The View From My Study – February 14 2025
Have you heard of Perkin Warbeck? I’m going to guess not. What about Francois and Joseph Blanc? I am going to guess not to them too. And what about Frank Abagnale Jnr? You might have heard of him if only because he was portrayed by Leonardo Di Caprio in the film Catch Me If You Can.
Warbeck is a minor figure in British history yet he was responsible for one of the boldest cases of identity fraud ever recorded. Supporters of the deposed Richard III transformed Warbeck into “Richard, Duke of York,” the long-lost heir to the English crown. Under this false identity, Warbeck gathered an army of 6,000 and won the backing of powerful European rulers. Though his deception ultimately failed and he was captured, his claim had shaken the Tudor regime and the story goes to show that identity theft is not just a 21st Century crime caused by the advancement of AI!
Traders Francois and Joseph Blanc orchestrated one of history’s most elaborate financial scams. In the 1830s, almost 50 years before the invention of the telephone, they manipulated the French stock market by intercepting telegraph messages, altering financial data to profit before others could react. Their scheme also highlights how technological advancements provide new avenues for deception, a lesson that remains relevant in today’s digital age.
It was Safer Internet Day on Tuesday and we have been focusing on digital safety throughout this week. We want the children to understand that technology and the internet are powerful tools that can enhance our lives positively but we we also need them to understand the dangers of the internet too, if not used in the correct way.
It is a fact that there are fraudulent people in the world and there is a need to be aware of possible scams. Mrs Fourie delivered an informative Thought for the Week on Tuesday in which everyone learnt a little more about ‘phishing’ and ‘smishing’, ‘scamming’ and ‘blagging’. We learnt about the likely signs of a scam – something that is too good to be true; claims of a required urgent response; unexpected contact from someone; the use of emotional language; and the request for money or information. Importantly, we were also reminded about things we can do to prevent being scammed, such as: use strong and separate passwords; keep private information safe; take care with online purchases; talk to a trusted adult if unsure and so on.
We go to great lengths to protect our children from all sorts of physical dangers in life yet protecting them from what they see or do online is sometimes overlooked. Fraud has been prevalent throughout history but the rise of deepfakes and AI-driven deception adds an extra dimension to the blurring of illusion and reality and we therefore have a duty to ourselves and to our children to be more vigilant than ever.
The arrival of half-term will be welcomed by many across the community after a busy period in gloomy conditions. There have been many successes this term already and our scholarship count for the 6th Form is up to 18 awards which is testament to their hard work and talent. Safe travels if you are heading off to catch some winter sun or snow. Good luck to those skiing or, as one Reception boy told me yesterday, “skeeding”.
