Will Mellor has revealed he was repeatedly targeted by fraudsters who stole his identity and a “substantial” amount of money.
The Stockport-born actor – who is best known for his role on the BBC sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, as well as in Hollyoaks, Line of Duty, No Offence, and Broadchurch, and as Harvey Gaskell on Manchester-based ITV soap Coronation Street – has spoken out about his trauma the victim of fraudsters.
The Strictly star told ITV Granada that the fraudsters used his identity to set up bank accounts in his name so they could launder money.
He said he only grew suspicious when he found someone rifling through his post.
The 46-year-old, who narrowly missed-out on securing a place in the Strictly Come Dancing final last month, says a “substantial” amount of money was taken from him and that the fraudulent activity had been going on for “some time”.
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He also claims that it’s not the first time he’s been a victim of fraud either, which is why he has decided to speak out about it and warn his fans to be vigilant at all times.
Will Mellor says he was repeatedly targeted by fraudsters who stole his identity / Credit: Will Mellor (via Facebook)
“My neighbour bumped into me and said that she saw someone hanging around my letterbox and thought she saw him take something out of it,” Mellor told ITV Granada.
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“I put my CCTV facing towards the letterbox to see if I could catch anything and low and behold I caught a guy with his hand in my letterbox taking mail out. I found out that he had been intercepting my mail and had opened several accounts in my name. He had stolen my identity and had been laundering money through these accounts. One of them had £20,000 in it.”
Mellor added that situations like the one he found himself in can happen to anyone, and has offered a few tips to help “combat the crooks”.
Telling people to be aware of their online presence, Mellor pointed to recent research carried out by Nationwide that he said “shows there’s a lot of people who give too much information online on social media platforms”.
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The Stockport-born actor says fraudsters took a “substantial” amount of money from him / Credit: Will Mellor (via Facebook)
The research showed that 70% of people share their personal details on social media, with Mellor advising people to “be careful what you are posting on your bios”.
He said checking bank statements regularly is one top tip to avoid fraud.
Another tip he shared was getting a wallet that prevents people from using contactless mechanisms which can steal money off your card just by being close by, adding: “It’s great because now when I am on the train I am not worried about people being too close to me.”
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
10th January 2023 
