention was drawn to the illegal activity when his bank called him to ask if he had just spent £25k on paving stones.
It was then that the penny dropped and he realised something wasn’t right.
The broadcaster added: “The guy with the brain hacks your account, the Mafioso lot pay him money, they take your details and they live off them.
“It was the most ridiculous situation but the scandalous thing is that when it went to court the judge said it was a victimless crime because they will say the bank will reimburse me and I could afford it.”
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Jay avoided doing any prison time and was handed a two-year suspended sentence for the crime.
Eamonn’s story comes as he presents his new show Do The Right Thing, which aims to reveal fraudsters around the country.
He hosts the channel 5 show with wife Ruth Langsford, 58, as they try to out scammers and help the victims affected by their wrongdoing.
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We’re glad that’s all in the past now, Eamonn!
You can catch Do The Right Thing on Sunday at 7pm on channel 5.
Have you ever been in the same situation as Eamonn? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.