Mum with rare sleeping disorder scammed after accidentally sharing bank details while asleep

Knipes' condition developed into sleep shopping and resulted in her unknowingly splurging £3,000.

Purchases included a full-sized plastic basketball court and hundreds of pounds worth of sweet treats.

Knipes received a spam message in March, offering her Government assistance with her bills.

She gave the scammers her financial details while sleeping and was subsequently targeted several times after she suspects they sold her information.

The mother-of-three told Essex Live: "I've had to cancel cards a few times, and I've had lots of people try to take money out my bank.

"It can be anxiety-inducing. It's really upsetting and frustrating going to bed thinking 'I don't know what the night is going to lead to'."

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Knipes, who paid the £3,000 of debt she raked up, added: "I couldn't refund any food purchases, like the Haribos.

"I kept the tins of paint, and the Wendy house because when that arrived and my kids saw it I felt I couldn't return it.

"I would never actually have to put any credit card details when I was buying things online because it was all saved on my phone.

"I was racking up debt everywhere. I just think over the years, all the money just mounts."

Knipes was diagnosed with a condition called parasomnia in 2018 which she believes was sparked by her sleep apnea - where she stops breathing in her sleep.

The condition forces her brain to remain partially awake and causes her to do things while still asleep.

In 2015, the mum overdosed on diabetes medication when she was pregnant due to the disorder - because she dreamt she was speaking to doctors.

She added: "Everyone thinks it's funny but it's not, some bits are, but some bits are quite serious."