Scammers take tens of thousands from elderly victims, one of whom felt 'under a spell'

Tuesday, 16 November 2021

The victims were convinced to transfer money to Australian accounts by people claiming to be from a bank fraud team which was trying to catch a bank staff member suspected of wrongdoing.

Scammers pretending to be from a bank fraud team have taken tens of thousands from elderly Waikato residents.

Police have issued a warning over a spate of phone scams targeting elderly Waikato residents, with victims in Thames and Waihī both losing $46,000 each.

“This week is Fraud Awareness Week and offending of this nature clearly highlights the lengths scammers will go to and the tactics they use,” said Detective Sergeant Mark Leathem.

He said in current cases, the scam involved victims being phoned by someone claiming to be a member of a bank fraud team needing assistance to catch a bank staff member suspected of wrongdoing.

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The offenders convinced the victims to transfer money into Australian-based bank accounts.

One victim was asked to download a ‘remote access application’ onto their computer, giving the scammers access to their banking and personal details.

Two elderly women, one in Thames and another in Waihī, each lost $46,000, while an elderly couple in Whitianga lost $25,000.

One victim was asked to download a ‘remote access application’ onto their computer, allowing the scammers complete and uninterrupted access to banking and personal details.

“These scammers, who we believe are linked, appear to be targeting the elderly and more vulnerable members of our communities and are preying on their good morals, making them believe they are assisting trustworthy organisations with their investigations,” said Leathem.

“One victim told me she felt like she was under a spell and just doing what she thought was right.

She was brought up trusting people and just wanted to help with their investigation.”

Police urge people to have conversations with vulnerable or elderly family members, to help ensure they are aware of the tactics often used by scammers and don’t become victims of this offending.

“The Police message about this type of offending is simple – do not engage with anyone on the phone. Police and banking organisations will never ask for this type of assistance over the phone,” said Leathem.

“If you think you are being scammed just hang up immediately, you’re not going to offend anyone, and report the matter to your bank and Police.

“If you are in doubt as to the legitimacy of a caller's identity, ask if you can call them back, or just hang up and never open any links that are emailed to you by the scammer.

“One click is all it takes for these offenders to have access to your information.”

“If you have unfortunately opened a link that has installed remote access to your computer, make sure the device is shut down, or disconnected from the internet and seek assistance to ensure it is safely removed.”

In the case of these recent incidents, enquiries are ongoing.