UPDATE: |’I’m a target because I’m exposing them, but I still can’t believe it happened to me of all people’ News

Julie-Anne Kearns, 47, says she’s ‘terrified’ of the same thing happening to her again

A TikTok user who uses the platform to share scam prevention tips says she has fallen victim to identity theft herself. Julie-Anne Kearns said someone tried to secure three loans using her name, despite her “extreme vigilance”.

The 47-year-old NHS healthcare worker said she was targeted in November 2022 by a dating scammer. Pretending to be a military surgeon seeking romance, the fraudster tried to manipulate her into sending money.

The single mother and grandmother grew suspicious and discovered it was a con by reverse-searching his photo online.

Having blocked the fraudster, Julie-Anne turned to TikTok, under the alias “staysafewithmjules”, to share her experiences and educate others about the dangers of scams.

But, despite her diligence, she said she fell victim to identity theft as fraudsters potentially cloned her passport and driving licence to steal her personal details.

In December 2024, she said she discovered someone had attempted to take out loans in her name through three different companies: Lendable, Moneybarn No 1, and Billing Finance Limited.

Fortunately, she has gotten her credit file locked to prevent lenders processing new credit applications filed in her name – but she remains “terrified” of further fraud attempts.

She said she still does not know how they were able to steal her identity as she is “extremely vigilant” and does not share any personal information online.

Julie-Anne said: “I think I’m a target because they know I’m bringing scammers down by exposing them.

“I can’t believe it happened to me out of all people and I still don’t know how.”

On November 24 2022, Julie-Anne received a Facebook message from a man claiming to be called Andrew, an orthopaedic surgeon working in Afghanistan with the military.

He immediately “love bombed” her and told her that his wife had died in a car accident.

He then asked to continue their conversation via email and Google Chat, which they did for two weeks before he attempted the scam.

Andrew messaged Julie-Anne, claiming he would lose his internet access within 24 hours and would be unable to talk to her anymore, unless she could provide an iTunes gift card of an undisclosed amount to cover the internet fee.

Growing suspicious, Julie-Anne asked for a photo of him and conducted a Google image search.

She discovered he was using a picture of a licensed orthopaedic surgeon with a different name so she blocked and reported him.

Julie, from Poole, Dorset, found this very difficult especially as she had been having an extremely tough time with her health – she was diagnosed with BRCA1 in December 2017, had her ovaries removed in February 2019, and had a double mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction in August 2021.

On top of this, she had just come out of a six year relationship in June 2022.

“It was kind of heart-wrenching because you’re gaining a friendship and relationship with this person online, because you’re talking to them every day,” she explained.

“It’s heartbreaking… I don’t date anymore, I don’t trust anyone online.”

A few weeks later she shared her experience in a TikTok video which gained over 28,000 views, and the comments section was flooded with other women recounting similar experiences.

Encouraged by the response, she dedicated her TikTok page to raising awareness about scams and sharing others’ experiences.

Since then, under the handle @staysafewithmjules, she has amassed over 10,000 followers.

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However, she now finds herself inundated with scam messages, receiving between 100 and 200 per week on TikTok.

Some of the most “bizarre” have included messages from individuals using AI to pose as Justin Bieber and Elon Musk.

Despite her vigilance against scams, Julie-Anne claims she has become a victim of identity theft.

On January 5 2024, Julie-Anne received a letter from CredAbility, a credit report provider, stating that they believed an account had been opened in her name fraudulently on December 27 2023.

So, Julie-Anne confirmed that it was fraudulent and the account was suspended.

Julie-Anne said: “I was shocked, horrified.

“All sorts go through your head. I was thinking, what if they’ve flown using my blinking passport? It’s crazy.

“They said it must have been done by a professional and is identity fraud.

“I have no idea how they must have done it.”

She also contacted the police and was referred to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, who are currently investigating the case.

She said they advised her to report her passport and driving licence as stolen, as they had likely been cloned.

Through Experian, in December 2024 she discovered that someone had tried to take out a loan in her name through Lendable, Moneybarn No 1 and Billing Finance Limited.

Fortunately, she said she managed to get her “credit file locked” through Experian which means her credit report is now restricted.

According to Experian, applying a credit lock to your credit report will effectively prevent lenders from processing new credit applications filed in your name.

Experian also notify you when anyone requests access to your locked credit report which can help you spot unauthorized activity in your name.

But, Julie-Anne remains “terrified” of further fraud attempts.

She still “cannot believe” she has had her identity stolen, especially because of branding herself as a scam awareness expert.

To others facing similar situations, she said: “Speak out – I know people don’t like going to the authorities because they’re afraid they’re going to be victim-blamed.

“But this is what gives scammers more power, and we need to stop it.”