Eagle-eyed Northern Ireland Asda worker stops elderly customer from being scammed

An eagle-eyed Northern Ireland Asda worker has stopped an elderly customer from being scammed.

Service section leader Lynsey McAlonan, who has worked at Asda Bangor for 13 years, sensed something wasn’t right when an elderly customer approached her in-store, requesting to buy £500 worth of Apple gift vouchers.

Lynsey had heard of a similar scam before so just wanted to check he was comfortable buying such a significant amount.

The customer explained that a friend on Facebook Messenger had asked him to do so in exchange for a substantial amount of money.

Lynsey asked if he was happy to show her his phone so she could read the message as she suspected he was being scammed. After checking the message, she explained that it was very likely that his friend's Facebook account had been hacked.

Lynsey explained to the man that she believed he was being scammed and advised him not to spend the money on the vouchers and to ensure he didn’t share any personal information. The customer was so pleased with Lynsey’s help and advice which stopped him from losing £500.

Lynsey said: "I think it’s important for supermarket workers to stay vigilant and look out for customers who may be falling victim to scams. Unfortunately, older people are often targeted by online scammers, and everyone should be aware of this to prevent it from happening.”

She added: "Once I explained the situation to the customer, he was so thankful for my help. I knew that he was from a local nursing home, so I also called them to ask them to inform other residents to be vigilant."

The following day, the customer's son came into the store to thank Lynsey, leaving a bunch of flowers and a card, expressing the family's gratitude for her looking out for their dad.

Phillip Stewart, manager at Asda Bangor, added: "Lynsey's quick thinking and genuine concern for others was clear to see. When she noticed this gentleman on the verge of falling victim to an online scam, she didn’t hesitate to step in. Her actions not only protected someone vulnerable but also reinforced the trust and care that we have for our customers here at Asda Bangor. Great job, Lynsey!”