Everly Pregnant Brothers: "I had £2,000 drained from my bank in a scam and I am absolutely devastated"

The former frontman of Sheffield’s Everly Pregnant Brothers has told The Star he is “devastated” after scammers drained his bank account of nearly £2,000.

Shaun Doane, more widely known as Big Shaun, said: “They have caught me at a vulnerable time.

“I’m already off of work with a bit of depression and my mind has not been great for a few weeks... I’m trained to spot fraudulent calls at work, but they were so convincing.”

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Shaun is best known for his time as the lead singer for the Everly Pregnant Brothers. He left the band in December 2023, after 14 years alongside the likes of Pete McKee creating numerous local classics like ‘Chip Pan’ and ‘Hendo’s’.

“At lunchtime, I received a call out of the blue - private number,” he said, “that should have set alarm bells ringing, but it didn’t.”

He said the scammer had done his research, giving Shaun lots of information to give the impression he was genuinely from his bank.

“It wasn’t a lot, but it was significant to me.”

He added: “They knew how the system worked... they convinced me a transaction from my account was already being stopped, but I had to proceed for the insurance to get that money back.

“As soon as the line went dead, I knew I’d been had.”

Immediately, Shaun called his bank and an investigation has been launched.

The scammers drained Shaun’s account of roughly £2,000. A total Shaun said “wasn’t a lot, but it was significant to me”.

“I’m devastated,” he said.

Just hours after falling victim to the scam, 55-year-old Shaun was on the phone with The Star hoping to prevent others from falling foul to it as he did.

“If you get a phone call from someone saying it’s your bank, just tell them you will call them back. Don’t give them any information,” he said, “They will try to convince you its genuine to keep you on the phone, but just call your bank on the number on your bank details... don’t fall for what I did today.

“Just be careful, be vigilant. This is becoming more and more common place and I never thought it could happen to me, but it can happen to anybody.”

South Yorkshire Police have a dedicated team for those who may have been victims of a scam, fraud or online crime. If you have fallen victim to a scam, you can report it to them online or on 0300 123 2040.