'Am I compromising my bank?': Aussies warned over potential scam

Molly received a seemingly innocent message from someone who said they'd transferred her money by mistake. While her story ended positively, Aussies are being warned it could have been far more sinister.

It feels as though scams are everywhere nowadays.

You can’t look at a call from an unknown number without assuming it’s a scammer, or see a notification from your bank without thinking twice.

One Aussie has taken to the internet to share her story, and while hers has a happy ending (albeit, a little bizarre), it’s very clear that not everyone is in the same boat.

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Image: TikTok / @meet.the.mackenzies.

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“Does it sound like a scam?”

TikTok user Molly took to the app this week, sharing a bizarre experience in which she received money by surprise into her bank account, from a name she didn’t recognise.

“I received $350 in my bank account this morning,” she shared in a video, which now has over 300,000 views.

“There was a description where it said Phoebe’s Bridal… I googled ‘Phoebe’s Bridal’ thinking it was a business, and I could just ring them and say ‘I think you’ve accidentally paid me’. I Facebook-ed the name… thinking I could find the person.”

However, when she couldn’t find anything, she checked her emails to find an email from Phoebe herself, confessing she’d used an incorrect email address to transfer money via PayID - and asking for the money back.

“I just checked my junk emails and there was an email from said Phoebe, and the message was ‘I’m so sorry, this is so random, but I accidentally sent you $350 for my bridal make-up - are you able to send that money straight back to me?’,” she said.

While initially, Molly said she was relieved to know the truth, she then questioned - was this the truth at all?

“I read it and I thought ‘Amazing! End of story. Money was accidentally sent to me, and I’m going to send it back’. But then I thought, is this some sort of scam that I’m going to be the idiot that loops into it?” she said.

“Am I compromising my bank by sending this money back? Does it sound like a scam or does it sound legitimate?”

@meet.the.mackenzies

With all these clever scams I see, it has me worried 😬 #scam

♬ original sound - Molly

“I’m very happy with the story”

Over the course of the week, Molly continued to provide updates on the situation, saying that as a result of the concern of commenters, she was hesitant to send the money back.

Bankers in particular - including her own when she contacted them directly - confirmed that the original woman would be able to dispute it with her bank and get the money back that way, instead of having Molly send it back manually.

However, the make up artist herself ended up contacting her directly through TikTok, confirming that the mistake was legitimate - and Molly ended up sending the money back.

“The make-up artist has all of the receipts and the messages from Phoebe with proof. I’m very happy with the story,” she said in an update video.

“I believe it’s all legitimate, so case closed. I sent Phoebe her $350 this morning and I wrote in the subject ‘Congratulations on your wedding’.”

Could it be a scam?

Even after Phoebe got her money back, commenters were still speculating that it was a scam, referencing their own similar experiences with hackers using PayID to transfer money, asking the recipient for it back, as well as contacting their bank to have it returned - ultimately doubling their money, and stealing from the victim unknowingly.

However, according to the ACCC, scams like this can happen in an abundance of ways, whether the hacker obtains your bank details or phone number directly, or hacks into your email to get your information from there.

A National Anti-Scam Centre spokesperson urged everyone to take a breather before making any decisions around sharing money or personal information.

“Don’t give money or your information to anyone if unsure,” the spokesperson told Kidspot.

“Scammers will create a sense of urgency. Don’t rush to act. Say ‘no’, hang up, delete. Do not click on any links or download attachments from messages unless you are sure it is from someone you can trust.

“Scammers may pretend to be from organisations you know and trust like businesses, the police, your bank or government services. They will offer to help you or ask you to verify your identity with them.”

And, if you’re still unsure, contact any relevant organisations yourself to be sure - just like Molly did.

“Act quickly if something feels wrong,” the spokesperson said.

“Contact your bank if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information. Seek help and report the scam to Scamwatch. When you report scams, you help us stop the scam and warn others.”

Originally published as 'Am I compromising my bank?': Aussies warned over potential scam