A great-grandmother has lost $1.6 million – her life savings – in a sophisticated scam by criminals who impersonated bank staff. Elaine Spring’s stolen savings were the proceeds from the sale of the family home and were going to be used by her children to help pay for her health care and old-age accommodation.

The 95-year-old former schoolteacher has five daughters, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Her father was a schoolteacher and five of her children and grandchildren became teachers.