Is it 'all over' for online scammers? 1966 legend Sir Geoff Hurst hopes it will be

The 1966 World Cup hattrick hero says he has been the target of scams and wants to help his generation embrace, rather than fear, technology

Words by Hannah Kings, ITV News Consumer Producer

He may be best known for his performance on the pitch, but now England football hero Sir Geoff Hurst is taking on a new opponent - online scams.

The generation that remembers Sir Geoff’s hat-trick taking England to World Cup victory in 1966 has witnessed huge technological changes in their lifetimes, and new research now shows the bombardment of online cons they face.

Sir Geoff, who is 82, says he receives scam emails almost every day - and he’s not alone.

Research by BT Group shows that over a quarter (28%) of people over 65 receive multiple scam calls, texts or emails a week, with those aged 55 to 64 encountering more scams than any other age group.

Now, the star striker is urging his peers to kick out the conmen by learning digital skills and educating themselves about some of the most common tactics fraudsters use.

Sir Geoff tells ITV News: "I’m one of the people that they’re targeting because of my nervousness when I come anywhere near a computer or something I can’t work. Life has changed dramatically in the digital world in the last 20 years".

"I’ve been targeted," he explains. "It was a TV licence. They push you into a stage where you think you have to do something, and get you worried and concerned. That’s part of the wording - ‘I must do it, I must do it’. Stop and think".

We joined Sir Geoff at a digital skills session at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, where members of Bristol City FC’s senior walking football team were learning how to spot and avoid scams.

“I treat everything I get now, almost - that I’m not sure about - as a scam”, Sir Geoff tells the group.

Trainers from AbilityNet, a charity which supports those looking for help with their digital skills, then talked through a range of common cons, from parking scams to false endorsements and romance fraud.

During the interactive session, a number of people said they had been the victim of a scam - and some had lost considerable amounts of money.

One of those who put up his hand in the discussion was Colin Knapp. He was targeted by scammers who persuaded him there was something wrong with his computer, and that he needed to allow them to access it remotely.

Fortunately, Colin was able to call his son for help, and his bank managed to stop the scammers before they took any money, but he says he still feels shaken by the experience.

"The damage that’s done - it makes you exceedingly vulnerable, and question everything you do in your life," Colin tells ITV News.

"It’s frightening, very frightening. Suffice to say now I am frightened to death to touch anything to do with the IT. I just steer away from it as much as I can. And that shouldn’t be".

Phil Summerhayes told us how he lost over £300 to a purchasing scam - after seeing an advert that appeared to be publicising a special offer from Marks and Spencer.

“The site looked incredibly like M&S, so I spent £350”, he said.

Rob McLean was one of the trainers running the session. He was inspired to get involved when his mum lost thousands to a romance scammer.

"They took advantage of my mum because she’s deaf. They got her information off the internet. It was a love scam, and before we knew it, fifty grand of her life savings were gone".

Today’s new research also shows older people are the most likely to confront scammers, with nearly a quarter (23%) of people aged over 65 having done so.

Amy Caton is from BT Group - who joined with AbilityNet to run today’s session. She urges restraint when confronting fraudsters.

“I think you have to admire that spirit, but I would caution people against getting embroiled in further conversations; risking giving more information. I think drawing a firm line under something, ending that conversation and moving on is the way to go”.

Asked how it feels that members of his age group have emerged as targets for scammers, Sir Geoff says: “It makes you feel sad in a sense that you’ve got people out there trying to do that to - in our age group - very old and very vulnerable people”.

Of course, we couldn’t spend an afternoon with Sir Geoff Hurst without asking him about that controversial second World Cup goal. So, was it really in?

Sir Geoff’s verdict - delivered with the hint of a smile: “Had VAR been around in our time, it would have shown unequivocally that the ball was over the line”.

He goes on to conclude: “After 60 years…who cares?”

Over half a century on, it’s the question he’s continually asked, but the World Cup champion doesn’t want there to be any doubt about his new goal - to empower older people to protect themselves online, so the scammers can’t win.

If you’re looking for support with improving your digital skills or avoiding or reporting scams:

AbilityNet offers information and training on common techniques used by scammers and how you can protect yourself:

AgeUK offers advice on what to do if you think you’ve been scammed, and provides a list of other charities and organisations who can help:

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