Scammed couple ripped off to tune of $33,000

Thursday, 10 January 2019

Harold (Hardy) and Olga Jenkins want to save other people from the ordeal they faced when they were scammed out of $33,000.

Tasman district resident Harold (Hardy) Jenkins has spent a long time beating himself up since he and his wife, Olga, were scammed out of $33,000.

'I just felt like such a bloody fool,' the octogenarian said of the November 14 incident. 'Why didn't I click on? I fell right into their hands.'

Harold (Hardy) and Olga Jenkins couldn't eat or sleep after they were scammed.

Fortunately, in what anti-fraud guru Bronwyn Groot calls an 'extremely rare' outcome, the couple got their money back a few days later but the emotional rip-off is taking longer to shake.

From his sunny home in Mapua on Wednesday, Hardy said he was getting over the event and had agreed to share his story in the hope it might be a warning for other people to prevent them having to face a similar experience.

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'I tell you, it's the worst few days we've ever put in,' he said. 'We couldn't eat, we couldn't sleep. I couldn't talk to people. I was beating myself up – why didn't I think of it? It even upsets me talking about it now, to be honest.'

The story began a couple of months before the November day when the scammers struck. Hardy had been having trouble with his wifi. His internet service provider, Trustpower, sent someone from another company to check the line from the road to the house but found no fault.

On Friday, November 9, Hardy had the same problem and was advised that his wifi would be monitored for 48 hours and someone from Trustpower would be in contact. Hardy said the couple were heading away for the weekend so he asked for the call to come on Tuesday, November 13.

'There was no phone call on the Tuesday,' Hardy said. 'Wednesday morning at 8.50 the phone rings: 'Good morning, it's Spark here about your computer'.'

Hardy explained that he was with Trustpower, not Spark, to which the woman on the phone said: 'Oh yes but we do Trustpower's work.'

Since Trustpower had already sent someone from another company to inspect the line and Hardy was expecting a call about his wifi: 'It just fell into place for them, it was so simple.'

The scammers got remote access to his computer.

Hardy was passed on to a 'technician' who told him he had been 'scammed big time'.

'And, of course, I knew I was having trouble with my computer and I went along with him,' Hardy said. 'He said: 'We'll put you through to security and they'll sort you out.' He told me they were there to get these scammers.'

The story continued with a claim that the Government had provided funds to help catch the fraudsters. The 'security' man showed Hardy an account with $33,000 of 'Government funds' and asked him to transfer it so they could follow it and catch the scammers.

Hardy later discovered it was the couple's own $33,000.

The 'security' man warned Hardy that some bank staff were working with the scammers 'so don't say anything to anyone'. Wanting to help, the couple went to their bank and made the transfer.

When they returned home, Hardy checked his account and found $33,000 gone. 'They left me with $700.'

He immediately called police, who advised him to contact the bank. The bank staff 'closed everything' but by that time, the money had gone.

The couple was later told a digit was incorrect so the transfer got held up and the bank managed to retrieve it. They received the good news on Monday, November 19.

'At half-past three he rang, the bank manager, and he said: 'We've got your money'.'

Hardy said family, the bank staff, police and Age Concern Nelson Tasman elder abuse response services adviser Mal Drummond had all been marvellous.

'I was a mess,' Hardy said. 'I can't believe I let them do it. It was dreadful, you have no idea.'

Groot, the Commission for Financial Capability fraud education manager, said it was 'damn good news' the couple got their money back. It was also extremely rare.

'Once it's gone, it's gone,' she said, adding the money was often funnelled through multiple countries.

Groot said she'd been hearing since late 2018 that 'mongrels' behind these scams had been falsely claiming bank staff were involved.

'It's a really good scam,' she said. 'They're making huge money. They don't have a moral compass; it's all about dollars and how much they can get.'

Groot said people should only provide remote access to their computer if they had called the company.