Dog Groomer Caroline Donoghue, known as the Lovemudud Dog Lady in the dog grooming industry, faced a distressing ordeal when her TikTok account, with a hefty following of 145,000, was hacked in October 2022.
Caroline, a dedicated figure renowned for her exceptional grooming insights, felt devastated as scammers took control of her meticulously nurtured online presence. Having invested over 18 months of relentless effort into building a global audience, she hosted live grooming sessions and shared award-winning tips on dog care.
Battling the Hack
The scam unfolded when Caroline received a bogus email purportedly from TikTok, requesting account verification. Subsequently, she fell victim to a ploy wherein scammers demanded £300 to release her locked account. Though she never disclosed her password, inadvertently providing sufficient information during previous conversations led to the hack.
“Initially I was in complete shock. I felt sick and went into my account to see what had happened,” Caroline recalled. “My log-in details had changed, and it hit me that this side of my business was under someone else’s control. I burst into tears.”
Despite the distress, Caroline managed to upload a single video alerting her followers about the hack, redirecting them to her new account while firmly refusing to pay the ransom. The dog groomer turned to TikTok’s customer support, which proved more challenging than expected.
“I thought it would be quite simple, but I was getting nowhere,” she shared. “I gave up hope until the BBC got in touch to follow up my story on Scam Interceptors, and the rest is history.”
BBC Sheds Light on Cybercrime
The Scam Interceptors episode aired on BBC 2 on 31st October 2023, documenting Caroline’s struggle and the imperative lessons to prevent such cybercrimes. Highlighting crucial measures, the programme emphasizes verifying email sources and resisting time-bound pressure tactics used by scammers to prompt impulsive actions.
The episode underscores the importance of reporting phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre via report@phishing.co.uk. By doing so, individuals contribute to investigations aimed at dismantling fraudulent attempts and safeguarding others from falling victim.
The comprehensive account of Caroline’s ordeal and triumphant recovery is available on iPlayer. Viewers can access the full episode by searching for “Scam Interceptors, series 2, episode 18”. To engage with Lovemudud Dog Lady’s grooming insights and content, search for @lovemuddoglady on TikTok.
