CHANNEL 5's thrilling drama Cold Call tells the gripping story of how one woman's life is turned upside down thanks to evil scammers.
Due to the realistic nature of the plot, some viewers have been left wondering if the four-part series is based on a true story.
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Is Channel 5's Cold Call based on a true story?
Channel 5's Cold Call revolves around June Clark, an ordinary woman, who is scammed by a cold caller.
She then tracks down the fraudster and begins working for him in order to bring him to justice.
Every day, thousands of Britons find themselves being targeted by cold callers.
Similar to the plot in Cold Call these shameless scammers often prey on elderly and vulnerable people, hoping to steal their hard earned cash.
Read more on Channel 5
Due to it's realistic storyline, viewers may think that the Channel 5 story is based on a true story.
However the series, which was written by Karyn and and Mark Buckland, is fictional although some of the events that happen will ring true for those who have been a victim of cold callers.
Who does Sally Thomas play in Cold Call?
Actress Sally Lindsay plays June in Cold Call, who is duped out of all her money by a scammer.
The former Coronation Street star drew from her own terrifying scam experience to play the part.
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The Channel 5 series has strange parallels to the TV star's own life as she too was almost conned out of her money.
Speaking on The Chris Evans Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, Sally said: "But there's so many [scams].
Cold Call's Sally Lindsay reveals her own terrifying scam experience on Chris Evans' Virgin Radio Breakfast Show
"I mean, the week before I went to a meeting and I got a call from this supposed gas board saying that we were going to have a [County Court Judgment] against our name.
"We had not paid [the bill] for up to two years. And I know I had. I knew I had. I'm an intelligent person.
"The CCJ. The thing in my head was I got one years ago when I was a student, and I've never actually quite got over it."
The actress went on: "They play on that. So then I remember thinking, I know I've paid this. I said, I'm going to double check.
Paul Higgins has taken the character to a different level and I don't think anyone else could have done it, he was just phenomenal and I was in awe every day.
Sally Lindsay
"But even then, I had to go out, and was distracted."
In Cold Call, Sally's character June reunites with an old classmate called Des (Daniel Ryan), who tells her that the man who stole her money is a local businessman Kirk Wiley (Paul Higgins).
In the gripping drama, June manages to get a job caring for Kirk's elderly mother - who is suffering from Alzheimer's.
At first she doesn't think the slick businessman is capable of such a crime, but a conversation where he brands his mother "disgusting" changes her mind.
In an interview with The Sun, Sally said actorPaul Higgins' performance of the character left her reeling.
She told us "Paul has taken the character to a different level and I don't think anyone else could have done it, he was just phenomenal and I was in awe every day.
"Every take I'd just look and go 'you massive loonie' because he was so amazing."
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How to watch Cold Call?
Cold Call originally aired on Channel 5 in 2019.
But due to its popularity, the broadcaster is showing it again.
The series is airing over four consecutive nights at 9pm on Channel 5.
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It kicked off on Monday, June 17, 2024, and will conclude on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Viewers can also stream the entire boxset right now on the streaming platform My5.
How to protect yourself from scams
BY keeping these tips in mind, you can avoid getting caught up in a scam:
- Firstly, remember that if something seems too good to be true, it normally is.
- Check brands are "verified" on Facebook and Twitter pages - this means the company will have a blue tick on its profile.
- Look for grammatical and spelling errors; fraudsters are notoriously bad at writing proper English. If you receive a message from a “friend” informing you of a freebie, consider whether it’s written in your friend’s normal style.
- If you’re invited to click on a URL, hover over the link to see the address it will take you to – does it look genuine?
- To be on the really safe side, don’t click on unsolicited links in messages, even if they appear to come from a trusted contact.
- Be careful when opening email attachments too. Fraudsters are increasingly attaching files, usually PDFs or spreadsheets, which contain dangerous malware.
- If you receive a suspicious message then report it to the company, block the sender and delete it.
- If you think you've fallen for a scam, report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use itsonline fraud reporting tool.
